Tag: baby

The Hope of Paupers and Princes (Overtures from the Advent-ures of Jesus Christ Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “A Pregnancy Delayed”, click here.

At first blush, the coming of the shepherds and the magi to see baby Jesus couldn’t be more different: the first were poor, the latter wealthy; the first were locals, the latter foreigners; the first entered a dark cave, the latter a well-lit home. Yet there are several surprising similarities in their experiences.

They Came

After the angels proclaimed the arrival of the Messiah with a holy choir, (Matthew 2:9-14), the Word says “the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off” (Matthew 2:15-16a NIV). Similarly, the magi told King Herod, “‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him’” (Matthew 2:2 NIV).

The shepherds left their sheep to see the Good Shepherd, and the princes left their kingdom to pay homage to the true King. They welcomed the interruption of God in their lives.

The Christmas season is supposed to be a chance for recuperation and reorientation. Yet many of us find ourselves frazzled and harried. We’re planning a Zoom Christmas celebration with our extended family while watching kids wrapping up their semesters while serving on a holiday church committee, or three. Like Martha we may have become worried and upset over many things, while missing the one thing that really matters (Luke 10:41-42).

They Rejoiced

On their way to see baby Jesus, the magi once again laid eyes on the star that had guided them thus far. And they were overjoyed (Matthew 2:10). The shepherds too left the holy infant, “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard” (Luke 2:20). Taking the time to commemorate the birth of Life Incarnate should similarly lift our spirits.

They Worshiped

Lastly, both the paupers and the princes worshiped Jesus. Specifically with the kings, the Word says “they bowed down” (Matthew 2:10). They debased themselves before the true King.

Christmas is a season where it can be particularly easy to turn our focus inward: maximizing our vacation time, seizing the best holiday deals, and scarfing down the best food. But we forget that December 25th is not John-mas or Jill-mas but Christ-mas. It’s all about Him. And we’d do well to lay down our crowns at the feet of the proper Prince.

Conclusion

The story of the magi’s visit to Jesus ends with them presenting Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). These presents were of incalculable worth, befitting royalty. Yet their presents paled in comparison to the gift Jesus Christ gave them in return: Himself. As we down eggnog and share holiday cheer, let’s turn our eyes upward. Let’s never forget the Christ that made Christmas.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

A Dying Baby, a Dead Baby, and a Living Hope (Tragedies of Hope Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on missing the presence of God, click here.

King David is probably best known for slaying giants. But decades after defeating Goliath, He committed a string of unbelievable sins. He saw a beautiful woman named Bathsheba bathing on her roof, slept with her, impregnated her, murdered her husband, and took her as his wife (2 Samuel 11:1-27)! He successfully shushed his conscious until he was confronted by a prophet named Nathan. David then repented of his sins, but Nathan delivered to him the tragic news: The baby boy born to him by Bathsheba would die. Shortly after Nathan left, the child fell sick (2 Samuel 12:1-15).

A Dying Baby

David immediately “begged God to spare the child.” He “went without food and lay all night on the bare ground” (2 Samuel 12:16 NLT). Despite being the very one who brought this grief upon him, David knew God was the only one who could relieve it. So he turned to Him and Him alone.

This unflagging faith was the story of David’s life. Two decades later, after committing another great sin, he said, “‘I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercy is great'” (2 Samuel 24:14 NIV). He humbly and habitually committed himself into the hands of God.

A Dead Baby

But a week later, the little one still perished. When the elders of Israel confessed this catastrophe to him, David responded unusually. He “got up from the ground…went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.” (2 Samuel 12:20 NIV).

The Hebrew word translated “worship” here is shachah: Meaning to bow down or to submit. Ironically, we often only submit to God when He aligns His will with our own: When He blesses us with a promotion or a new car or a fiancé. But genuine submission, true worship, is to live for God even when He takes away the thing we can’t live without.

A Living Hope

When questioned as to why David acted the way he did, he said, “‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, “Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.” But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me'” (2 Samuel 12:22-23 NIV). The key phrase in this verse is “I shall go to him”. David believed in a hereafter where he’d be reunited with his dead son, and that living hope gave him the strength to move forward. He never gave up on the LORD’s promises.

Conclusion

After losing their first child, David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and they tried again. They had another son, and this special baby boy was named Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24), the famous wise man who ascended his father’s throne and extended the Israelite empire.

Even if God let’s the precious love of our life die, we can choose to keep on believing in Him. He was our Heavenly Father, the Almighty Creator, and our Risen Savior. And He always will be.

“Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?”

(Romans 8:32 NLT)

“‘Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?'”

(Job 2:10 NLT)