The Love of and for the Son

It's the holiday season! Andy Williams sang that phrase with great joy many years ago. As I have mentioned before, this holiday season I am in a version of A Christmas Carol in a community theater production. We perform as if we were recording the familiar story for a radio broadcast before a studio audience in 1946. I do the voice of Bob Cratchit and his dear son, Tiny Tim. Let's just say the parts have some ups and downs.

Most folks are at least somewhat familiar with the haunting tale of Scrooge and his ultimate redemption. In one stave he learns that the less fortunate Cratchit family loses the "cripple" Tiny Tim. He sees his beleaguered clerk and his wife grieving their loss. Of course, in reality he did not die. All ends well, as Tim proclaims at the end, "God bless us, everyone."

I have the privilege of portraying some of the most emotional moments in the production. I become tearful as Mrs. Cratchit reminds Bob that the son's death is God's will. "I am trying to understand it."

As a father of two sons, it is not difficult to act as if I am saddened at the death of my child. What could be worse? When I think about Jesus coming to earth, several things come to mind. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He has always been. Our Lord willingly took on human flesh and was born in Bethlehem as fully human and fully God. I wonder at what point he knew that his mission would happen. In all likelihood he knew when Adam and Eve fell. Perhaps he knew once Satan rebelled. He had a long wait to come to earth, as his creatures count time at least. I also wonder why he came when he did. The Jews had been waiting for centuries. Sadly, most still wait.

We know that he came willingly. In the beautiful Negro spiritual Sweet Little Jesus Boy, a line states, "They made you be born in a manger."

While it is true that there was no room at the inn, Jesus came in humility. It was a perfect place for the One to arrive as our Advocate. No one made him do anything. The Son was obedient to the will of the Father. The equal member of the Trinity knew why he had to be born of a virgin. Jesus knew he would have a short earthly life and ministry. Christ fully understood he was born to die.

So when the Holy Spirit arrived upon Mary and planted the sacred seed, both the Son and Father had to have sensed something unlike anything before in their eternal existence. Emmanuel left the glories of heaven in just his first willing act of sacrifice. Who (Jesus Christ), being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Philippians 2:6-7). Did his emptying himself mean he was gone from heaven? It certainly appears that way since the gospels refer to him praying often. We also know he returned to heaven when he ascended. The Father and Son were apart in a real sense. It is hard to imagine from a human perspective because we only understand earthly relationships.

We tend to do things for our own advantage. We try to make something of ourselves. Jesus made himself nothing. Being a servant is something we sometimes have to force ourselves to do. Since Jesus was in on creating mankind he certainly knew what he was getting himself into when he took on flesh. He knew that only his blood could pay the price for our sins. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross (2:8)!

The rest of Sweet Little Jesus Boy is certainly true. We didn't know who you were. Didn't know you'd come to save us Lord, to take our sins away. Our eyes were blind, we could not see. We didn't know who you were. Even as people have begun the Christmas rush around the world, few understand what and whom we are celebrating. I guess I do not get overly troubled by people not saying "Merry Christmas" in recent years. So many people do not personally know Christ. Those who know about him are not comfortable with what he represents. They do not want to think that they need a savior. Folks would rather think about how good they are. They want to tolerate all religions. The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). They don't know who he is. Yet, for those who are saved we receive incredible power through the sweet little baby boy born in a manger, who also was God.

The sadness of the Father seeing his Son die (Good Friday) turns to the joy (set before him) when he resurrects him in power (Easter). And he shall reign forever and ever, along with his Father and the Holy Spirit. No more death. Hallelujah!