WHY AS A BABY?

Matthew 1:18-25

INTRODUCTION: In some cases a shortcut is a good thing. However, a shortcut is not a good thing if you expect to get full credit for the whole race of life. Our Lord did appear in the Old Testament as “the Angel of the Lord” several times man sized in a pre-incarnate body. God could have saved a lot of people a lot of agony if Jesus had just appeared in the New Testament as a fully-grown-man. However, our God chose not to do that. Have you ever asked yourself, “Why did our Savior come to earth as a baby?

      I.       JESUS WAS BORN AS A BABY TO FULFILL BIBLICAL PROPHECY!

To many this may seem silly. Why go through all the extra suffering and the humbling experience of God being born as a baby boy? All the things of being a baby are so humbling. What’s the big deal about fulfilling prophecy anyhow? Isaiah 46:9-11. Do you know that 25% of the Bible we use, the verses are speaking of things to come? Prophecy, fulfilled prophecy is the test set by our God to show that He alone knows the future and that only He dares to foretell what will be in the future. Here are just a few of the prophecies our Lord Jesus had to fulfill if He was going to run the full race God set out in prophecy for Him to run: Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2. The Jewish scholars of Jesus’ day fully expected prophecy in the Bible to be fulfilled literally. Matthew 2:1-18: Why would God allow so much suffering just to fulfillprophecy? I don’t claim to have all the answers: All I know is that the One Who can and does tell us in His Word what the future will be and has the power to bring it to pass is the One on Whose side I want to be!

  II.        JESUS WAS BORN OF A BABY TO REVEAL GOD’S GLORY!

Our Lord Jesus took no shortcut to manhood. He didn’t come as a mature man but as a baby to not only be our Savior but to show us what our heavenly Father is really like: John 1:1-5. Our Creator God called the Word became flesh as a baby boy: John 1:14-18; John 14:6-11. In order for His children to know what He is like God sent Jesus, the Word. If we desire to know the Father we must come to the Son of God and look at Jesus!

  III.       JESUS WAS BORN AS A BABY TO SHARE OUR HUMANITY!

Our God was not content to sit in heaven and just send messages through angels and prophets. Our God Himself came to the earth in the Person of His Son in the fulness of time! The Name “Immanuel” means “God with us!” Hebrews 1:1-3; John 3:16: Our God has given to mankind the ultimate “Christmas gift!” Have you personally received God’s most precious gift? 2 Corinthians 9:15. The Scriptures trace our Lord Jesus to dual nature, both divine and human. As a human our Lord Jesus thirsted and got hungry. He was tempted and He wept. He hurt and perspired and laughed. As God, Jesus was able to do what only God can do: He healed the sick, forgave sinners and raised the dead. On Calvary’s hill Jesus was both the Priest and the Sacrifice. As God Jesus paid the price for our salvation; as a man Jesus was the price for our salvation.

IV.       JESUS WAS BORN AS A BABY TO FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL!

Our Lord Jesus was born as a baby to experience all that we as His children will go through in our lives: Jesus family did not believe in Him: John 7:1-9. Jesus’ friends did not stick with Him, even though they said they would: Matthew 26:31-35. Have you ever felt like you were not one of the pretty ones? Isaiah 53:1-5. All around us people are suffering in this sin cursed earth so our Lord Jesus also suffered for us: Hebrews 4:14-16.