Celebrate the Incarnation

“God becoming flesh;”  that is the meaning of the incarnation.  Most people are willing to celebrate the incarnation of a baby born in a manger.  Countless families who never crack a Bible normally may even read Luke 2 this time of year, and with smiles of pity remember a baby born in a manger who is “Savior,” although that word may mean little theologically to them.  The incarnation however does not begin and end with the Christmas story.  Rather, the scene of baby Jesus so many will decorate their houses and front yards with is the just the means God used to orchestrate the purpose of the incarnation.  Jesus said that “for this hour” he had come, referring to his impending death on  the Roman cross.  Jesus Christ has never had a beginning.  When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph could not rejoice over a “new” little life they cradled in their arms.  Why? Because Micah 5:2 tells us that the Messiah who came from Bethlehem would be from everlasting to everlasting.  The person of Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem; he had always existed as eternal, infinite God.  Rather, the beginning of the incarnation seen as the baby in the manger, was God the Son mixing his eternal person with flesh and blood.  That means the Christ was sinless (being eternally God) and still sin-cursed (being now fleshly man).  Of course, the crucifixion on the cross was Jesus Christ carrying our sinful curse on himself in fullness being separated from the Father (suffering as God) and tortured in the flesh (suffering as man).  Of course we know that Jesus Christ being God and man could die and yet not stay dead.  Death has no power over God since he instituted death as punishment for sin.  But the incarnation goes further than the cross.  When Christ rose from the dead, he rose with a body.  Similar in style but different in substance in that it was glorified and perfected.  He retains that body even today, and is still fully God and fully glorified man, which gives us hope of the glory that shall be revealed in us as his saints.  One day, we will see the fullness of the incarnation when the incarnated God, Jesus the Christ, flesh and Spirit perfectly joined returns to rule with a rod of iron.  His eye are a flaming fire and on His name is the Word of God.  The title of Jesus when He comes and we “see” the incarnation–King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19).

Hallelujah for the incarnation of God the Son from cradle to cross to king!