The Incarnation of the Son of God
The Incarnation is a core belief of the Christian faith. It affirms the embodiment of God the Son in human flesh as Jesus Christ. That baby born of Mary in Bethlehem and placed in a manger is none other than God with us. The reality of the Incarnation has ongoing lessons for believers today. Therefore, think with me about a few aspects of this important doctrine.
The Gospel According to John begins with, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Couple this with verse 14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” and we have a dynamic affirmation of the deity of Jesus Christ. The grammar of the Greek definitively asserts he is “God,” not “a god.”
The human existence of Jesus was a unique appearance of the mind of God. The Incarnation is the most powerful manifestation of divine in-breaking and revelation. The implications of this are striking, especially for our faith. The reality of God in human flesh demonstrates the unexplainable depth of God’s love for humanity. It presents a God who is desperate to manifest himself to us in a physical, relatable way. Steven Smith, in his article Christology of Preaching (SWJT, Spring 2008) says, “Incarnation speaks of the ‘carnal God,’ the God who is enfleshed in the person of Jesus of Nazareth; literally, if somewhat crassly, God con carne, ‘God with meat on.’” Hence, the Incarnation is amazing testimony to the degree of God’s love for us.
Furthermore, the Incarnation teaches us something about the nature of God’s revelation. The Word of God came to biblical authors via divine inspiration, but in the Incarnation the Word comes in the form of flesh and blood. Hence, we hang on Jesus’ every word. When Jesus was in conversation with individuals it was a unique dialogue. Those who conversed with Jesus were engaged in a conversation like no other. He is the embodiment of divine truth and thus his every word, every syllable, constituted special divine revelation.
The Incarnation does not mean that Jesus casually “hung out” on earth for a while and then left. Rather, it means that he submitted to a double humiliation. First, is the human form and then second, death even on a cross (Philippians 2:5-11). His “hanging out” was supremely uncomfortable.
That God would go to such extraordinary lengths to offer salvation to you and me is staggering. Who are we to refuse to live for Him when he’s done so much for us? That Jesus would humble himself in taking on the form of a man and ultimately die on a cross of shame, staggers our spiritual senses. We have such a loving God; a God who can relate to the human condition with all its pains (Hebrews 4:15). The Incarnation carnally displays God’s great love, it showcases the greatness of our Savior, and it empowers us to truly know the Lord.
-Paul N. Merideth
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