I had a funny occurrence last night.  I was reading to two of my kids from "The Jesus Storybook Bible".  (On a side note, this is by far the best kids story Bible I have seen.  Theologically and Biblically solid and accurate to scripture, always pointing to Christ.  I highly recommend it). 

So anyway, last night we read the story of Jesus' birth.  It gave not John's version, but the more traditionally heard Luke story.  At the end of it, my daughter Addy (5) said, "What?  God really came to earth as a baby?  That can't be right."  I said that this was true, and she began to look highly confused and recounted the story to me and then asked, "so God came as a baby and then grew up to die?  God?  What?" 

The longer we have been Christians, the more easily it is to overlook this story, and not even really think about it for the truth that it is, and the reality that it really occurred.  Practically, we sometimes view this sort of story as mythology.  It sometimes take the mouth of a child to point out the absolutely absurd and counter-cultural nature of this story (at least by our typical standards of what constitutes a leader/king/etc.)

What kind of God humbles himself, leaves his place of splendor and community with the Father and Holy Spirit to come be born in a stable as a baby only later to be brutally tortured and killed in a shameful way?  Is it any wonder that most people of his day missed Jesus' significance?  Is it any wonder that most people today miss it?  It is no wonder that Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 1:18, "for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Phil