“Saba(Hebrew name for Grandfather). You knew Jesus didn’t you?”
As Caleb heard the question from his young granddaughter, Hannah, he wondered where the question was leading. “I was only a small child, about your age, when Jesus began His ministry. But my parents knew Him well. I can remember Him eating at our house one Sabbath, and I can remember hearing Him speak a couple of times. I do remember how upset my parents were when they crucified Him, and the excitement that poured through our house when we learned that He had risen. And when we saw Him again, I can remember knowing it was Him. There was something about His eyes, a sparkle to them that made me feel so comfortable the few times I was around Him. And a warmth in His smile, that made you want to be near Him. A smile unlike anyone else’s I have ever met. Does this answer your question, my sweet Hannah?”
“I know you have taught us that He was God, and I was just curious what He was like as a baby, Saba. Did God cry as a baby? Did He laugh? Did He get hungry? Did He get upset? I guess what I am wondering is, was Jesus like other children? I wish I could have seen Him in Bethlehem that night. It is just hard to understand why God would come to this world as a child. Does that make sense, Saba?”
As Caleb heard Hannah asking all her questions, he watched as the rest of the family began to slowly gather round. In their silence, he could see that her question was also their question. “Although I never knew Him as a child, my child, I often heard those who spent so much time with Him, talk about Him. I heard His brothers talk about Him as a child and a young man, and they would tell me what their parents told them about that night. You see, when I was once young, like you now Hannah, I had a lot of questions too!”
Caleb then took his seat, and picking up Hannah, placed her onto his lap, as he watched the others continue to gather around. “Let me tell you what they always told me, my child. You wonder why the Lord God would come to this world as a child, but to answer your question we have to begin many, many years before that night. Jesus did not become God that night as He was born, Jesus was God since long before mankind was created(Genesis 1:26). He was there when Adam was created(Genesis 2). He was there when Noah got on the ark(Genesis 7). And He was there to part the Red Sea(Exodus 14). Through every moment, Jesus has always been there.”
“You see Hanah, Jesus is Lord. He did not earn that title because of what He did while He was on this earth, He was already deserving of that title long before this earth was ever created(John 1:1). When we come to understand this, we understand how the fullness of God was on display for all the world to see in Bethlehem that night.”
“If we think about it Hannah, if Jesus had come to this earth as an adult, He would never have had all the qualities that we have. God was born into the world that night, so he could fully experience all you and I experience. Not wanting to miss any of those experiences. To not only know what it was like to be an adult, but to have experienced all it is like to be a child, like you Hannah.”
“God, in all His wisdom, also knew that in order to experience all we, as humans, go through, He would have to be fully human, as well as be fully God. If He had come as an adult, and not been born as a baby. He would have never had all those human experiences. As He would not have been fully human”
“God also knew that He came to be the perfect Lamb(John 1:29), so He could be the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin. God wanted to have a close and personal relationship with all of us again, like he had with Adam and Eve in the Garden(Genesis 2-3). But in order to do this, sin had to be removed, as it served as a wall between God and man(1 John 3:8). Christ came, and gave His perfect life, so all that sin could be taken away(1 John 2:2). Isaiah told us Hannah, “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.” Throughout all the Books of Old(Old Testament), God set the stage for Jesus to come as that perfect Lamb, to give His life as an atonement for our sins(Romans 8:3, Hebrews 10).”
"Only God is perfect, my child(Matthew 5:48, Romans 3;23). So no human could ever serve as that perfect Lamb. So the sacrifice for our sins could never come from two humans. But for the Lord to fully experience our humanity, He also could not do this walking this earth as fully God. So in His perfect wisdom, Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit(Matthew 1:18). Because in this way, Jesus could properly represent humanity, and He could properly overcome sin. This was the beauty of His birth that night, my Hannah. Jesus came to this world, perfectly equipped and positioned to be our Savior(1 John 4:14). To be your Savior, Hannah.”
“You see, Hannah, God had to come to this world, and to do so as a human, as one of us. That is why Jesus came as a baby on that night. And as He came that night, He took on the conditions of this world, all we face everyday. But through it, He did something perfectly we could never do. He remained faithful to the Father above. In His birth, in His life, and even in His death, Jesus came to make right every wrong sin has brought to us. He came to the world that night to be our Savior, and He went to the Cross as our Savior. His birth was a part of God’s perfect plan of salvation(John 14:6, Acts 4:11-12). And when we look at the whole of His plan, we see that night in Bethlehem was just a step in the path of His plan, a plan that led all the way to the Cross.”
“On that night in Bethlehem, Hannah, God brought that perfect Lamb to this world. That perfect Lamb was Jesus, and He gave His life so you might have life(1 John 3:16). Each Christmas, as you think about that first night in Bethlehem, I hope you will always think about just how much the Lord loves you, Hannah. Because as much as I love you, my child, God loves you far more.”
As Caleb finished, Hannah reached us and kissed her grandfather on the cheek and smiled. And as Caleb fought back the tears, he felt his daughter-in-law, Miriam, reach for Hannah. “I am sorry, Abba(Hebrew name for father), I know she can be a handful!” And as Hannah was taken from his lap, Caleb noticed for the first time just how the family had gathered, so they could also hear about Christ.
“Saba, one more thing!”, Hannah exclaimed. “Can you tell us more about Jesus and that first Christmas? Please Saba!”
“She is right, Abba”, quickly replied Miriam. “We all would love to hear more.”
As Caleb heard the words, he thought about how much he had enjoyed hearing his parents tell him about Jesus. And he remembered the joy on their face, as many of the apostles, and early Church leaders, had explained to him all the things they had witnessed while they were with Christ. Caleb realized, there was nothing he wanted more. “Hannah, we will enjoy our Sabbath meal tonight. But tomorrow, as the sun sets, we will come together again, and I promise I will tell you more about the gift the Lord gave to all of us that first Christ!?”
Tomorrow, as Caleb’s family comes together once again, he will talk to them about why the Lord chose Mary and Joseph. And as Caleb gathers his family, I hope your family will also gather and join in with us!
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