Baby in the Manger, Baby in the Womb
Jesus was a baby placed in the manger after he was born, but His life started in Mary's womb.
Most of us know His story, It is the Christmas story!
The Angel visited Mary nine months prior to Jesus's birth. Jesus was placed within her womb. He, being the seed of God, His only begotten son, was like an infant growing in his mother. Jesus was Father God's ONLY begotten son; God took the form of human flesh. Think about the Bible story, did Mary ever question whether the child growing in her womb was an actual baby? Did she and Joseph think about Jesus before He was born as a non-person? At what point from conception was Mary carrying the living God in her womb? Did his human life begin the moment he was birthed and placed in the manger? Or was He a living human being at conception? At what point did Jesus become human?
Jesus is God. He is the creator, He was present in the beginning of time on earth. God is spirit and truth.
But when Jesus entered Mary's womb, He took on the form of life that is human, actual flesh of a person. He became a God-man. At conception, the human cells of Jesus began to rapidly multiply. Tissue formed into organs. His body grew as the DNA code directed the process. His lungs, heart, eyes, fingers shaped. And his heart pumped blood from Mary's body into His body bring nourishment and removing any waste. The food and oxygen taken in by Mary helped his tissues and organs to grow. He moved about, kicked Mary's belly and could hear sounds.
Mary was an unmarried young lady. She was pregnant with a child. Her mother learned of what happen as Mary tried to explain what the angel spoke to her. Joseph was torn apart, heart broken, when he first heard. He couldn't bear to think of the shame Mary would feel when people would accuse her of being adulterous. He wanted to protect his future wife.
Stop Here-For a moment! Freeze the story of Jesus that we know from the Bible. And let us time travel forward....
We are current day, 21st Century America. Now let's suppose Mary, a teen, grew up in your neighborhood. She had a boyfriend, and they were to be married when she finished high school. Her family was known to be godly. She had gone to one of the local churches since she was baby and so had her boyfriend. But something happen to Mary, she became pregnant!
Her parents loved her and wanted so much for her to have a happy life. They had been saving for years so that she could go to college and she was a very good student. Her boyfriend, a few years older, was already working in his father's business. He had a modest income and had purchased property in their parent's city and looked forward to building a house and having a family, but not this way! Everything they had ever dreamed of was messed up. Mary's boyfriend particularly did not want her ridiculed or for her to hang her head low in shame.
They family considered the options:
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Most of us know His story, It is the Christmas story!
The Angel visited Mary nine months prior to Jesus's birth. Jesus was placed within her womb. He, being the seed of God, His only begotten son, was like an infant growing in his mother. Jesus was Father God's ONLY begotten son; God took the form of human flesh. Think about the Bible story, did Mary ever question whether the child growing in her womb was an actual baby? Did she and Joseph think about Jesus before He was born as a non-person? At what point from conception was Mary carrying the living God in her womb? Did his human life begin the moment he was birthed and placed in the manger? Or was He a living human being at conception? At what point did Jesus become human?
Jesus is God. He is the creator, He was present in the beginning of time on earth. God is spirit and truth.
But when Jesus entered Mary's womb, He took on the form of life that is human, actual flesh of a person. He became a God-man. At conception, the human cells of Jesus began to rapidly multiply. Tissue formed into organs. His body grew as the DNA code directed the process. His lungs, heart, eyes, fingers shaped. And his heart pumped blood from Mary's body into His body bring nourishment and removing any waste. The food and oxygen taken in by Mary helped his tissues and organs to grow. He moved about, kicked Mary's belly and could hear sounds.
Mary was an unmarried young lady. She was pregnant with a child. Her mother learned of what happen as Mary tried to explain what the angel spoke to her. Joseph was torn apart, heart broken, when he first heard. He couldn't bear to think of the shame Mary would feel when people would accuse her of being adulterous. He wanted to protect his future wife.
Stop Here-For a moment! Freeze the story of Jesus that we know from the Bible. And let us time travel forward....
We are current day, 21st Century America. Now let's suppose Mary, a teen, grew up in your neighborhood. She had a boyfriend, and they were to be married when she finished high school. Her family was known to be godly. She had gone to one of the local churches since she was baby and so had her boyfriend. But something happen to Mary, she became pregnant!
Her parents loved her and wanted so much for her to have a happy life. They had been saving for years so that she could go to college and she was a very good student. Her boyfriend, a few years older, was already working in his father's business. He had a modest income and had purchased property in their parent's city and looked forward to building a house and having a family, but not this way! Everything they had ever dreamed of was messed up. Mary's boyfriend particularly did not want her ridiculed or for her to hang her head low in shame.
