JUST A LITTLE BABY BOY?

            Children are blessings given to us by God. "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." (Psalms 127:3-5) The term "children" is found at least 1,540 times in our King James Bible. "Child" is found 185 times. The expression "little child" is found 10 times in our Bible. The term "little children" is found 20 times. The expression "children of God" is found 9 times in our Bible. The beautiful expression "children of light" is found 4 times in our Bible. Children can bring so many blessing to a family. As parents we must deal with our children as if they were a very special blessing from God.  There are approximately 4 million births each year in the United States. Since 1940 there have been about 91,685 more boys born each year in the United States than there are girls born. There are also approximately 2.4 million deaths each year in the United States. Sadly, there are also approximately 1,350,500 abortions each year in the United States. Abortion is the intentional killing of a baby after conception. It is so important that we love our children and teach them God's way. "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons." (Deuteronomy 4:9) Just a little baby? No! A child is a special and precious gift from God.

            Seth was not just a little baby boy; he was the continuation of the godly lineage of Jesus. Cain had killed his brother Abel. "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew." (Genesis 4:25) God granted or appointed this child in the place of Abel. Seth was raised up to carry on the godly line through whom Jesus would be born. In this godly line was Enoch the seventh from Adam. (Jude 1:14) In this same line 10 generation from Adam was Noah. The flood came 1,656 years after the creation. Jesus did not come from the line of Cain. His descendants were a line of unregenerate or ungodly men. The line of Seth was a righteous line, not of perfect people but it was a line of many who served God faithfully. Seth’s descendants often dwindled to a small remnant. But his seed was preserved until the coming of the Messiah. When the Flood came all the line of Cain perished. Noah and his family were found faithful to God. They were the only ones left after the flood. They were in the line of Seth. The Redeemer, the Son of God was born to Mary who was a descendant of Seth through Noah's son Shem. God kept His promise! Was Seth just a little baby boy? No! He was the godly seed through whose descendants the Messiah was born.

            Isaac was not just a little baby boy; he was the son of promise who showed that God keeps His covenants. Abraham was a man of strong faith. He loved God very much. "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3) God blessed Abraham by giving him large flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. He also had many servants. The greatest gift that God gave Abraham was his son Isaac. "And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him." (Genesis 21:1-5) It took 25 years for this promise to come to pass, but God's promises never fail. It was unusual among the patriarchs but Isaac's name was not changed and he did not leave Canaan. Isaac was the son of a famous father and the father of a famous son. Although he lived the longest of the four great patriarchs of Genesis; yet, the least is recorded about his life. Abraham lived to be 175 years old. (Genesis 25:7) Isaac lived to be 180 years. (Genesis 35:28-29) Jacob lived to be 147 years. (Genesis 47:28) Joseph was 110 when he died. (Genesis 50:26) Was Isaac just a little baby boy? No! He was the promised son and godly seed through whose descendants the Messiah was born. 

            Jesus was not just a little baby boy; He was the promised Savior of the world. Matthew wrote, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Jesus is Emmanuel or God with us. (Matthew 1:23) Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. "Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) He is the Christ, the great Prophet, Priest, and King; the Messiah promised in past generations. Jesus has life in Himself. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:1-4) His name is "Jesus." The reason for this name is, "He shall save His people from their sins." He is willing to be Savior of all who will come to Him. (Revelation 22:17) Jesus saves from the guilt of sin by His blood. He saves from the control of sin by the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-24) Have you allowed Jesus to save you from your sins? Was Jesus just a little baby boy? No! He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

            "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26) It is necessary to be in Christ in order to be saved. But it is not enough just to have been baptized into Christ. In Christ we must live faithfully to the end. To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus as the Christ (Mark 16:16), repent of all sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ as Lord (Acts 8:36) and be baptized for remission of sins. (Acts 2:38) After baptism remain faithful to God. (Revelation 2:10) May God help each of us to remember who we are, where we have been, and where we are going. "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8)

By Charles Box, Walnut Street Church of Christ, 306 Walnut Street,