The Sinless Baby – The Scarred Lamb
I don’t know what Jesus looked like. I have often wondered, but I really don’t have a clue. There are no strong hints in the Bible about Jesus’
countenance, build, shape, height, weight, or anything else.
I think the Holy Spirit wanted it that way. What He looked like was irrelevant, but Who He was and what He came to do took center stage. Remember what the angel said to Joseph in Matthew 1:21,
“THOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS, FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.”
I would imagine that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he was a cute little baby 🚼, as far as babies go. You know how babies are in the main! Lovable, huggable, cuddly, kissable, with skin so soft and breath as fresh as, well, as a baby. Did you ever hear the complementary comment,
“JUST LIKE BABY’S BREATH?”
I can see that sweet little Jesus child nursing at Mary’s breast. A real baby doing baby things. From outward appearance and action, this was just another baby being a baby. Congratulations Joseph and Mary, sure is a cute little boy.
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THE SINLESS SON
But this was not just another baby 🚼! This child was one of a kind, which is a huge understatement. Baby Jesus was the only SINLESS child ever born to man. No small accomplishment!
I don’t even begin to imagine what a baby born without sin would look like. That has intrigued me for a very long time. A child without total depravity that all children are born with from their parents. You know, like father, like son. The 🍎 Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. His spiritual DNA was wired by the Holy Spirit in a supernatural way.
Never before and never again!
It is very clear in Scripture as in II Corinthians 5:21,
“JESUS KNEW NO SIN.”
Wow! The world’s only SIN FREE BABY. What parent wouldn’t want that!? A dream come true. Too good to be true! This cannot be happening! NO TERRIBLE TWOS, when the little angel 👼 becomes a little devil 😈.
I can live into the BABY’S BREATH thing, but a SINLESS, HOLY, PURE BABY, well, that’s a whole different nursery rhyme!
Indeed! That is exactly why we are told that the LAMB OF GOD had to be without SPOT OR BLEMISH. If he had sin of His own, he could not die for the sins of others. So we read of the radical requirement in I Peter 1:19,
“A LAMB 🐑 WITHOUT SPOT OR BLEMISH.”
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DID HE ACT LIKE IT?
I am equally stomped as to how a SINLESS BABY 🚼 and a SINLESS CHILD WOULD ACT!
Generally speaking, the sin nature first manifests itself in a wee little tyke in the form of SELFISHNESS. You know, one of the first words a child learns is MINE! And he or she means it as it squawls and bawls to get the toy back from the intruder. Not a pretty sight or sound.
I can’t fathom a child without a SELFISH FIT EVER! But this I do know, if Jesus had the SLIGHTEST SELFISH STREAK, He would not have died for the sins of the world. He would only care about saving himself!
Could it be that when mother Mary was visiting with a relative, and that aunt asked her how her son Jesus was doing, that Mary was tempted to respond,
“OH, HE’S PERFECT.”
So it is that we read about God’s perfect love in I Corinthians 13:5,
“LOVE SEEKETH NOT HER OWN.”
If you will:
“LOVE IS COMPLETELY SELFLESS.”
The little boy in the manger came to earth to show us how! The earth has never seen the perfect likes of Him again.
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NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN
We will never know what baby 🚼 Jesus looked like. Unless of course His Father and ours has some pictures of baby Jesus showing on some HEAVENLY CINEMAX. Who knows but that Joseph and Mary could describe the baby for us. I doubt that they will.
Nor will we ever know what the adolescent Jesus looked like. For that matter, I doubt whether we ever will know what the incarnate Jesus looked like at all!
Why is that! Because the Jesus we will see in Heaven is in His GLORIFIED STATE. As a matter of fact, the Book of Revelation presents to us Jesus in unspeakable glory.
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When Jesus was on earth as a baby, a teenager, and a man, He was in the state of His humiliation. I mean:
“IT IS ONE THING FOR THE CREATOR TO CREATE THE CREATURE.”
It is quite another thing:
“FOR THE CREATOR TO BE BORN AS THE CREATURE.”
This was the singular greatest downgrade imaginable, for GOD TO BECOME MAN! There is nothing to compare it to, it only happened once, and would never happen again in the history of the world.
That humiliated GOD-MAN we will never see again!
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THE STATE OF HIS EXALTATION
We can scarcely imagine the difference. What Jesus looks like now on the Throne of Heaven defies description. Mary’s little baby not only GREW UP, HE WENT UP, and when He WENT UP, He UP UP’D into someone HIGHLY EXALTED beyond imagination.
