Read: Mark 4:35-41
His name shall be called . . . Mighty God. (Isa. 9:6)
If you’ve ever held a newborn baby in your arms, you know there are many words to describe those little bundles: Tiny. Fragile. Precious. When I first held my oldest child, born eight weeks premature, the words that unexpectedly came to me were, “She’s as light as a loaf of Wonder Bread!” Jesus wasn’t a preemie, but he was as tiny and fragile as every other newborn baby. What a paradox that he was also, even in the manger, Mighty God.
Perhaps the clearest vision of Jesus in the Gospels as Mighty God comes from his calming of the storm. “A great windstorm arose,” waves filled the boat (Mark 4:37), and the disciples feared they would drown (v. 38). Yet Jesus had only to speak a word, and all was calm again. The disciples were awestruck: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (v. 41). But even in this story, we also see evidence of Jesus’s humanity. As the storm arose, Jesus was found sleeping. His human body needed rest, even as his divine nature ruled over all of creation.
As we prepare to welcome Jesus at Christmas, let’s not forget that the tiny baby is also Mighty God. When we’re tempted to feel distant from him, we can remember that he knows our humanity. When we fear that circumstances will overwhelm us, we can call on him to calm every storm. He became one of us, yet he rules over all.
As you pray, ask God to calm any storms in your life.
About the Author
Sarah Sanderson is the author of The Place We Make: Breaking the Legacy of Legalized Hate. She lives with her husband and their four teenage children in Oregon.
