Why a Baby?

An eternity changing announcement is made. Ever wonder what the angels thought?

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven...”

— Luke 2:13-15a

From verse 15 and following we follow the human story. As such, we miss the potential angelic wonder.

Imagine if Heaven had a locker room. Not unlike winning an athletic championship less the showers of champagne, the newly returned heavenly host are celebrating. They announced THE redemptive plan of God for humanity. They sung it out. They even got to freak out the shepherds. Then, through the tumult, one angel says to his buddy, “Hey, I gotta question.”

Shoot, buddy.

So, I’m just thinking. We went down. Sang some praise. Did it bigtime. Even if it was for just a few shepherds and not all our angelic brethren announcing it to all humanity, but that’s not my question.

Yeah, and?

Well, I’m thinking. God, He can do anything He wants, right? I know that.

Right, yes.

Then why is it—I mean, I don’t want it to seem like I’m second-guessing God, but why—why is it that He did it this way?

What do you mean, “this way”? You got a better way?

Well, yeah, right. I know I’m just an angel. And I know He is God, but it seems to me that if you wanted to redeem humanity—I know God loves them and longs to save them from themselves—that you might do something other than a baby. I mean, why a baby?

“Why a baby?,” what do you mean?

The baby, well, he is the prophesied Messiah, that is clear. He’s got a great name—Jesus, that is “God saves”—but I’m just worried that, I mean, he’s a baby! Dude. So much can go wrong. What if he dies young? What if his parents—they seem like nice folks and all—but what if they screw him up? Or what if, what if he chooses another path, decides he doesn’t like the whole God’s Son on Earth gig? What if?

You know, what? You’re right. That baby is helpless, vulnerable, and lots can go wrong. It seems crazy. There is a lot about it I don’t know. We angels, we followed the game plan—appear, make it big time, praise and sing—and, man, we executed it flawlessly. It was awesome. We did our part. There is a lot about it I don’t know, but here is what I do know: God never makes mistakes; God always has a reason.

So you’re saying God has a reason that He wants to seal the deal for humanity’s redemption beginning with a baby?

Exactly. God never makes mistakes. God always has a reason. He is sovereign. It’s His will. It’s His way. He’s big enough for us to question Him, but we don’t get any say in the final call. It’s all God. So, what I’m thinking is that God has a reason for sending His son as a baby. Think about what that reason might be and learn something. Something about God. Something about how He made people. Something that He knows how best to reach them. God, as a human, gone to earth a baby. God born of flesh that He might die a sacrifice for humanity’s sin. The confounding choice. The amazing humility. The incredible condescension. The tremendous compassion. The supernatural love. 

You’re right. Coming to humanity as baby says something about God; it also says something about how humanity should come to Him. Why a baby? Why any other way?

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Does Your Bible Have An Asterisk?

In a random illustration of my Easter sermon I asked a question. I quoted Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Then I asked.

Can you?

Do you really believe it?

Or. Does your Bible have an asterisk? 

Imagine this, “I can do all* things through Christ.”

*—Except that one thing.

*—Well, maybe two. Yeah, there is that one more thing.

*—Honestly... I think there is a whole lot God can’t do in or through me.

Where have you mentally inserted an unbelieving asterisk? What Scripture stops you cold? How is your practical atheism revealed? Why can't you fully trust God to be & do what He says in the Bible?

“I can do all* things through Christ.” 

*—Except leave that worrisome situation in God's hands alone.

*—Except to accept God’s forgiveness and move beyond shame.

*—Except _____________________________________ 

What’s your asterisk? 

Confess it.

Ask faith. 

Live without exception. 

Green Eggs and Ham Theology

I could not, would not, on a boat.

I will not, will not, with a goat.

I will not eat them in the rain.

I will not eat them on a train.

Not in the dark! Not in a tree!

Not in a car! You let me be!

I do not like them in a box.

I do not like them with a fox.

I will not eat them in a house.

I do not like them with a mouse.

I do not like them here or there.

I do not like them ANYWHERE!

