Would you send a baby to lead the invasion of a planet? Actually, would you send a baby to be the entire invading army? Wouldn’t a large, well-armed group of veteran fighters be a better idea? Why would anyone send a baby?
If your goal were to take the planet by force, a baby would probably be a poor choice. Of course, if the baby were God incarnate, that might be a different story. He could use His divine power to do whatever He wanted. But, in the case of Jesus, almost no one knew He was God during the first thirty or more years of His life; and Jesus never used His divine power to force Himself on anyone.
God’s goal in sending Jesus was not to conquer the Earth by force, it was to win our hearts and minds so that we would willingly follow and worship Him. He didn’t want to defeat us; He wanted to rescue us. He didn’t want to destroy us; He wanted to restore our relationship with Him. So, He chose a subtle invasion rather than a frontal assault.
Long before Jesus arrived on the Earth, God made a promise through the prophet Isaiah.
6 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.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)
About 700 years later Jesus was born. By all appearances He was an ordinary child. He grew up as the unremarkable son of a carpenter. Only a select few knew His true identity. Yet God used Jesus to rescue the human race and restore our relationship with Him. The invasion was subtle, but the results were earth-shattering.
Reflection and Discussion
- What strengths do you see in God’s plan for a subtle invasion?
- Which aspects of God’s plan do you find most surprising?
Prayer
Our Heavenly Father,
Your wisdom is so far above ours. None of us would have thought to accomplish Your purposes with such a subtle approach. The more we reflect on what You did, the more we are amazed and humbled. Thank You for being our God and for giving us Your Son.
Amen.