“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”- Gal. 4:4-5
When a baby is born we often wonder what life will hold for the child. As parents we sometimes have certain hopes of what the child might become, or at least what will be best for them. We have life on our mind, not death. And it usually isn’t long before children start thinking about what they want to be when they grow up. Even though we all know we are going to die, no one thinks of that as their purpose in life. No one that is but Jesus!
While there’s a lot of debate about how much Mary knew about the impending death of Jesus, there can be no doubt about what Jesus knew. He came into this world with death on His mind. He was born to die. Think about what Jesus could have done or become had he chosen to do so. With His wisdom and ability he could have become a king or accomplished anything he desired, but he was born to die and he knew it ( John 18:4). He was, as promised in Isa. 9:6, the Son “given” to be the sacrifice for man’s sin. He came into the world aware of His purpose and he was fully committed to the Father’s plan for His life. He lived in the shadow of the cross. It stands to reason that every tree would remind him of the cross. Every sacrifice offered was a reminder that as the Lamb of God He would be offered as the sacrifice for all. He knew every detail of what awaited him and yet he never wavered from the course appointed for him. And he did so with joy. he could say, “I delight to do thy will, O my God” ( Psa. 40:2). Not for one moment did he ever resent or resist the Father’s will.
It was not His lovely life, tremendous teaching, mighty miracles, or excellent example, but His death that delivers us. It was by means of His death for our sin that we are forgiven, spared from wrath, and receive everlasting life. Without His sacrifice everything about Christmas would be meaningless. He was born to die that we might live! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
