Jesus sailed in a boat
Jesus rode on a donkey

JESUS WAS CARRIED BY OTHERS.

The One who “carried our sorrows” humbly allowed Himself to need to be carried by imperfect people.

The first time was when he became human. “The Word became flesh” John tells us. That “became” of course began with a pregnancy and then a birth. The God of the universe in a womb! The Creator being created, amazing! Jesus who made and handled the whole world allowed others to handle him and decide where and how he would be “carried” around.

After having three sons and watching them grow, I realized how much work my mother had to do to raise five children. One day, I was carrying my youngest son who had fallen asleep off to his bedroom for the night. I realized how heavy he had become. Right then, it struck me! I was this heavy once! My mom (and dad) carried me many times, many places as well.

I shot off a quick letter to my mother thanking her for all the times she had carried me when I was a child while she had four older children also to care for. I thanked her for all the times she had changed my diapers too! A bit weird I confess, but I was suddenly so grateful for someone who had carried my “burden” many years ago and had never been thanked or properly appreciated by me at all for it!

The other time Jesus was carried was at the other end of his life on Earth. The Bible tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, Joseph and Nicodemus took the body down from the cross, and prepared it for burial. That meant once again Jesus needed to be carried.
It was again a time when Jesus allowed Himself to become a “burden” which had to be borne by others.

There are times when God will cause us to need to be carried by others. Perhaps we will feel helpless and embarrassed that we cannot even “carry our own weight” as we normally do. We have absolutely no capacity to get to where we need to be. We know it is more blessed to give than to receive but there are times we are forced by God’s will and our circumstances into the dreaded “Receiving Line”.

It may be through a tragedy such as the death of a loved one, or a sudden disappointment that brings us to despair. It may be caused by physical necessity such as an injury or disease that makes us wholly dependent upon others. It may be for a particular moment (such as Christ’s being carried to the grave) or for an extended season such as Christ’s infancy. You too must allow yourself to be carried if you want to become like Jesus!

I remember running to the store when my first son Jesse was about one year old. I was in a hurry and he didn’t want to sit in the shopping cart the way a child should be carried. So, I allowed him to stand in the cart as I raced down the aisles picking up the various items on my list. As I quickly spun around a corner, without thinking I heard a terrible “thud” and I turned around to see my precious child fall out of the cart and directly onto his head! Jesse cried at the top of his lungs as I raced over to snatch him up into my arms. A woman who saw the whole thing walked by me and looked at me with “firing squad” eyes! She was so right! I didn’t need her to remind me. This was ALL my fault! Would he be brain damaged? Should I rush to the E.R.? Had I just destroyed the gift God had given me?

Well as every parent comes to know, God makes babies out of rubber because He knows parents are inexperienced and dangerous! Praise God, Jesse was fine, even though I was shaken up for quite a while.

The fact is, Jesus entrusted Himself into the hands of imperfect parents too! Remember when they forgot Jesus in Jerusalem and then blamed him for it even happening?
He allowed sinful people to carry Him. He still does. We very flawed and sinful people carry the Perfect One into a very lost world. We still drop Him and make a mess of things from time to time but He forgives us and gives us another chance. How gracious our Savior is!

The greatest gift of Mary and Joseph, the greatest privilege of Joseph and Nicodemus was to “carry” the Lord Jesus. Don’t dread allowing someone the blessing of carrying God’s child just because that child happens to be you!

“Bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2)