A number of years ago I started to notice that some of my students would talk

about Jesus as though he were something other than human, something

unrelatable, distant, static, emotionless, or impervious to the human condition.

I felt like they were missing the boat on an important part of who we worship

and why. So I wrote and prepared a talk on the subject and gave it at BYU's

Easter conference. Here's a little excerpt from it.

Jesus became immortal like you and like me in every sense of the word. In spite of

the sentimental Christmas hymn that we sing every year away in a manger as a

baby little Lord Jesus probably cried a lot. Most babies do. Presumably he

fussed and didn't sleep through the night. He probably tried to put everything

in his mouth. He rolled over and then stumbled to an unsteady walk like all kids

do. He probably threw temper tantrums and cried until he fell asleep on the

floor. His hair wet with sweat. Just like my kids have done and yours. He

babbled and then he had to learn how to make word associations. Ironically

think about this. The man who made the trees had to learn how to say the word

tree. I once held my two-year-old son Calvin in my arms and when he was

learning to talk I pointed to a tree and I said what's that? And he said dog. And I

said no little buddy that's a tree. Can you say tree? And he said tree. And I said

good job but high five. And I can imagine Joseph or Mary having a similar

conversation with a two-year-old Jesus. Can you say tree Jesus? And Jesus says

tree and they say good job Jesus and they probably added a post script. But

Jesus be careful what you say to that tree because you made it and it will

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