We added room darkening shades to our guest room so our granddaughter will nap. We thought it would keep her from waking at the crack of dawn as well, but she is her father’s child. He has always been an early riser. She is awake with first light and often before. One day last week, she was wide awake at 4:51 in the morning. She stood in the usual spot at the corner of her crib saying in her tiny toddler voice, “I awake. I get up.”
When our children are afraid or upset in the middle of the night, usually all we have to do is turn on the light and they will settle right down. As infants, they may get their days and nights mixed up, but they quickly learn the difference between dark and light. Children are drawn to light, and children were drawn to Jesus.
When Jesus said, “let the little children come to me and do not hinder them,” He addressed this rebuke to his own disciples. Three of the four gospels record this account, and each time it is followed by Jesus’s conversation with a rich, young ruler who trusted in himself and his wealth more than in Jesus. Matthew’s account is expanded by Luke’s and even further by Mark’s.
But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.””
Matthew 19:14 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.19.14.NASB1995
“And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.
But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.””
Luke 18:15-17 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.18.15-17.NASB1995
“And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.
But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.”
Mark 10:13-16 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mrk.10.13-16.NASB1995
What a wonderful Savior! He allowed women to sit at his feet and learn from Him. (Luke 10:42) He embraced babies and little children and blessed them. (Mark 10:16) I can’t think of any place I’d rather my children be than at the feet of Jesus, watching Him, trailing along behind Him, learning from Him and imitating His ways. As long as I have breath, they will surely know how very much He loves them!
On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus prayed the prayer recorded in John 17. He ended with a phrase that has become the goal of my own life.
““O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me.
I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.””
John 17:25-26 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.17.25-26.NLT
“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.
When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”
Hebrews 1:3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.1.3.NLT
Jesus revealed God the Father to the watching world in every way. He who first said, “I am the Light of the world,” and then said, “you are the light of the world,” now indwells all who believe in Him by His Spirit. He has commissioned us to continue the work He started of revealing the Father in the world.
“Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.
And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.
I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”
John 17:18-21, 23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.17.18-23.NLT
“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.””
John 8:12 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.8.12.NLT
““You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.5.14-15.NLT
“For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. (Romans 6:23)
So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.
God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it!
So now there is no longer any condemnation for those who believe in him, but the unbeliever already lives under condemnation because they do not believe in the name of the only Son of God.
And here is the basis for their judgment: The Light of God has now come into the world, but the people loved darkness more than the Light, because they want the darkness to conceal their evil.
So the wicked hate the Light and try to hide from it, for the Light fully exposes their lives.
But those who love the truth will come into the Light, for the Light will reveal that it was God who produced their fruitful works.”
John 3:16-21 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/jhn.3.16-21.TPT
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV
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