Who broke the baby Jesus?

We have a tradition of putting up the Christmas decorations on the same day we celebrate Thanksgiving at the Pulliam house. It's usually the day after Thanksgiving, as we make accommodations for our married kids to observe the holiday with their spouses' families.

After lunch we clear away the tables and set to work decorating the tree and putting out the manger scene. The grandkids have come not only to expect the process, but to look forward to it as well. Traditionally the youngest grandchild (or the youngest most able) gets to be lifted into the air to place the angel on top.

We also have a quite unique manger scene, complete with holy family, shepherds, a couple of sheep, a cow and horse, and three wise men. It's a set Tom and I purchased from Scrivener's (sadly no longer a San Antonio staple) shortly after we were married. The interesting thing about this particular manger set is that all the characters are children. It was made in Italy and is quite sturdy as it's molded out of something similar to resin.

I like to let the littles play with it before we set it in its place atop the piano. They can't hurt it one bit.

Well, as we were getting everything decorated, Flint, Mark and Laura's oldest, was tapping away at the piano when little Casey (nineteen months) brought over the baby Jesus to show him. She was holding the baby in one hand and his little "cradle" in the other. Flint didn't realize that it was meant to be two pieces, so he exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, no! Casey broke the baby Jesus!!"

"No, Baby, we ALL did that," I replied.

Yes, it's true. Our sin made us all complicit.

Jesus' birth comes with great anticipation and joy. We celebrate, and rightly so, but before the Christmas story even wraps up in Luke Chapter 2, the shadow of the cross moves in. We hear Simeon's words to Jesus' mother Mary, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

On the heels of Christmas comes the rest of the story, the reason He came. It isn't long before our tears of joy mingle with those of sorrow and remorse over the sin... our sin... that required a greater sacrifice than we could ever have hoped to give.

The season of Lent fast approaches, almost in tandem with the speed of Luke 2. The celebratory hymns of major keys and uplifting melodies will give way to the more somber, the more thought- provoking and reflective. And yet, there is still joy... a most indescribable joy over the immense sacrificial love that drove Him to come in human flesh, to live a perfect life, to die the cruelest of deaths, and to rise again in victory, assuring for us forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life.

Yes, it was us. WE broke the baby Jesus. But thanks be to God, becuase of His brokenness, we are now whole and right with God once again.

I think the thing I love most about the profound things kids sometimes say without even realizing it, is the striking way it has of driving truths home.

And the thing I love most about that little manger set of mine?

It's the little red heart etched into the head of baby Jesus' bed.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5