What would people feel when they held the Son of God?

1998 was the "Baby Year" for my wife and me. In 1998 we went from having one niece and one nephew to one niece and four nephews. Also, in1998 we were pregnant twice and neither one of those worked out the way they were supposed to. So when Christmas rolled around, there were lots of babies on the brain and questions for God. With those thoughts playing Pong between my temples, I busted out the following blurb, that I now offer as a Christmas card to anyone who stumbles onto my blog. (Special thanks to Jackson…or is that Harrison…for being the poster child. To you Jack (or Harry), and all of my three nieces and eleven nephews I say that I am thrilled to be a professional uncle.)

Immanu’el, God With Us

by Jeff Skiver

God sent His only son to die for mere humans like us. That’s pretty intimidating isn’t it? When we think of the young messiah, we most often think of the infant Christ in the manger. However, I wonder how many people have taken time to think of the Christ-child as a child. Perhaps the wise men should have also brought some toys.

The New Testament records The Immaculate Conception, The Birth, The Flight to Egypt, and The Visit of the Magi. Then it jumps to a twelve year old Jesus in the Temple. Although the New Testament does not record it, rest assured Jesus had a childhood. The Son of God came to Earth, and He grew up in Nazareth.

For just a moment allow yourself to look past Christ as deity and see Him as Jesus the Baby.

Did Jesus sleep through the night? Did He have any trouble while teething? Did the young Jesus have a healthy appetite? Was He ever stubborn, demanding to feed Himself? Did God ever look down to see His only begotten son with food in His hair?

With your imagination pushing the envelope of what structured religion would classify as blasphemy, take a moment to think about Christ the Toddler.

Did Jesus like to play during bath time? Did He ever walk on water in His tub? At what age did Jesus learn to walk? When He fell, did He cry? If He scraped a knee, did He ever heal Himself?

Did Jesus have any trouble potty training? Did Mary ever say, “The Messiah needs His diaper changed!”

Was Jesus a Mama’s Boy? Was Jesus a Daddy’s Boy? Did the people at His church like Him? I wonder if the older ladies would fight over who got to hold Him. Did the older men bring Him candy? What would people feel when they held the Son of God?

Although the water to wine transformation was the first recorded miracle, was it the first miracle? Is it possible that He healed His grandmother’s arthritis when He was three?

As He grew older, what was He like? Did He get along with His brothers? Did He and His cousin John have deep discussions? How much time did He spend in prayer each day?

There are countless experiences that must have occurred as Jesus grew up. These experiences are all locked away in His memory. These memories help Him relate to people. Although we must recognize Jesus Christ as God the Son, we should keep in mind that for over thirty years, Jesus lived as God the Human. Respect Jesus for who He is, but rest assured He can relate to your situation.