Jesus has still been born.

Today is a special day for our family. Trey was born 17 years ago today. His brothers and their future wives were with us last night to celebrate Trey's life. I savored it. When we lived in Dallas, TX, Taylor and Trent began to pray and ask God to give them a brother. Trey was born in Dallas, TX on January 3, 2001. Lea and I are so grateful to God and impacted by Trey's life. Beyond words. Love this man so much.

I remember being at the hospital when each of our sons have been born. God was amazing. Lea was so strong and beautiful as she offered her life on behalf of each of them and continues to do so. What I have been thinking about this week is that once your baby is born, you don't leave him or her at the hospital. You take them with you and they live their life with you as you live your life. You live your life together with them.

It strikes me that Jesus has still been born. We can focus so much attention on getting to Christmas Day where we officially celebrate that arrival of the Christ child. Then when it's over, you just kind of move on and His birth kind of isn't as big a deal any more. But when your baby is born, the living is just beginning. You live your life with your baby after he or she is born. And we get to do the same with Jesus. Jesus has still been born. It's not over. It's just beginning. He is now living His life WITH US. That's the incarnation. God with us.

So it's kind of cool that there are 12 days of Christmas, called Christmastide. We keep remembering that Jesus is born. It's still a thing to celebrate, ponder, practice and live in to. So as Jesus is not just left in His Jerusalem style hospital manger, He is living His life in us and it changes us. I remember the moment that we brought our first son Taylor home from the hospital. It's kind of scary. Whoa. No nurses around. What do we do? How do we do this? And you begin to learn about living life with this new baby.

Since Jesus has still been born, we get to learn about living life with Him? Let's think about three things.

1. Jesus invites us to learn.

This is quite stunning to me. Jesus (who is God) values being a learner. Bible book of Matthew chapter 11, verse 29 Jesus says, "Take My way of living life on to yourself and LEARN from Me." Not, "What's your problem you idiot. Why don't you have this down by now!" No, it's "I want you to learn from Me. Keep learning. Keep growing. That's the path I have for you." Keep going. Bible book of Luke chapter 2, verse 52. "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man." Just see it for what it's worth. Jesus (who is God) grew in wisdom and in His body. He grew. He changed. And one more. Bible book of Hebrews chapter 5, verse 8. "Son though He was, Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered." Jesus (who is God) learned obedience. This just lights me up. Jesus, WHO IS GOD, learned. He was a learner and HE INVITES US TO LEARN WITH HIM.

2. Jesus invites us to love.

I like this so much. Bible book of Matthew chapter 1, verse 21. Mary finds out she will give birth to a son and she is to give Him the name Jesus, "because He will save His people from their sins." Amazing. From the very first words of the birth narrative we are being shown that Jesus loves. The greatest love. No greater love than this than a man would lay down his life for another, many others! I sometimes want to live life digesting one thing at at time. Imagine the Trinity talking through sending Jesus to the earth in the flesh. "Ok, we're starting this huge cosmic plan. One of us is going to actually go and live with the humans we created. What a crazy idea, but let's do this, it will be good. Let's just get you there Jesus and then we'll figure out the rest later." Nope. The cross was already a real thing in Jesus' life when He came as the Christ baby. From the very start, "He will save His people from their sins." From moment one His life is saying, "Love like this, love like this, love like this!" This is so humbling. Jesus loves by giving His life. He is a lover and HE INVITES US TO LOVE WITH HIM.

3. Jesus invites us to live soberly.

This is strong. From birth to death, Jesus teaches us about sober living. Jesus has only been alive for about a week and we read in the Bible book of Luke chapter 2, verses 33-35 that a prophet Simeon told Mary, Jesus' mother, that her child would "cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, be a sign that will be spoken against so the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. (And then listen to Simeon's last words) And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Hmmm. That's not your typical, "oh, what a sweet baby you have!" Jesus' birth would bring sober living to Mary's life. And ours. Piercing sounds like pain. That's sober living spoken of a week after His birth. And then years later, just before His death. Bible book of Luke chapter 22, verses 40-44. Jesus is in the garden with several friends just before He is seized to be led to His death on the cross. "And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." That sounds sober. Really sober. Sober living doesn't mean you don't have joy. In fact, the bible tells us that Jesus going to the cross was actually the joy that was set before Him to endure the cross. Our redeemed life represented joy to Him. And at the same time, He shows us how to live soberly. He lived soberly from birth to death and HE INVITES US TO LIVE SOBERLY WITH HIM.

I'm so glad that Trey doesn't still live at the hospital. Him living his life with Lea and I is so special, so rich. Jesus doesn't stay in the manger. Crazily, amazingly He lives His life in you and He invites you to learn with Him. He invites you to love with Him. He invites you to live soberly with Him.

Happy Birthday Trey.

Happy New Year friends.

Jesus has still been born.

There's more.