Favored Son

Our daughter Emmie often jokes that she knows she is our favorite child, although we have certainly never said that.  She also jokes that everything we own will be hers when we die and she will give whatever she doesn't want to her siblings.

I think every child secretly wants to be "favored."  But parents rarely have that type of feeling for one child over another.  I often wondered when my children were small how I would feel about them as adults.  Now I can answer that question.  My adult children impress me and grow in my favor everyday.  I wish I had been like them at their ages.

It reminds me of another parent/child relationship I pondered while reading this verse:

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, 

and in favour with God and man."

(Luke 2:52.)

The Lord Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, grew in favour with God and man.  Now, I can understand the Lord Jesus Christ growing in favour with man.  I would think that would be obvious.  The part of the verse that struck me was that the Lord Jesus Christ grew in favour with God.

Christ existed from eternity past in perfect unity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  A perfect God living in the form of humanity, how could He get any better than that?  My question is answered with one word:  obedience.

"Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience 

by the things which He suffered;" (Hebrews 5:8.)

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; 

who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, and is set down 

at the right hand of the throne of God."  (Hebrews 12:2.)

The first man, Adam, was pronounced to be very good, but not perfect.  Then he succumbed to temptation to lead all men to sin.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; 

and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12.)

All men except One.

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, 

so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."  (Romans 5:19.)

The Second Man, the Lord Christ Jesus, lived in perfection, that He might secure our salvation.  He did nothing of His own earthly power or strength, but walked every moment trusting in the strength and power of His Father.  Having done so, He set the example of how we are called to live.

"Then said Jesus unto them, 'When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of myself; 

but as My Father hath taught me, I speak these things." (John 8:28.)

The Lord Jesus Christ is favored by the Father, and by relation, all who believe in Him are favored as well.

"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.  

To the praise of the glory of His grace, 

wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." 

(Ephesians 1:5,6.)