His Life Was Not Easy


For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7

We all know that Jesus came as a baby.  He was born by Mary, a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit.  We know that Jesus was and is God, and was and is God's son. These mysteries are difficult to understand, but we know from historical records that these events occurred. 

The above verse from Isaiah predicts and tells us about the birth of Jesus.  Isaiah was written at least 200 and possible 400 years before Jesus was born.  God was preparing the people for this momentous event.  God's plan to bring us back into a right relationship depended on Christ dying on the Cross for our sins and to do that, He had to arrive on earth in some way.

We don't realize how important the birth of Christ is. We celebrate His birthday, but do we realize that He could have come in any manner?  He is God, after all.  He could have just popped on the scene when He was 30 and started His ministry.  He didn't have to come as a baby.

His life was not easy.  He was born in a very difficult situation, obviously starting out in a barn.  His family was not wealthy.  They were not royalty.  He had to learn to walk and talk just like every baby.  

The King was so set on killing Him that he had all the baby boys under 2 years old killed.  What a wicked time it was.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Matthew 2:16

 I'm sure His family lived in fear for His whole life.  He had brothers and possibly sisters too. He played, worked, slept, was cold, was tired, and was hot.  His entire life was difficult just like ours.  He had good times and bad, just like us. 



Sometimes I think we skip right from His birth to His ministry to His death without any thought to what His actual upbringing and life might have been like.  We complain when things in our lives get difficult.  We sometimes even blame God.  

This is why Christ came as a baby, so He could experience everything we experience and more.  He understands our struggles and pain.  He forgives our bad choices when we bring them to Him.  He is in heaven now and we will be with Him someday, living without pain and struggles, but life in this world will always be a struggle and Jesus showed us the way to live.  

No matter what age we are, we need to follow His life examples.  Love God, love family, love each other.  Give of ourselves for His glory this Christmas and always.  Celebrate His birth but remember His life and worship Him.  Merry Christmas. 

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13











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