When it comes to taking BIG risks, God tops us all. He risked creating mankind in His image, knowing we would fail and unleash all the devastating effects of sin into an otherwise pristine world. He risked His reputation by entering into a covenant with a small group of mostly unfaithful people who would fail to live up to their responsibility to honor and obey Him. Over and over He forgave them, restored them, and sent them out to bring righteousness to the pagan nations around them. But time and time again, they failed to live up to their calling. Finally, in the fulness of time, God took His biggest risk ever.

We seldom consider how risky it was to send the Savior into the world as a helpless babe. SO MANY things could go wrong! Besides the concerns of Jesus surviving the usual hazards of infancy and childhood, as well as the murderous intentions of King Herod, what if in the end He failed in His rescue mission? What if His enemies found a way to distract, derail, or silence Him? What if the sheer horror of the cross proved too high a cost to pay for our salvation? What if everyone who’d begun to follow Him abandoned Him in the end? What if there was no group of apostles available to bring the good news of His triumph over death, sin, and hell to those who were lost and sitting in darkness? (See Isaiah 9:1-7.)

If any of us had been planning a way to redeem mankind I doubt we’d include in the plan extreme vulnerability, obscurity, and a wait of thirty years to get the job done. We would have Jesus arrive on the scene in full maturity and strength, ready to tackle the demonic strongholds in a blaze of glory. A carpenter’s household in the backwater village of Nazareth didn’t seem like a fitting place to prepare for future Kingship. Yet, God had perfect confidence that His Son would be able to do what no other human had been able to up to that point. “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9).

Jesus had to “learn obedience” through circumstances far from ideal. His submission to all that came against Him became the spiritual food that made Him strong, enabling Him to endure to the end. God the Father knew the risks involved in His redemption plan, yet His desire to see righteousness restored to the earth and His love for His wayward people enabled Him to give “his one and Only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Like Isaiah 50:5-7 prophesied, our Redeemer fully embraced His role and pushed through all the obstacles to obtain salvation for us. “I have not been rebellious; I have not turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.”

What obstacles are you facing today in fulfilling God’s calling upon your life? Have you grown weary in your labors for Him? Are you beginning to think you don’t have what it takes to be a Jesus follower? Whatever challenges we face, we can persevere in the race marked out for us by “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. … Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3).

God’s big gamble of sending Jesus into the world as a vulnerable baby, deity robed in human flesh, was a declaration of sorts. It proved to us three important truths revealed in Scripture. First, nothing can overturn the plans of God. What He has promised, He will bring to pass. As He declares in Isaiah 46:9-11, “I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ What I have said, I will bring about; what I have planned, I will do.”  So whatever comes our way, however great our enemies may seem, He is Lord over all!

Second, there’s nothing we face that He hasn’t experienced… from infancy to death. We can’t say, “God, you don’t know how I feel!” As our forerunner and older brother, Jesus has gone before us. By fully identifying with our humanity, He became “a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” who can “empathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15).

Third, nothing can separate us from God’s love. Like Hagar in the desert (Genesis 16:7-13), we are sometimes thrown into scary circumstances that seem to say God has abandoned us. However, as she discovered, the Lord sees where we are and is working on our behalf, even in our darkest hours. If we continue to trust Him, no matter what, He’ll look after us. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid … for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

These truths will sustain us through the many challenges we face as Jesus’ disciples, but that doesn’t mean we won’t feel discouraged at times. Right now, as I write, I’m recovering from a serious automobile accident. My injuries are healing up well and I have much to be grateful for, but I still battle doubts and fears some days. Jesus was tested in His obedience to God, and we will be too. Fortunately, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now dwells in us and equips us with every spiritual resource if we are humble enough to ask. This Christmas, let’s rejoice in the fact that God’s big gamble paid off. Jesus is still sufficient for anything we face today and will face in the future. All glory to Him!

Heavenly Father, thank you for entrusting my salvation to the Faithful One, the Lord Jesus Christ. May His willingness to obey in the face of so much suffering inspire me to keep up the good fight. Use my life as you choose and keep me moving forward in your name. Amen.