As a little girl in the Nursery Department of my home church in Chicago, I learned a song about Jesus and His love for children.  First came the song “Jesus Loves Me” and immediately on its heels came “Jesus Loves the Little Children”. 

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.  Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

While not much is known about songwriter Clare Herbert Woolston (1856-1927) who penned “Jesus Loves the Little Children”, I suspect that inspiration for the song came from Matthew 19:14 where Jesus says, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” [NLT]

Clearly, Jesus wanted the children to come to him.  Lois LeBar, in her classic book Children in the Bible, makes the point:

“Faith is natural to a child, for complete physical dependence is accompanied by absolute emotional confidence.”

Adults, however, are more reluctant to have faith in Christ.  Maturity seems to have stolen the innocent faith and trusting nature that they had as children.

Yet in Matthew 18:4-6, Jesus describes how we adults must come to Him “like little children”.   He further says “whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Praise God for these little songs that remind us to come to Him as children. 

Many years after learning those children’s songs, I heard the song “Some Children See Him”.  It is a song that is sung at Christmas and describes the way that children around the world picture the Baby Jesus — like them.  I love the song because it emphasizes the Biblical truth that Jesus is, indeed, for all the children of the world, and (thankfully) for all the old people too!  

How can I say this?  I can say that because Scripture tells me this is true.

Our Lord created all beings, indeed Scripture says that without Jesus, nothing was created that was created! 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus] was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:1-3.  See also Colossians 1:15-16.

It matters not what you look like, what color you are, where you live, what economic situation you may be in … Jesus loves His people in each and every country, tribe or region!  So, when we read of the scope of His love for His people, we can rest assured that as the Creator of all things, He knows each individual in each country, nation, tribe or people who will believe on Him and become part of God’s kingdom.  In fact, we read in Scripture of the scope of God’s kingdom and it includes people of every color, language and nationality.

We read in the book of Acts about Peter’s testimony in chapter 10:34-36:

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),”

Here in the broader context of this quotation, Peter is telling the people that they need to come to Christ and trust Him for their salvation.  He is not telling them in his sermon that merely doing good things is sufficient to pay for the enormity of our sin before God.

In John’s Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book in the Bible, we read:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Revelation 7:9-10

It will be an incredible sound when people of all languages from all over the world will be singing the same song in praise to our God and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ!   

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Revelation 14:6

When His Word says that believers will come from all nations, tribes, languages and peoples, or to quote the children’s song “red, yellow, black and white”, I believe it!   So, it would be natural that, during this time of Christmas celebration of our Lord’s birth, children would picture Him looking as they do. 

Listen to the rendition of “Some Children See Him” as presented by The Ralph Carmichael Orchestra on their album entitled Emmanuel.

 

Praise the Lord for His marvelous Gift to the children of men!

Father, at this time of year I am reminded to simply look to You in singing Glory to God in the Highest!  Your gift of your Son to this sinful world defies description and cannot be truly understood except through the eyes of faith.  Lord, your willingness to leave heaven and come to this sinful world to a people who rejected You even while You were in Mary’s womb when she was denied a room to deliver You.  Thank you, Father, for Your love that is forefront in our thoughts at this season.  May we think of Your love throughout the year as we give praise and glory to You!