Adoption

"He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ."  Ephesians 1:5

I always wanted a brother.  I thought that it would be really neat to have an older brother who was bigger and tougher than everybody else who was looking out for me.  You know, to keep the bad dates away in high school.  The kind of guy that others knew not to mess with his little sister or else.  I was fortunate to have a great older sister who looked out for me pretty well, but somehow with girls the whole intimidation factor is missing.  

Recently I heard the phrase "Christ, our brother" in a Casting Crowns song.  Honestly, I have never even considered him being my brother until then.  I'm not sure why.  I have always thought of him as Savior, Lord, Redeemer, King, and yes, God's son.  I don't know why my brain didn't make the connection.  If Jesus is God's son, which he in fact is, then I am told that as a follower of Christ I am "adopted as a son (or daughter)."   Through this adoption, if Christ is God's son and I am adopted as His daughter, then Jesus would be...yes, you guessed it, my brother.  

My dear friend, Audra, currently has six children under her precious wings.  Three of them were God's gifts in her womb, one is there temporarily until he can be reunited with his family, and that leaves two girls.  Two cherished little girls who will hopefully be a permanent addition to her family.  As she and her husband have cared for these girls over the past year in hopes of being their forever family, we have discussed many times how earthly adoption is a tangible and glorious picture of our adoption as God's children.  We have spoken time and again about the beauty of it all- how they will have pursued these children, chosen these children, overcome mountains to keep them, paid a price for them.   By adopting these girls, they are redeeming them from a life of brokenness and abandonment.  They are giving them a new life that will in no way resemble the one from which they came.  They will have a new name that visibly bonds them together and declares the redemption of the Lord over their lives.

This is what God does for us.  

He chases after us.  He chose us before the foundation of the world.  Nothing in all of heaven or earth could keep Him from getting to us.  And He paid the ultimate price.  He gave His son, our brother, over to death in order to adopt us.  And He gives us a breathtaking new name, "daughter," "redeemed," "beloved." 

He calls us "child."

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."  John 1:12

I love that my brother is a king.  That he loves me so much he was willing to give himself in my place.  I love that he stands before our heavenly Father interceding on my behalf. I love that he prays over me and rejoices in my new name.  I love that one day I will get to see him and hold him and dance with him for all eternity.  I love that he is mine and yet there is enough of him to go around. I love that he knew I was not able of looking out for myself so he chose to defeat all the bad guys long ago.  Most of all, I love that because he was looking out for me, the God of all creation calls me by name.  It is "daughter."