Tag: Jesus

Wondering about …Jesus as a Child

Do you ever wonder what kind of boy Jesus the Nazarene was? A Jewish child living in a Gentile region over 2,000 years ago. Although He is known as the Son of God, He is also called the Son of Man. What does that mean?

Local citizens thought of Him as the child of Mary, stepson of Joseph the carpenter, older brother of James. His disciple and friend, John, had a another name for Him, the Word.

A regular, ordinary human child- but was He? Not according to the Bible:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:2-3 ESV

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through Him and for Him.” Col. 1:15-16 ESV

We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; He came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore , it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:16,17 NLT

Jesus Christ, a member of the Trinity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit during creation of the earth.

Jesus the Son of God, the versatile Artist who designed a horse to gracefully run across grasses also sculpted a comical anteater whose appearance is perfect for a life lived in soil and rocks. What beauty and function merged perfectly into these different forms and many others.

Jesus, Son of God, the Artist of creation, obeyed Father God’s will- to be born on earth as a human child, so He was also the Son of Man. The same Jesus lived a sinless human life never doing anything against God’s instructions. That perfect human life qualified Him to be the remedy for sinful humans who choose to become the children of God. All humans can become the children of God, but many choose to make their own way without God’s help.

Still, as a ten year old human child, what was Jesus like?

Did Mary’s Son use a twig to draw shapes in the dirt around Nazareth?

Was He the first one to point out a cloud that looked like an old man’s face?

Did Jesus invent new games out of rocks to entertain His friends?

I am curious because when I was working out at the gym, I saw something that reminded me of Him. Holding up the roof and ceiling over my head was a large wooden beam where hidden in the grain was the drawing of a nude woman with long hair holding her arms up toward heaven.

I wonder, did my Redeemer and friend, Jesus Christ, draw that silhouette inside the tree that grew in a forest over 60 years ago? Did He know that one day I would be grumbling and look up, seeing His artwork, and smile with pleasure at the thought of Him and His abilities?

Father God,

How grateful I am that I can come to You as an adopted child. Please help me to see the beauty and wonder of our world. Help me to look for and identify traces of You in nature and in the people around me. I thank You for the essence of Your character revealed through Christ adding joy and humor to an ordinary life .

Amen

***Have you heard of Jesus Christ, but you don’t really know Him ? Are you searching for a relationship where you are deeply loved and that does not end? Do you long for hope in a struggling situation where you can find no answers? Look to God for help.

Do you want peace with God?

Perfect Friend

Sometimes I wonder, Lord Jesus, what it would have been like to walk beside you on a dusty path in Galilee. You, looking like an ordinary man but being so much more: the Invisible God enveloped with human skin.

Although I know facts of your life illustrated in black letters and white spaces, I don’t know the whole you. Names of places, people and quotes of your words scatter across my brain. Reading the Bible has changed my life; even so, your portrait is flat.

My mind sees you sketched out in two dimensions formed by typed words and art. But I long to see you wholly. What would it be like to hear your mouth say the words I read in the Bible? I wonder… On that hill, would your speech be choreographed to the movement of your walk or emphasized by arms and hands?

There is so much more to know about Mary and God’s son, Jesus. To see you in action would be such a pleasure. What would it be like to watch you thank the Father for our meal as we stopped to eat?

Because many different actors have portrayed the Redeemer in films, I am curious to find the truth of your physical characteristics.

When I hear your voice with my own ears, what will it sound like: clear tenor, deep base, or the vibrating baritone of the movies?

When you look at me, and I look back at you, will your eyes be dark chocolate hue or golden brown with flecks of gold and green?

Like a pregnant woman desires to see the face and know every detail of the child she carries, I want to completely know you, My Savior. To recognize your laugh in a crowded room or to glimpse that glistening sparkle in your eye when you think of something funny…

One day I will not wonder about how the Hero of my life looks and sounds. I will finally know when you call my name to join you.

Until that day, help me Holy Son of God to listen to your Spirit within me. Guide me to be true to your values, and to show your love and forgiveness to others. And when I meet wanderers who only know your name, give me words to tell the remarkable difference committing my life to follow you has made.

“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. John 7:46

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21

“And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness’, and he was called God’s friend.” James 2:23

Gracious Father, thank you for sharing your Son and death-less life with such a fickle creature as me.

Bible verses are taken from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.