Celebrating Jesus in His Human Form

I woke up this morning thinking of Jesus and how he was born as a human onto this real earth in a real city from a real woman's womb. This is simply mind-boggling. I think sometimes I don't like to think of Jesus in "human" terms because I must think it detracts from His holiness and GODNESS in some way. But this is simply not true. He is God and man. He is somehow, gloriously 100% God and 100% man.

As I lay in bed this morning, I was trying to figure out at what age did this human realize he was also God. As God, would Jesus always know...even at conception, in the womb, and while nursing? Or would it come to Him later...like when He was around 12 and said he just had to be in His Father's house?

His parents knew His identity. Mary pondered these things in her heart. Did she also tell him He was the Son of God as she rocked him to sleep? Did Joseph tell him it was a joy to raise him as his son but at the same time, point Him to His Eternal Father?

I was also thinking of Jesus up in Heaven before he came to the earth. Was he nervous about being "born" and being such a helpless little babe? With the cross before Him, was he having second thoughts about the whole "Immanuel"...God with us thing? I guess God doesn't get nervous or have second thoughts. But, I wonder just what was going through his head then. I like to think that he was dancing around the Father, saying, "This will work! This is the plan that will bring them hope and redemption. This is the plan that will bring them home!"

As I reflected, I became so grateful to Jesus for sharing in our humanity. After losing a loved one this year, I am comforted that Jesus did as well. He wept over the loss of his friend, Lazarus. This is really amazing to me. He knew he was going to raise him from the dead, and he still wept. Grief overcame him like it does the rest of us humans.

I think of someone I know who has battled cancer this year. What a scary road to walk. She must be comforted knowing that Jesus was frightened and scared about the road to the cross. He begged the Father to let it be done another way. What comfort in knowing that obedience yields the best good.

What a joy it is for those who have lost jobs this year to be able to read the Word and see a human/God provide in such miraculous ways that some might call those tales "Fairy" and not truth. Picture being a fisherman and finding a gold coin in a fish's mouth. Think of bread and fish being exponentially multiplied to feed the multitude. The One who dwelt among them still dwells among us. He still provides...in often "nonhuman" ways.

Such love. To become a mere man and redeem mankind. Such love.