Incarnation: Good News of Great Joy

They call it the most wonderful time of the year. Why is that? There must be something that makes it so. Is it the giving and receiving of presents? Is it the visiting and traveling to see family? Is it all the wonderful lights and decorations that greet us along the way? Well, whatever was the reason for calling it the most wonderful time of year, as Christians, we can state it as so because we celebrate the coming of God into the world by way of a human baby. The Apostle John states that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in 1:14, the serpent-crushing offspring of the line of Judah surprised many, expecting His arrival in some other way. For the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Most High would overshadow her, and for that reason the Holy Child shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35). The word overshadowed is only used 5 times in Scripture, primarily used to portray a cloud overtaking the Apostles in which a voice of the Father comes out of. An ordinary birth is mysterious and miraculous enough, but this extraordinary birth is way past finding out. He is a Son of David according to His manhood and declared the Son of God according to His Godhead. He was human as Mary's Son, divine as God's Son. The early church Father Crysostom said, “I know the Word was made flesh, but how He was made, I know not.”

And why did He come? He came to save His people from their sins. (Matt.1:21) He was manifested, revealed, to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (Heb.9:26) He came that they might have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) God came near! The motive of the Father, LOVE, (John 3:16). It is a wonder, a mystery, a perplexity to us that the Son of God should be made of a woman, for the woman was made of Him. Jesus was conceived as others, and so He was man. But was conceived of a virgin, as no others were, and thus was God. Jesus was conceived as others, and so He was man, but was conceived by the Holy Spirit, as no others were, and thus was God. Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, and so He was man. But was resurrected and ascended into heaven, and will one day come back to judge the living and the dead, and thus was God. He was born so that He might die. In the Trinity we can say there are three persons and one nature, in Christ there is one person and two natures. He was above the law, never breaking it, was sent forth from God, divine, born of a woman, human, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Gal.4:4-5)

Man's greatest issue, is how to get rid of His sin. Is there a way? Psalm 49:8 states that the redemption of a man's soul is costly. The satisfaction for redeeming a soul, must be infinitely meritorious, the infinite wrath of God can not be appeased by any less than infinite merit. Thus, our beloved Savior Jesus Christ must be God, for His awful sufferings, and perfect obedience must come to be of infinite worth. A finite being could not accomplish the appeasing of such an infinite wrath, as our sin against such an infinite dignity deserves. Since only God can forgive sins as even acknowledged by the Scribes in Mark 2:7, Jesus, has authority as the Son of God, on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:10), equal with God, (John 5:18), He alone can solve our greatest problem! Yes, wicked, unworthy, hell-deserving sinners can be forgiven. English Puritan Thomas Watson states, “If the heart is spotted, how then can the actions be pure? If the water in the well is foul, it can not be clean in the bucket. Sin is not easily cast off. A man may as well shake off the skin of His body, as the sin off His soul. There is no shaking off this viper until death.”

So, the miraculous has been accomplished. The indescribable gift has been given, our eternal hope has been secured, “For today in the city of David there has been born for YOU, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11. As we contemplate this, the Being of One who always was, still is, and always will be, let us come and adore Him. For He is the thrill of hope, hailed incarnate Deity, born to give us second birth. Make room for Him again in this Advent season. Let us with the heavenly host praise God and say “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” The first stop for Jesus was Mary's womb. As He was once inside Mary, now dwells in believers, He is inside us. For the Apostle Paul states, in Col.1:27 “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Merry Christmas,
Elder Randy Slak