God With Us

A baby. Christmas is all about a baby. A baby is the essence of human potential; and this baby housed the immortal spirit that created this world, unleashed the Flood, tested Abraham, and gave the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)

God was literally “with us” in this child. He came to share our mortal life, to teach us of the Kingdom, to comfort us, and to redeem us from our sins. As an adult, during his ministry, he demonstrated a special affection for children.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)

“Of such is the kingdom of God” refers not to the children’s innocence, but to their potential and their purity. The adults in the Kingdom have all eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (metaphorically speaking) and therefore are no longer innocent. However, they have repented and become pure (like the children) again through the Atonement of Christ. They have been “converted.”

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4)

In encouraging us to be like children, the Lord does not want us to be naive, or ignorant, or selfish. He wants us to be humble, teachable, and grateful. We should acknowledge our complete dependence on Him, while still, on our own initiative, doing the most good we can. We need to be submissive to the Truth, but never give in to evil.

And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. (1 Nephi 11:14-18)

Condescension means to voluntarily step down from a superior position to an inferior one. The Father (Elohim) allowed his Son (Jehovah) to leave His glory behind and live as one of us. Jehovah agreed to take on a physical body and, in that body, as Jesus, pay the terrible price required to atone for all our sins. They did these things out of love, because we are all family.

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)

Everything on the Earth, everything in Heaven, everything in the scriptures, everything every true Prophet of God has ever worked for, exists to bless God’s children. It is ALL about the babies, the children of God, our brothers and sisters, the host of Heaven.

Source: “The Condescension of God,” Bishop Richard C. Edgley, Ensign, December 2001.