Gabriel made his acting debut as baby Jesus in our church's Christmas program this year. It was done three nights in a row, and every night, he was perfect. I stood backstage each night praying that he wouldn't fuss or cry and be a distraction. Maybe God gives a special blessing to little babies who play baby Jesus to keep them quiet and happy.

I have always liked to imagine what Jesus might have been like as a baby and how it might have been to be the mother of a baby who would one day grow up only to die. Jesus' purpose here on earth was to die. Did Mary know that as she rocked baby Jesus to sleep?

Having a baby of my own now has given me a different perspective of the Christmas story. I've always heard about Jesus' great sacrifice in leaving heaven to come to earth as a man, but when I think of him as a baby, the sacrifice becomes even greater in my mind. Jesus had to submit himself to the body of a human BABY! That is amazing to me! People joke about how babies have it so easy -- all they do is eat and sleep -- but if given the choice, would anyone want to actually go back to being a baby? Would you want to become physically dependent on another person to take care of your every need? How humiliating! Jesus, the Creator of the universe, had to rely on Joseph and Mary to feed him and bathe him and teach him how to walk and talk. He had to have cried as a baby because that is the only way he could communicate with his very human parents. He was their first child and they made mistakes. After all, Mary didn't have Baby Wise to guide her in setting up a schedule for him.

All joking aside, little Gabriel, in his own little way has helped me to relate better to the Christmas story. He has helped me understand how very real Jesus' presence was here on earth. As I stood backstage watching Gabriel being held by "Mary" and seeing the choir dressed as angels, surrounding him and singing, Oh Come Let Us Adore Him, I actually got a little misty-eyed as I imagined heaven's angels looking down on their King in the form of a human baby. Did they wonder what God was doing? Did they know about God's plan to rescue man from his sin? I'm sure it didn't matter. I know they were excited to come down to earth and proclaim the arrival of the Prince of Peace.

So yes, baby Gabriel played the role of baby Jesus. Maybe when he is older, he will play the role of his namesake, the messenger angel, and announce to the world the good news of God and his Son who came to redeem mankind. For now though, he is being used by God to teach his mother some important things about the real baby Jesus.

Romans 5:9

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Read these lyrics to this new hymn and speak them to the Lord today:

The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me

Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end

Lover of my soul
I want to live for You

Lord help us to be the most grateful today for your Son's shed blood removing the righteous wrath of God against us, justifying us before God for His glory and good pleasure!

If you're interested in purchasing the cd with this song on it go here

Cool Boy!

Alive and Well

Despite the popular belief that we dropped off the face of the planet, we are alive, well, and very grateful for many things.

First and foremost - the blood of Jesus Christ that has removed the wrath of God toward us and imputed to us the righteousness of Christ. This gift alone makes all others seem insignificant!

Second, we thank the Lord for our son! He is growing like a weed and is teaching us many lessons about how selfish and impatient we can be. The joy that comes from parenting is indescribable, though sometimes difficult to find in the midst of all the chaos. As of late however, the responsive smile has brought the most joy to our lives.

Third, we are grateful for the gift of friendships! This past weekend, we took off for a meeting in Asheville, NC and then decided to go up to Louisville, KY to visit our friends Josh and Gretchen. It is hard to communicate exactly what happens in our hearts when we see these friends. Sharon and I were commenting on our time with them in the car on the way home, so here are some of our thoughts - so as to avoid an actual thank you card!

Josh and Gret - you encourage us in ways that no one else can. Your zeal for the Lord is unmatched in that of any other friends we have. You know the Scripture and theology in a way that confuses and excites us - only because we are ignorant of the many facets of some of those truths. Our conversation simply stimulates us to get back home and search truth in a deeper way. Thank you for your obedience to Christ and your friendship with us. We eagerly anticipate the way the Lord will glorify Himself through you in ministry.

The fourth thing is in fact one of the greatest worship experiences in my life. We joined Josh and Gret at Clifton Baptist Church this past Sunday. Josh and Gret help in the Junior High Sunday School class- so that's where we went for S.S. - and I know what you may be thinking. What could be learned by two adult Christians during a time such as this devoted to kids - and out of the book of Judges? The teacher actually read through the entire first chapter and went through an excellent exposition of the text. The kids followed along and interacted in a very real way. The teaching methods included a simple white board, an atlas, and God's Word. The teachers careful preparation was visible and at the very least extremely helpful. If I return to Clifton - I believe I'll join the junior high class.
After an hour of good teaching and application we progress to the auditorium just in time for the service. The choir begins with a piece directing thanks to God. This piece is sung several times woven with lengthy portions of Scripture that are read from the pulpit. We sang a hymn and were followed by a church member who prayed at length with great gratitude. We sang a couple choruses mixed with some congregational sentence prayers of thanksgiving. In conclusion we were blessed with some expositional thoughts from I Corinthians 10 on grumbling. Bruce Ware turned our attention to the Israelites and their grumbling by using several Old Testament passages as sub-texts. What a challenge as thanksgiving is up on us. At least 1/3 of the congregation stuck around in the auditorium simply to fellowship even though it was now 12:15. My heart was so stirred and uplifted. Why you might ask! Scripture reading, corporate prayer, thankful worship, and Biblical expositional preaching. May all our churches be characterized with these indispensable elements.

WEHADABABYIT'SABOY!

Gabriel David Taylor

Born: September 23, 2007 at 7:52 P.M.

7 pounds 9 ounces

21 1/4 inches long

3 1/2 inch long feet

dark hair, dark eyes

Healthy

Glory to God!