Born To Die

“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him…All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa 53:2,6 AV)

On this second most solemn of Christian holidays, many will take advantage of His birth without availing themselves of the greater gift of His death.  This chapter of the holy Word of God is the ministry of our LORD rolled up in a few verses.  He will be born of human flesh, suffer as we suffer yet without sin, and die in our place satisfying the wrath of God for our sin.  There is a song entitled ‘Born To Die’.  The message is clear.  Jesus Christ did not come in the form of human flesh, born in a manger, and honored by the shepherds and wise men that we might have a holiday in which we exchange gifts.  Jesus Christ existed before His incarnation.  He is eternal.  Jesus Christ does not have a birthday in the sense we do.  Our birthday marks the day in which we celebrate our coming into existence.  Jesus already existed.  He willingly limited His divine attribute and became a dependent that He might experience the human experience.  He limited His deity that He might empathize with our condition.  Our passage tells us clearly that Jesus Christ came as a helpless child that He might grow up and be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.

There was this program in the recent passed called Undercover Boss.  The CEO or owner of a large company would work the most menial of jobs for his own company with employees who had never met him nor knew what he or she looked like.  Often times it was the most menial of all jobs.  A janitor, dishwasher, mail room clerk, landscaper, etc was the type of job he or she would assume.  This CEO or owner would go through the hiring process and start off being trained by the least of his company.  The point of this project was to educate the CEO or owner of what it was like to work for him.  He learned the experience of the basest of all employees.  He learned what they really thought of the company and remuneration package.   He humbled himself for a purpose.  This illustration falls short in that the CEO didn’t die for the crimes of his employees.  When the project was over, he went back to his office a bit better educated and appreciative of those who worked for him.  But he didn’t die for them.

I guess the point is this.  Even though Christmas and Resurrection Sunday are separated by about four months, we shouldn’t separate them in our theology.  Even though one is celebrated at the beginning of one season and the other at the beginning of another season, they are inextricably tied together as the purpose for the ministry of our Messiah.  Sure, He was born of lowly parents and humble beginnings.  Sure, the Christmas story appears in the gospels.  Sure, verse two of our text promises the incarnation.  But verses three through six follow.  Jesus Christ was born.  Born for a purpose.  This purpose was not for mere charity.  This purpose was for sacrifice and reclamation.  Redemption and reconciliation are the reasons He came as He did.  This small child is the King of kings and LORD of lords born that we might have forgiveness of sin and eternal life through His shed blood.