The Rescuer

A couple weeks ago I experienced a holy moment as a mom - one in which I saw a glimpse into what God is really doing in my son's life and the fruit that He is bearing despite the challenges that blind me each day.  It was a sweet reminder to me that our efforts to raise him into a man who loves Jesus have not been completely marred by our faults and shortcomings. That even though there is much to be refined in him (and me!), there is also evidence of eternal truth taking root.

This moment happened at an event called A Night in Bethlehem at a friend's church.  It was set up like the village that Bethlehem once was.  We got tunics to wear and gold coins to carry that the kids could use to do activities like weaving and pottery and baking and jewelry making.  After completing all of the activities in the market area, we continued walking and came upon a choir of angels singing and a group of shepherds excitedly announcing the arrival of a baby in the stable.  Finally, we made it to the stable where Mary and Joseph were holding their new baby.

At this point, Mr. Mister was in the front of the crowd, so engaged in what he was experiencing that he was unaware that Daddy and I were standing toward the back.  I loved just observing him, watching him interact and engage so intently.

The woman dressed as Mary asked everyone, "Do you know who Jesus is?"

And Mr. Mister shouted out loud: "The Rescuer!"

Oh. My heart filled with such joy and my eyes brimmed with tears.  Out of everything he could say, he shouted The Rescuer.  He knows that Jesus is so much more than a baby in a manger.  He knows that He is the Rescuer.  The One who came as part of God's perfect rescue plan - His plan to save the people He loves from the life of sin and brokenness that is apart from Him.

The whole way home that night, he asked us to tell him more about Jesus.  And we did.  We told him all about the hope that the birth of Jesus brought to a broken world waiting for its savior.  We told him the hope that Jesus brings to us in His promise of abundant life and forgiveness of sin.  We told him about the hope we have that one day there will be no more pain and no more tears.  And we told him that we have this hope because Jesus came as man, died even though he was perfect, and rose in victory over all of our sin and the death we deserved.

It was the sweetest night.  Such an honor to be the one to share this with Him and to see his mind so thoroughly processing everything, even if he doesn't understand it all right now.  Right now, He knows Jesus as the Rescuer.  And really, isn't that childlike faith?

I pray this Christmas that you know Jesus as your Rescuer.  The One who knows and loves you intimately.  The source of all life, the One who satisfies, who gives hope, who is faithful to all of His promises, who cannot stop loving you, who is calling you into a life more abundant than anything this world can offer.  May we celebrate Him this Christmas.  May we celebrate that God did not leave us in our brokenness but out of His perfect love for us, came as the long awaited Savior to rescue, redeem and restore us.

(As a side note, we love the Jesus Storybook Bible.  It does an amazing job of pointing everything in all of Scripture back to Jesus.  It talks about the terrible lie, God's secret rescue plan, Jesus as the Rescuer, and His never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love.  I highly highly recommend it!)