I woke up this morning thinking about the innocence of Jesus. "Learn this well: Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable, and learn about heaven's kingdom realm with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, you will never be able to enter in" (Matthew 18:3, TPT). Oh how this would heal so many wounds in our walk with Christ.
I love children so much and I hope to have some of my own. The innocence of a child is incredibly fasinating to me. I have learned so much of my theology from a child. They seem to carry this humble and dependable spirit yet are so powerful that adults surrender to their becking call. It is admiring the power behind the presence of a child. There are so many movies that describe what I am talking about. If you have ever seen the movie Peppermint - you will know exactly what I mean. The daughter dies, the mom is devastated yet she goes on this rampage of bringing justice to every person who killed her daughter by destroying them herself. The innocence of a child is gone and here comes the rescuer obliterating everything that destroyed the very essence of design. What a glorious picture of Jesus. Do we worship a passive Jesus? HA! No.
This is so much deeper than natural circumstance. The battle for innocence is supernatural. The Emmanuel of God is born in a feeding trough yet his appearance is no delightful turnout. Jesus was born to die. He was born to declare war against the demonic realm. "Perhaps you think I've come to spread peace and calm over the earth - but my coming will bring conflict and division, not peace" (Matthew 10:34, TPT). How do we come to understand Luke when he says "there is a peace and a good hope given to the sons of men" if Jesus came to declare war (Luke 2:14)? Perhaps there is something interlocking here. Don't you see? Jesus came to declare war for YOUR peace. We see the fullness of innocence played out in the scene of his birth. Why would Herod have the absolute goll to command soliders to kill thousands of babies when the Messiah appears? This event is so big that church history has called it: "Massacre of Innocents." According to Josephus, it is apparent that Herod murdered his own three sons. Perhaps he was scared out of his mind that the Messiah has shown up in flesh? Oh you bet he was. The Passion Translation says that when Herold heard the news of his birth- he was "shaken to the core." Not only was he shaken to the core but ALL of Jerusalem was "disturbed" by his appearence. Disturbed - really? Over a baby? Any other time a baby is born you and I would be crying on the floor with tears of joy. How come they were disturbed? The people knew who this baby was because they saw the fulfillment of Micah 5:2 appear right before there eyes.
Jesus came to reveal your innocence. He came so you can be sinless in Him. Your shame is not your fault. Your fear is not your fault. Your anxiety is not your fault. He did not come to destroy you but to destroy the sin within you. The humility of Jesus brings out the most destructive form of justice. It is quite odd but everywhere I go I always end up seeing a child. It is almost like the Spirit of God is grabbing my attention everytime I walk out the door because I always end up noticing a little boy or girl. I am no person who believes in "accidental" circumstances and seeing kids as I walk by is almost an everyday occurance whenever I am out and about. My spirit rises up within me to draw closer to the presence of Jesus and just sit at His feet. I learn from children more than I do with adults. It seems strange since children are completely dependable but is that not how we operate in the kingdom? Is not faith dependence upon a good and perfect Father? Maybe you have never seen or heard faith demonstrated in that manner because we have built doctrines upon Jesus that carry no appetite for adventure. Why is it hard for the church to look at the lens of Scripture like a wide-eyed wonder of a chid? Do we really believe that the blood of Jesus gives us our innocence back? I hope so. Or do we still think that we are unworthy servants that need to be punished to know how to live the Christian life? That mindset is religious dogma at best. How come our theology is not centered upon this simple revelation of living like a child? Are we building our theology around a kingdom mindset or is it for religious admiration to avoid being called a heretic? I have a really strong feeling that we have based our doctrines of who Christ is from the lens of fear rather than adventurous faith like a child.
Our innocence is in Jesus. "Beloved, we are God’s children right now; however, it is not yet apparent what we will become. But we do know that when it is finally made visible, we will be just like him, for we will see him as he truly is. And all who focus their hope on him will always be purifying themselves, just as Jesus is pure" (1 John 3:2-3, TPT). We are children of God right now. We must look from the lens of faith like a child in order to continue "purifying" ourselves in Him. The more we see ourselves as innocent and holy in Christ, the more mature we become. Everything we are on this earth is now proven clean of shame and guilt because His blood was poured out. Our faith needs to explore like a child.
"We need to remain childlike. Children do not dream of being insignificant" (Bill Johnson).
This one is SO inspiring🙌🏼