Revelation 2:14-16 tells us how that sweet little Jesus boy now appears in His state of heavenly EXALTATION:
-His hair is as white as snow.
-His eyes are like flames of fire.
-His feet are like brass glowing as from a furnace.
-His voice is like the sound of many waters.
-His right hand holds seven stars.
-His mouth has a two edged sword coming out of it.
-His face is like the sun shining at noonday.
This is not COMPUTER GRAPHICS. This is eternal heavenly reality.This is not EARTHLY CINEMATOGRAPHY, but rather celestial reality. This is not LORD OF THE RINGS IN NEW ZEALAND. This is the Lord of lords in Heaven.
The manger scene is long gone along with the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. He is no longer that cute little kid with the cattle lowing. Now:
“JESUS IS THE MOST MAJESTIC KING 👑 EVER SEEN WITH MYRIADS OF ANGELS AND THE REDEEMED EXALTING HIM.”
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We read in Matthew 2:11 that when the wise men came to the new born baby:
“THEY FELL DOWN AND WORSHIPPED.”
We are told in Revelation 1:17, that when the Apostle John saw 👀 the HEAVENLY Jesus in His EXALTED STATE:
“HE FELL AS ONE DEAD.”
Gives a whole new meaning to the words:
“IF LOOKS COULD KILL, I WOULD BE DEAD. ”
Be prepared to be shocked 😲. There is a world of difference between falling down and falling dead.
The one is having a strong sense of reverence, while the other is having the breath knocked out of you.
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LIKE A SLAIN LAMB
John the Revelator tells us that when he was given his heavenly vision, Revelation 5:6 says,
“HE SAW A LAMB STANDING AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN SLAIN.”
In the light of the OVERWHELMING sight of Jesus in glory, what will never be lost are THE SCARS OF HIS CRUCIFIXION for our sins. Still He appears as a SCARRED SACRIFICIAL 🐑 LAMB.
We will never be allowed to forget what got us to Heaven. It will be the only holy reminder in Heaven of His humiliation. There is no humiliation in Heaven.
Hear it:
“IT IS ALL EXALTATION IN HEAVEN, NO MORE HUMILIATION.”
We will not be reminded of our sins in the perfect joy in Heaven. NO DOWNERS, ALL UPPERS. But the SCARS OF THE BUTCHERED LAMB WILL BE BEFORE US FOREVER.
I Corinthians 13:12 tells us:
“NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY, BUT THEN FACE TO FACE.”
But there are so many innumerable gazillions of angels and saved people in glory. How will all of us get close enough to see Him FACE TO FACE?
Good 👍 question! You see, when Jesus was in earth, He was limited in His presence like us. He could only be in one place at a time. He had to travel from place to place. And when He got “HERE,” He was no longer “THERE.” And when He went “THERE,” He was no longer “HERE.”
But now in His return to His original, eternal, heavenly state, He is OMNIPRESENT AGAIN. He is right there up close-face to face with all of His redeemed.
IN YOUR FACE. We won’t be watching monitors or giant screens for those on THE OUTSIDE WHO COULD NOT GET IN CLOSE TO JESUS. THERE IS NO OUTSIDE OR DISTANCE FROM JESUS IN HEAVEN. THERE ARE NO CHEAP SEATS IN THE NOSE BLEED SECTIONS. NO BACK SEATS IN GLORY.
UNDERSTAND – IT WILL BE FACE TO FACE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE OVERWHELMINGLY GLORIOUS SLAIN LAMB.
Because of His OMNIPRESENCE, we will always see Him FACE TO FACE. IT IS CALLED:
“HEAVENLY OMNI-VISION.”
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CLOSING STORY
On a hot summer day in South Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim 🏊 in the old swimming hole behind the house.
In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt 👕 as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His mother, who was in the house, was horrified as she saw her son and the alligator swimming toward each other. They got closer and closer together. In utter fear 😱, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy 👦 became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.
It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the deck, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-o-eat between the two.
The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go
A farmer happened to drive by, heard the screams, raced from the truck 🚚 with his hunting rifle, took careful aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived.
His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the gator. And on his arms were deep scratches where his mother’s fingernails dug into the flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs; and then with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms too. I have them because my mom wouldn’t let go. ”
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THE SCARS ON OUR DEAR LORD WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, BECAUSE OUR LORD WOULDN’T LET GO OF US. IF HE HAD, THE DEVIL WOULD HAVE DESTROYED US. OH LOVE SCARS THAT WOULD NOT LET ME GO!
And so the redeemed in Heaven sing forever,
“WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN.”
AMEN AND AMEN!