Emphatically declares the frumpledy-hatted creature in the Dr. Seuss classic Green Eggs and Ham. Just before he relents. Tries the green eggs and ham. And decides he likes them. 

Life is like that. We don’t like something. Until we do.

While preaching John 9 this morning, I was thinking about the Pharisees. Yes, I can preach and think at the same time. I’d encourage you read the entire engaging chapter now. 

Quick context: Jesus heals a man born blind; nobody believes it; man has to prove he is who he is even to his neighbors; man gets hauled before the Pharisees; even man’s parents get called as witnesses. 

The Pharisees had decided Jesus was a sinner—guilty of breaking their Sabbath—and could not have healed the man before their interrogation had even begun. 

The legalistic Pharisees would not believe it possible for Jesus to perform such a healing. More than would not, it seems that they could not believe it. Such an act was outside their realm of possibility.

The Pharisees had Green Eggs and Ham Theology: Jesus could not, would not… Jesus didn’t fit their theology. 

In verse 27, when the formerly blind man pokes the persistent Pharisees, “Do you want to become his disciples too?,” they get mad and throw him out. Could not, would not fit what you like, get angry and throw them out. Always effective. Get what you want. Ignore the evidence. Go on with life—your could not, would not life. Your God-in-a-box life.

How many of us, how many times, do we put God in a could not, would not box? 

We don’t think He could? We don’t believe He would? We put Sovereign God in a box walled by our own limited experience and incomplete imagination. 

We’re like the Pharisees. We’ve got Green Eggs and Ham Theology. And we wonder why God doesn’t do more in our lives?

Could we, instead, be like the man born blind when he declares of Jesus in verse 25, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 

Could we?

Would we?

Believe.

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But If Not

Jesus is on the offensive. Not mean-spirited, but mercifully. He’s warning: judgment is coming; be ready.

Through Luke 12 and into chapter 13 with one answer or parable after another he is extending mercy to his original hearers and to us today. 

Listen in as Jesus tells a parable, an earthly story with a heavenly message, in Luke 13:6-9.

“A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil? ’"

“But he replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. Perhaps it will bear fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

Don’t be too quick to see harsh judgment here. Don’t miss the merciful hope.

God is the owner. He says, they’ve had enough time to grow & do what they should do. 

Jesus is the worker. He asks mercy for one more season. He pledges special attention. He offers hope before final judgment. An opportunity to produce fruit.

We are the tree. We have God’s standard as revealed in the Bible. We welcome Jesus’ mercy and assistance to bear the fruit of righteousness.  

Don’t miss that penultimate phrase, however.  

“But if not…”

If we don’t humble ourselves, don’t obey God’s Word, don’t follow Jesus’ lead, don’t respond to his mercy, then we will be cut down, judged by God.

Those three words—“but if not”—in this context of mercy extended before judgment befalls, lead me to a simple question: What causes your “if not”?

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The Jesus Who Isn't

Jesus: likable guy.

Kid’s loved him. Folks crushed close just to be near him. He was accused of having too much fun. He was the life of the party. He even brought life back to dead parties. Literally.

He rebelled against the status quo while making peace between us and God, our Great Judge. He called out sin while paying the price for it’s penalty. He enjoyed being among us only to be broken by us.

Jesus: what’s not to like? 

That depends. Do we like the Jesus who is? Or the Jesus who isn’t?

When we don’t like Jesus—most the time—it’s because we’ve got the wrong Jesus. The Jesus who isn’t.

That’s the Jesus who won't do what we want, how we want it, and when we want it.

That’s the Jesus who can't do what we want. It’d be sinful or just plain bad for us.

When Jesus isn't who we think or doesn't do what we want, we tend not to like him.

Who does that reveal more about? Jesus? Or us?

We tend to like the Jesus who isn’t. The Jesus who isn’t real, but is a god of our own creation. The Jesus we’ve fashioned, according to our own image or understanding. If only he’d perform as we like! But, of course, that’s the Jesus who isn’t.

How do we get to know the Jesus who is? Simple: read our Bible, lots, to be challenged and changed; pray, to be empty of self and full of him. Simple, yet not easy. That’s the Jesus who is.