The Sacrifice of Birth

I got to experience the greatest joy in life five times—holding my newborn child for the first time.  Each time I was struck with the miracle of life that is created by love. I was also struck by the utter helplessness of this infant. 

He had no ability to control his actions.  She couldn't feed herself.  He had no way to keep himself warm.  She couldn't speak.  He knew nothing.  Her five basic senses were hardly operational.  His bodily wastes had to be controlled with a diaper. 

And that made me think about the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice we overlook, the sacrifice that we often take for granted. 

I'm not talking about His sacrifice of torture and crucifixion.  I'm talking about His sacrifice of coming as an infant, a blob of a human being dropped onto the face of the earth. 

Think about being all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present. Then think about giving all that up. Think about trading your power and knowledge and presence for helplessness and ignorance and ignominy. 

Think about being the most powerful and righteous and creative being. Then think about trading that for the humiliation of being completely out of control—not even able to control your own bodily functions. 

Then think about Jesus. Think about how much He must love you to make such an unimaginable sacrifice for you. 

And that's just the beginning. 

Focus Scripture:  'Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men.'  Philippians 2:5-7