Like a 3 year old child, staring at the wonders of the world, I tend to find myself asking "why" many times through out the story of Christmas. One particular question that is asked often in my mind is, "why did he come as a baby?" Why didn't God send his only Son as a grown man? Wouldn't that have felt more miraculous? Wouldn't it have been more impactful at the time to all of the sudden have this man appear, descending from Heaven, on billowing white clouds? Wouldn't it have made it more believable that He was indeed the son of God?
The answer to these questions, and more is that, a real human debt had to be paid for a real human sin.
In order for God to complete His promise to provide us with a savior, Jesus, the sacrifice for our sins, needed to be fully human. He needed to be fashioned within the womb of a mother. To develop and grow through childhood, adolescent and young adult years. He needed to understand our humanity in a real and relevant way, to become the real human sacrifice that would save us from our sins and offer us a hope for eternal life in Heaven with Him.
Like a wrapped present under the Christmas tree, we are filled with anticipation to catch a glimpse of what is inside. Through the miracle of God becoming man, the box under the Christmas tree is unwrapped and we can stand in awe of the gift inside. The story of a real God, becoming a real human to become the sacrifice paid for our real sin.
The story of Christmas is only complete with the understanding that it is finished at the cross!
As we approach this Christmas with our kids, let's point them past the details of the story, {the manager, the wise men, the shepherds} and share the why of such an amazing gift that came to us as a baby!
Merry Christmas!
Blessings~
Rhiannon