When Jesus made the choice to step down from heaven, one big mystery remained. How would He come to earth? God’s plan of redemption for His people was not a random set of choices born from desperation. Though it is hard to wrap our minds around it, God’s plan of redemption was in motion from the beginning of the foundations of the earth. When the time came for Jesus to come to earth, the details of the plan were already in place. Isaiah tells us about it 7 centuries before the birth of Christ.

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 NIV

In God’s plan, a young virgin would conceive and give birth to a son and this son was Jesus. This is not exactly how we would expect God to arrive! Why couldn’t he just beam down from heaven as a full-grown man and carry out His ministry with His disciples? Why go through the struggle of being an infant, a toddler, a teenager on His road of bringing redemption to His people? The writer of Hebrews gives us an explanation…

Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death…For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:14,17 NIV

While being fully God, Jesus took on full humanity in order that He could identify with the suffering of His people and bring true forgiveness to all who were in need. If He had just “appeared” at a moment in time, He wouldn’t have been a true Savior for all of mankind. Instead, God was born as a helpless infant and began His journey from the cradle to the cross where He would give His life as a sacrifice for all people.

Prayer emphasis: Meditate today on the idea that Jesus was willing to be born as a helpless infant, completely dependent on Mary and Joseph to care for Him. Thank Him for the life that He lived and gave for you.

For family discussion…
If Jesus had not been born as a baby to the virgin Mary but had rather just “appeared” as a grown man to call His disciples, would that change the way you viewed Him as your Savior?
How does it make you feel to know that Jesus was both fully God and fully human at the same time and came to rescue you?