12 Days of Christ Day 3: For Unto Us A Child Is Born

12 Days of Christ: Day 3

“For unto us a ​​​child​ is ​​​born​, unto us a ​​​son​ is given” (Isaiah 9:12)

The baby Jesus, the center of our nativity story.

The Son of God willingly came down as a tiny baby. Think about that! A helpless tiny baby in need of food & clothing, love & care, soothing, swaddling! Learned to crawl & walk. Subject to harm. Did He cry? Did Mary kiss his owies better? Did He have a favorite lullaby? Oh how I’d love to see that Baby Jesus! Feel His little fingers wrap around mine. Cradle Him & sway. How surreal would that be?

Savior of the world. Didn’t skip right to His ministry, didn’t fast-forward to get things over with- no. He started as an infant in the most modest of circumstances.

Couldn’t the all mighty God have chosen another way? Couldn’t He have “whooshed” His powerful hand & saved mankind? He didn't have to watch His Son go through mortal trials & sufferings of the most harrowing kind. But He did. He sent us someone who would be born like us, receive a body like us, grow up like us, live like us. Ok, maybe a little more perfect than us! Someone who would humbly live a life of example, obedience, kindness, compassion, & light. Someone who would sit with outcasts & make ordinary things holy. Someone who would minister & heal. Someone who would show a new & different way. Someone who would experience the worst kind of pain, judgment, rejection, & betrayal.

Christ was sent to save us, to atone for us, to die for us, yes. But also to live for us. To show us He is there in our darkest hours. Because He understands. He went through it all.

That's why He came as a baby.

That's why He lived day to day on earth just like us.

So He could essentially be one of us.

The Son of God is one of us.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth, the baby, the silent night in Bethlehem. But the story didn’t end that night in the manger. It was just the beginning.

“For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have ​​​seen​ my Redeemer; & he shall come forth, & be ​​​born​ of a ​​​woman​, & he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name. Now, when [Lamoni] had said these words, his heart was swollen within him, & he sunk again with joy” (Alma 19:13)