By Terry Lees
WE all know the Christmas story, but do we understand how much it proves God’s extravagant love for us?
In Bethlehem the “No Vacancy” sign was up. Joseph and Mary could find no accommodation.
In desperation they accepted a rock cave used as a stable in which animals were housed.
The Saviour of the world, the Son of God, was born to a peasant girl, a homeless, powerless baby, amongst the sounds and stinky smells – urine and dung – of the animals.
The manger was likely a straw-lined feed box! Just imagine that! Ponder it!
Author Max Lucado wrote: “God as a foetus. Holiness sleeping in a womb. The creator of life being created. God was given eyebrows, elbows, two kidneys, and a spleen. He stretched against the walls and floated in the amniotic fluids of His mother.” (God Came Near)
God became a baby in the way of all babies – 100 per cent human, when human blood, flesh and seed are consecrated as the raw material for the birth of God.
He was in his mother’s womb for nine months, carried, formed in her likeness, and nourished.
He likely took his features from his mother – eyes, nose, mouth, colouring.
She held him in her arms as any mother would hold a baby, covering his face with kisses, gazing lovingly into his small eyes.
He drank milk from her breasts. She changed his soiled nappy. She burped him.
He grew, went to school in his village, played with other kids.
He slept, got hungry and thirsty.
He took on a job as an apprentice carpenter.
He stubbed his toe on the ground, he hit his thumb with a hammer!
He bled. He died. Jesus was so very human – just like us.
“God chose to enter human history in complete weakness … In Jesus of Nazareth, the powerless God appeared among us to unmask the illusion of power, to disarm the prince of darkness who rules the world, and to bring the divided human race to a new unity. It is through total and unmitigated powerlessness that God shows us divine mercy. … It is very hard — if not impossible — for us to grasp this divine mercy. We keep praying to the “almighty and powerful God”. But all might and power is absent from the One who reveals God to us saying: “When you see me, you see the Father.” If we truly want to love God, we have to look at the man of Nazareth, whose life was wrapped in weakness. And his weakness opens for us the way to the heart of God.” (Henri J Nouwen, The Divine Choice of Weakness)
It is so radical – perhaps impossible to grasp – that the God of all creation personally experienced human weakness in all its forms.
The God to whom I turn when I stumble and fall and to whom I pray for strength and courage, experienced weakness and powerlessness just as I do.
This awareness opened my eyes to view my own weakness in a new light.
No wonder St Paul had the foresight to proclaim, “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong!” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Jesus had a human birth, a human ancestry, a human family.
The genealogy of Jesus links him to humanity.
Jesus developed like a normal human being, as the promised Messiah Jesus had to be human.
Jesus had the essential elements of a human being – body, mind, spirit and will.
The Apostle Paul wrote “he had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.”
(Hebrews 2:17-18)
Jesus bridges the gap between God and humanity.
The Son of God chooses to make his home with us, within us.
He journeys with us. We are not alone. Emmanuel – God is WITH us.
Throw away that “No Vacancy” sign that hangs over your heart. Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Savour his unconditional love, let him fill and warm your heart.
You are special to him; his grace fills you. It is a gift beyond measure.
Reach out to him and let him touch you. Feel him hold you close to his heart.
God goes to extreme lengths to prove his love for us.
I can almost hear my wise, young granddaughter saying: “Poppy, God MUST REALLY love us … to do that just so he could be with us!”
Yes – God DOES love us, of that there can be no doubt!
Have a golden day, treasure life and have a happy, holy Christmas!
