{"id":17766,"date":"2015-02-15T00:00:03","date_gmt":"2015-02-15T06:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=17766"},"modified":"2017-04-17T21:58:47","modified_gmt":"2017-04-18T01:58:47","slug":"the-gentle-coming-of-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-gentle-coming-of-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gentle Coming of Jesus","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Light to the Gentiles<\/em>\u00a0by Greg Olsen<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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WHY <\/strong>did Jesus come to earth as He did\u2014clothing His divine nature in the DNA, chromosomes, and genetic heritage of the woman, Mary? For Jesus could very well have simply materialized in the desert, entered immediately upon forty days of temptation, and then emerged in the Spirit for His three year ministry. But instead, He chose to walk in our footsteps from the very first instance of His human life. He chose to become little, helpless, and weak, for…<\/p>\n

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…he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. (Heb 2:17))<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It is precisely in this kenosis<\/em>, this self-emptying and subjugation of His divinity that a profound message of love is transmitted to each of us personally.<\/p>\n

We read in the Gospel that Jesus enters the temple for the first time as a baby<\/em>. As I wrote last week, the Old Testament is but a shadow of the New; the temple of Solomon is but a type of the spiritual<\/em> temple inaugurated by Christ:<\/p>\n

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Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you…? (1 Cor 6:19)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At this momentous intersection of the Old with the New, the imagery and divine message comes into focus: I desire to enter into your heart as My temple, and I come to you as gentle as a babe, as docile as a dove, and as Mercy incarnate. <\/em>What Jesus spoke silently from the arms of Mary was made explicit when later He announced by His lips:<\/p>\n

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For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world<\/em>, but that te world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So, dear sinner: stop running from this Babe! Stop believing the lie that you are not worthy of this Child who wishes to take abode in your very heart. You see, like the stable at Bethlehem, neither was the temple prepared for the coming of the Lord. It was overrun with noise, commerce, money-changers, tax collectors, and the cobwebs and sleepiness of waiting for centuries for the Messiah.<\/p>\n

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And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. (Mal 3:1)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And Jesus is coming to you right this moment, perhaps unexpectedly. You are not prepared? Neither were the high priests. You are a sinner? So am I. You cannot make your heart worthy of Him? Neither can I. But Jesus makes us worthy Himself, <\/em>He who is love, because “love covers a multitude of sins.”<\/em> [1]<\/sup><\/a>1 Pet 4:8<\/span><\/span>