They family considered the options:
- Mary could stop high school and carry the baby to term. They could have a small wedding and become very young parents. They would be financially in the hole. It would costs thousands of dollars to take care of Mary while she was pregnant and to prepare for a child. Mary would probably have to stay home and eventually get her GED. They would have to sacrifice so much. (This would be the hardest option. It meant so much they planned would never happen.)
- Mary could go visit a relative in another city or move into a pregnancy center home and give the baby up for adoption. This could be costly, but they may be able to get an agency to help with the cost... maybe even the adoptive family could help out. They could tell a story about her going to help a sick relative. (This would be hard on Mary, but after she returned they could get back to life as best as they could, and they could continue on with their dreams eventually. Things would be different but it would not be totally disruptive.)
- Mary could go to a clinic and pay about $500 to have the child's life terminated by an abortion. (This would be the easiest. No one would have to know. Mary could go in on a Friday and probably by Monday she could return to school. She could even take off a few days calling in sick. In a week or so, the situation would be behind them. They could still have all of their plans and dreams.)
Imagine you are Mary's best friend (or her boyfriend's best friend, or her parents best friend), what would you suggest for Mary to do?
Over 40 million babies have been aborted in America over the past 40 years. Often more than a million little children are killed by abortion. The unplanned pregnancy is ended promptly. Do you see any problem with Mary having an abortion? If you knew she was carrying Jesus would you do something to STOP her from having an abortion? Why, he was only growing in her womb, he wasn't recognized by the government as a person having rights to life?
How do you feel about this? How does this effect your opinion of abortion? Is any child in the womb today less of a person than Jesus was in Mary's womb? What should you do about the children being aborted today as you read this?
In America, every minute 2-3 children are aborted. Is that alright? Is it acceptable? Is it something you should get involved to stop?
What if Jesus being born depended on what you did about abortion today? What would you do immediately?
Please respond. You may help someone rethink their situation. You can make a difference in the life of the child in the womb.
One of the problems with abortion is that, many times, the child is not viewed as a person with a purpose and destiny...someone who has something to contribute to the world. Looking at a more recent example of an unplanned pregnancy that most people can relate to...Steve Jobs. Now if his mother had aborted him...the company Apple wouldn't exist. So with those children who have been aborted... what gifts and talents did they have to offer the world...and yet they weren't allowed to. Cure for diseases,new technologies, world humanitarians, etc...gone in seconds through a suction tube.
ReplyDeleteThis time of year, there's much talk about what to wish someone -- a 'Merry Christmas' or the politically correct and generic 'Happy Holidays' -- so we do not offend said person. How in the world can someone be offended by a particular greeting, yet NOT be offended by abortion? The murder of an unborn child? When a woman learns she is pregnant, she tells everyone that matters to her, "I'm having a BABY!!" Not, "Hey, I'm having a fetus!" When someone wants to expel said child from the womb, how does it suddenly no longer become a child but tissue mass or whatever instead?
ReplyDeleteTruly, something to think long and hard about, what would happen if Jesus were to come to Earth today again, Deity wrapped in human flesh? Would the young woman chosen be told of her 'rights' and encouraged to abort?
Thanks for the brain food today, Lindy!
At His feet,
Pam
http://pam-intheshadowofhiswings.blogspot.com
God chose Mary because He knew she was ready and would be willing. He would do the same thing today so it is not really a question how does the abortion climate impact.
ReplyDeleteI would also almost say for sure there were ways to get things done way back in the day long before modern technology. Women were not as helpless and clueless as people assume when reading history.
Still I understand what this post is trying to do. We have to reach women young and old to get back to the idea that children are a blessing from the Lord instead of less than two per family as the national average.
That is as much about married women as it is about unwed mothers because both have abortions.
I grew up wondering why the Catholic church stood against contraceptives but the Christian church seemed to silent on the issue.
It is a challenge then to raise a daughter with the understanding that God can control family size and He does when given the chance.
Mothers talk to your children. Women speak to your friends. This is a cultural problem not a legal one. There is so much more the church could be doing.
I speak up because I have had an abortion and I am a single mother. I have lived and walked through both options. I know how scary it can be to be all alone. I also have amazing stories of Gods provisions and a lovely teenager turning into a young woman before my eyes.
She has step sisters who are unwed mothers. They are struggling. Their lives are out of control. They do not have relationships with God.
I wish they had made plans for their futures instead of just taking the road of least resistance.
Still the future has potential. Parenting is a huge responsibility. It can drive us to prayer if we allow it to.