Born to Die!
I wonder when Jesus realized the purpose of his birth was for death? There are very few stories of when Jesus was a child but the one we do have is when he went into the synagogue and began to teach and speak with teachers of the law there and found they were very impressed by his understanding of scripture. Was it in his understanding of the scripture that he realized he was the Messiah, the one who the prophet Isaiah spoke about that would come and give his life as a ransom for many?
Or was it when he was older, around 30, when he realized that his journey was something else and decided to be baptized by John the Baptist. Was it upon stepping into the water as the dove descended, the Holy Spirit, and the voice of God from heaven saying "this is my son in whom I am well pleased"? Was it the voice of God that revealed to Jesus that his birth was for death?
Or was it later, following his baptism, when Jesus went up to the mountain where he was tempted by the devil? Was it upon his denial of the devil's offers that he decided to follow God? And in that following God, coming down the mountain to began his public ministry did he realize that calling on his life was for death in order that we could have life?
Or was it the first time Jesus mentioned the coming of his death and began to speak about the time when he would not be there any longer? Remember when he first began to speak about his death? It was Peter, the guy who never got it right, that got it right for the first time when Jesus asked, "who do you say I am?" Remember, Peter's response, "You are the Messiah." Was it then upon Jesus answer to Peter, "this was not revealed to you by man but by my father in heaven," that Jesus realized his purpose?
What it must have felt like for Jesus to know he was born to be a martyr. Is there any life in knowing that your sole purpose was for death? Could that give hope or just steal it? The evidence of the answer to that question is in his life; his living. His life would suggest that from an early age he began to understand that there was something special and unique about the calling on his life to fulfill the purposes of God. That calling seemed to give Jesus life; so much life in fact that flocks of people chose to pursue him. They chose to be around him and to sacrifice their work, their life, and everything just to be near him. What they experienced when they were with him was life. That life Jesus had that flowed out of his soul came from God, his father, and the fulfillment of his purposes. Jesus was born to die and he was okay with it. No, he wasn't just okay with it. He was passionate about it. It gave him life.
I wonder what stirs our passion to give of ourselves beyond what's comfortable and beyond what's convenient this Christmas? I wonder what it looks like to give sacrificially of or whole life this season. I wonder if we would be okay with that? I wonder if we could pursue it with passion and experience life because of it this Christmas? Would you begin to pray even now of what it may look like to follow after Christ in sacrificing yourself that others might experience Christmas this season?
