I believe I have been on a journey (imagine that); a journey to correct my vision concerning Christmas. A couple of years ago, I was focused on the prophecy of the birth of Christ and the lesson of expectant hope. I focused on Isaiah 9:6 –
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
What an impact the thought that by the birth of Christ we can live with this expectant hope knowing that no matter what, no matter the circumstance, no matter the condition, we can live with confidence that it is better farther on! It was a lesson in faith and perseverance.
Last year I was drawn to Isaiah 7:14 –
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
I was just awestruck by Immanuel; God with us and the realization that our God has given us the most radical and wonderful gift…the gift of Himself! Amen. That has guided me to my contemplation for this year; a pretty important theological doctrine – the doctrine of incarnation.
I looked this word incarnation up in the dictionary and found this; “the embodiment of a deity in some earthly form, the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ.” So for me it is the fact that Christ is fully God and fully human at the same time; how divine, how complex, how wonderful. We can see a picture of this in Philippians 2;
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As I focus on the incarnation of Christ, I wonder why, why is this so important and as I prayed and meditated over this I found some clarity in two passages in Hebrews. First, Hebrews 2:14-18;
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Also, Hebrews 7:23-28;
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
So as I ramble through this what becomes clear is that because Christ was born; we have the only true hope and what a radical gift. Because Christ came into this world we can know that he came to save completely, to intercede for us, to atone for our sin. Halleluiah!
We can come to understand that since the fall there has opened this great chasm between God and man and that Christ – fully God and fully human is the only way to bridge that chasm – to restore the relationship between God and His people. Can you see that the beauty of the incarnation is the proper focus and the beauty of Christmas? I think I have used this quote before, but B. B. Warfield wrote so eloquently concerning the incarnation.
“The Glory of the incarnation is that it presents to our adoring gaze, not a humanized God or a deified man, but a true God-man – one who is all that God is and at the same time all that man is – and that means this; one on whose almighty arms we can rest and to whose human sympathy we can appeal.”
Father, this Christmas we just praise you for your glorious plan of redemption which sent a child that is our wonderful counselor, our mighty God, our Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace; a child who is named Immanuel – God with us always; a child in human form who came to save completely, to intercede, to atone for our sins. Father, you sent us a true God-man in whose almighty arms we can rest! Abba, Father we love you!
Merry Christmas all!
Grace and Peace!
