His Name Shall Be Called... Mighty God

Welcome to Real Life.  God ways are certainly not like our ways.  He chose to enter our world in the simplest and humblest of ways.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given
And the government shall be upon his shoulder
And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 
                                                                                 Isaiah 9:6


Seven hundred and fifty years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied that God would put on human flesh.  Almighty God, the One who spoke the world into existence,[1] entered our world in the lowliest way.  He arrived as a vulnerable, helpless infant.

Why did he come as a baby?  Why not an adult?  It was humiliating enough to accept the limitations of a human body, a body that becomes tired and hungry and dirty.  But God limited himself further by coming as a child.  Jesus had to learn and grow and submit to the authority of his parents.  For the omnipotent God to willingly place himself in such a position is hard to fathom.

George MacDonald[2] believed that God did it for love (as described in this scene from his book The Seaboard Parish):
“There is one thing,” said Wynnie, after a pause, “that I have often thought about.  Why was it necessary for Jesus to come as a baby?  He could not do anything for so long.”  
“First, Wynnie, all of us come as babies, and whatever was human must be His.  And are you sure that He could not do anything for so long?  Does a baby do nothing?  Ask Mamma there.  Is it for nothing that the mother lifts up such heartfuls of thanks to God for the baby on her knee?  Is it nothing that the baby opens such fountains of love in almost all the hearts around?  Was not Jesus going to establish the reign of love in the earth?  How could He do better than begin from babyhood?  He had to lay hold of the heart of the world; how could He do better than begin with His mother’s?” 
Nathaniel
How is it that babies open such fountains of love in our hearts?  When our sons were born, my husband said, “I never knew it was possible to love something so small so very much.” The most recent addition to our family is my niece’s little Nathaniel.  I don’t think there has ever been a more adorable child.[3]  He has the sweetest disposition.  When he smiles, his whole body smiles.  He has laid hold of every heart around him. One look at Nathaniel and I can begin to comprehend how it was wholly wise of God to begin his earthly reign of love as a sweet baby in Mary’s arms.  

Something to think about…
  • Has the baby in the manger, God incarnate, laid hold of your heart?
  • Listen to the song “Mary Did You Know.”[4] Did Mary know that when she held the baby Jesus, she held the God who created her?

[1] John 1:10
[2] George MacDonald (1824-1905) Scottish poet, author, and theologian
[3] Other than my own sons, of course. :)
[4] Written and performed by Mark Lowry.
Photo of infant Jesus courtesy of Photobucket: http://gi89.photobucket.com/groups/k231/F3TW7LS5TJ/Jesus-1.jpg

Comments

  1. How beatufiul and what a surprise to see Nathaniel in your article. You are correct when you say "he is an adorable child" and the sweetiest disposition. I love how he greets me when I come home from work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Stef, I asked Jess if I could use the picture of him. He's such a sweetie! You are blessed, grama. :)

    ReplyDelete

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