The Childhood of Jesus
If we fail to take our children to the Scripture and show them our God, we have failed them utterly.
- John and Misty Snyder, Behold Your God: Seeking Him Early
Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879) was a English hymn writer. She gave her soul to Christ at a young age and went on to live a quiet life of devotion to Christ. In addition to her many poems and hymns, including “Take My Life and Let it Be” or “Consecration Hymn,” she wrote other short devotional and evangelistic works.
As the daughter of a vicar and a young convert, Frances Havergal knew the value of presenting the truths of God and the gospel to children. She wrote multiple devotional works for children.
In Morning Bells, Havergal writes of the sinless childhood of Jesus that is laid on the account of every child who trusts in Him.
Thy holy child Jesus.
Acts 4:30
If I asked, "How old are you?" you would give an exact answer. "Eight and a half;" "Just turned ten;" "Eleven next month." Now you have thought of God's "holy child Jesus" as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the temple, but did you ever think of Him as being exactly your own age? that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He was a holy child.
What is "holy"? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,—everything you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He was "holy."
Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was even more gracious and wonderful, it was "that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." That is, that all this goodness and holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, and that God might smile on you for His sake, just as if you had been perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He deserved for you.
He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept the exchange!