Why Was He Born?

I've often wondered why a baby. Why would God choose to be born taking on human flesh as a means to offer forgiveness? Couldn't He have just forgiven? Why the whole line of David and the many people in between? I may never know all the reasons why, but I find some very interesting verses on why He was born. In Hosea 6:6, God said, "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice". This, to me, seemed strange since for many years God's people were told to offer sacrifices and the means by which God loved us was through the sacrifice of His Son. What God was saying here is that His mercy is what He desires most. God's mercy will be more important than any sacrifice made in the temple. It is His love for His Son that caused the sacrifice. To illustrate this thought, Paul wrote, "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7 ESV). In these verses, Paul tells us that this goodness "appeared" and that He "saved us" and all this was done through Christ Jesus and in love. n So, how did He appear? Consider Hebrews 2:17-18 "Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." This is such an interesting verse. To paraphrase: "He became indebted as a full blooded brother in order that He will be known as a loving and faithful offer-er of the appeasement for God's wrath. He became a full blooded brother as a baby. When a baby is developing inside the mother's womb, the mother's blood feeds the baby's blood with the nutrients needed to grow. In the birth of Christ Jesus, the nutrients from the blood of Mary and the power of God co-mingled and the Holy Son of God was conceived (Luke 1:35). He lived a sinless life in perfect obedience to God the Father (Heb 4:15 & John 8:29). If He had committed even one sin, His offer of sacrifice would be for Himself only. Truly, this was special blood and the only blood that was thicker than any sin, stronger than the Devil and greater than death. The only blood that could appease God's wrath. He is known as merciful and faithful. Faithful in that He fulfilled all of the promises of God; faithful in that He said He loved mercy more than sacrifice and proved it by His Son. He is merciful in that He could have chosen wrath by not coming as a baby. Instead, He wanted us to know of His mercy and grace. Mercy and grace could not be given to a sinner without forfeiting attributes like Holiness, Justice and Righteousness. Christmas is all about God placing His full character on display in the birth, life, death and resurrection of His one and only Holy Son.