Not a Baby Anymore (Advent 21, 2023)

It’s ironic how people who are steadfast in their unbelief project themselves onto Jesus and want to see Jesus as some sort of socialist hippie who is tolerant of every kind of evil and loves sinners so much that He gives their sin a pass.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

They take the meek Jesus of the manger and the good shepherd who carries lambs like Little Bo Peep to mean that He’s powerless. Like Jesus is so wimpy that brazen sinners can do what they want with no consequences. They’re so shameless, they brag that it’s like taking candy from a baby.

But don’t let the “every year Christmas baby in the manger” allow you to fool yourself.
He hasn’t been a baby in 2000 years.

Had Jesus come as the victorious conquering war-time king at His first coming,
NO ONE would be found righteous.
The slaughter of the unrighteous would have been staggering and cataclysmic
… and UNIVERSAL.
Much more like the flood … with NO ark.

The world is falling apart; it’s in turmoil, and the signs of the end are everywhere. Jesus said,

“Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:29-39)

So Jesus entered this world as an unassuming baby.
He won’t be a baby when He returns.

Questions for further thought:

What might be some reasons Jesus came as a baby and did not just materialize as a full-grown mystery man with no heritage like Melchizedek (Hebrews 7)?

If Jesus had no lineage, how could He possibly be the Messiah or could salvation be “from the Jews?”

Why was it important that Jesus was born just as we are and had every opportunity to sin, but did not, even to adult life? How does that open the door for salvation for the world?

Prayer: Father God, the wisdom of Your plan for the salvation of Your people is mysterious and wonderful! Thank You for including Gentiles and Jews, bringing us both together under the banner of Christ Jesus. Your ways are marvelous to behold and at this season, we rejoice in the birth of our Lord Jesus. We pray for His return and thank You that the Way of salvation was opened before Your wrath against sin would be executed. Thank You, Jesus, for taking my sin upon Yourself and paying what I could never pay. In humility, I surrender my ways to Yours and ask that You would use me to communicate Your salvation before Your return as the victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I worship You and offer You praise. Glory to God in the Highest! Amen.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:

“Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.