Day 9: Baby Jesus (Don't Be Afraid Of God)

My Goddaughter

I never thought I would feel this way, but somehow I feel like I love my best friend's baby even more than I love my friend. I feel like I'm staring at the biggest miracle I've ever seen. This little person is a piece of my best friend. I see her eyes, or nose, and as the baby grows, a piece of my friend's personality. I feel a love and protectiveness over that baby that I didn't expect. I could stare at her for ages, amazed. When I was asked to be her godmother, I cried because it was such an honour!

What If God Came As A Baby...On Purpose?

Of all the ways the Jewish people expected to welcome their Messiah, it wasn't as a baby. They were looking for a powerful leader to set them free from Roman oppression. What good would a baby do? So helpless! So vulnerable that this baby Jesus would have been killed in Bethlehem on King Herod's orders, if Joseph hadn't obeyed God's warning in a dream and fled to Egypt.

But what if God came as a baby...on purpose? (I mean, obviously, He did, but what if there's a beautiful meaning we can take from our first glimpse of the King of the Universe?) What if being a vulnerable baby wasn't a necessary step of the process of becoming a man, but what if God came as a baby so we knew we didn't have to be scared of Him?

A baby isn't intimidating. A baby doesn't hold grudges. A baby can't punish you. A baby won't manipulate you. A baby sleeping is the picture of peace, a face you can stare at for hours without fear.

So many of us know God as an angry Father, a disappointed Father, a punishing Father we ought to be afraid of. But what if He came as a baby so we wouldn't be afraid of Him?

Your Life Today

I hope this final imagery in the Christmas story we've been exploring together is leaving you with a reminder that this Jesus we know is someone you can approach without fear. He loves you. He wants you. He is peaceful, forgiving, and kind. The kind of Father you want in your life.

If you aren't sure whether you have a relationship with God yet, pray this simple prayer with me this Christmas season:

Jesus, come into my heart. I'm sorry for my sins, please forgive me. I know You love me. Amen.

I hope that through our nine-day journey together, exploring aspects of the Christmas story you might not have seen before, you encountered Jesus anew. Emmanuel isn't just 'God with us' - He is God with you.