Why a Baby?
An eternity changing announcement is made. Ever wonder what the angels thought?
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven...”
From verse 15 and following we follow the human story. As such, we miss the potential angelic wonder.
Imagine if Heaven had a locker room. Not unlike winning an athletic championship less the showers of champagne, the newly returned heavenly host are celebrating. They announced THE redemptive plan of God for humanity. They sung it out. They even got to freak out the shepherds. Then, through the tumult, one angel says to his buddy, “Hey, I gotta question.”
Shoot, buddy.
So, I’m just thinking. We went down. Sang some praise. Did it bigtime. Even if it was for just a few shepherds and not all our angelic brethren announcing it to all humanity, but that’s not my question.
Yeah, and?
Well, I’m thinking. God, He can do anything He wants, right? I know that.
Right, yes.
Then why is it—I mean, I don’t want it to seem like I’m second-guessing God, but why—why is it that He did it this way?
What do you mean, “this way”? You got a better way?
Well, yeah, right. I know I’m just an angel. And I know He is God, but it seems to me that if you wanted to redeem humanity—I know God loves them and longs to save them from themselves—that you might do something other than a baby. I mean, why a baby?
“Why a baby?,” what do you mean?
The baby, well, he is the prophesied Messiah, that is clear. He’s got a great name—Jesus, that is “God saves”—but I’m just worried that, I mean, he’s a baby! Dude. So much can go wrong. What if he dies young? What if his parents—they seem like nice folks and all—but what if they screw him up? Or what if, what if he chooses another path, decides he doesn’t like the whole God’s Son on Earth gig? What if?
You know, what? You’re right. That baby is helpless, vulnerable, and lots can go wrong. It seems crazy. There is a lot about it I don’t know. We angels, we followed the game plan—appear, make it big time, praise and sing—and, man, we executed it flawlessly. It was awesome. We did our part. There is a lot about it I don’t know, but here is what I do know: God never makes mistakes; God always has a reason.
So you’re saying God has a reason that He wants to seal the deal for humanity’s redemption beginning with a baby?
Exactly. God never makes mistakes. God always has a reason. He is sovereign. It’s His will. It’s His way. He’s big enough for us to question Him, but we don’t get any say in the final call. It’s all God. So, what I’m thinking is that God has a reason for sending His son as a baby. Think about what that reason might be and learn something. Something about God. Something about how He made people. Something that He knows how best to reach them. God, as a human, gone to earth a baby. God born of flesh that He might die a sacrifice for humanity’s sin. The confounding choice. The amazing humility. The incredible condescension. The tremendous compassion. The supernatural love.
You’re right. Coming to humanity as baby says something about God; it also says something about how humanity should come to Him. Why a baby? Why any other way?
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