We are coming up to the time when we celebrate the birth of a baby.
The birth of every baby is worth celebrating, but the birth of Jesus … well it’s not really the birth I will be celebrating but Jesus Himself. Why?
Well … one of His names is Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us’ and that is very important to me because it means that when I pray to God, I am not praying to someone who has only a theoretical appreciation of human problems. Rather, I am praying to someone who has experienced them for Himself. Just stop and think what Jesus went through. For example …
As a child He went as refugee to Egypt. Later, after Mary’s husband, Joseph, had died and being the eldest son, He had the responsibility (burden) of taking care of His mother and His younger brothers and sisters until they were married – which may explain why His ministry did not stat until He was 30.
Then, when it did start, He endured 40 days in the wilderness without food, and later suffered opposition and false accusations from the authorities. He experienced sadness at the loss of a dear friend, and cried at the graveside with the two sisters. Although He gathered around Him a group of a dozen close followers, they all deserted Him after one of them betrayed Him.
And after that betrayal He was arrested, and underwent severe physical pain and mental trauma as He was beaten with a hood over His head, and then flogged, before having a crown of thorns thrust into His head and finally being crucified.
What have I gone through in my life? Not all of that by any means, but some of it. So when I pray for the grace to help me bear with and cope with the physical, mental or personal problems in life, I know the One to whom I am praying understands what I am going through … for He was physically with us at one time, and He is spiritually still with us today.
Michael Penny is the Chair of Churches Together in Reading and Berkshire
