Make Much of the Incarnation
CHUCK BOKISA
We have a lot to celebrate as Christians. Throughout history, Christians have marked with special observances certain events in the life of Christ. This blog series will consider 5 of these important days. These days are an opportunity for Christians to “make much” of a Jesus and God’s unfolding plan of salvation. So take time to reflect and meditate on what these holy days celebrate. The days we will consider are: the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension, and Pentecost. We begin with the Incarnation.
Making Much of the Incarnation
If we were asked by a stranger what we celebrate on Christmas, we might be ready with a few answers. “It’s the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus,” “It’s the day we celebrate God becoming a man,” and if we really wanted to show of our theological vernacular we might answer, “It’s the day we celebrate the Incarnation.” But what does this mean? The doctrine of the Incarnation is packed but a simple definition is: the belief that the Second Person of the Trinity took on a second nature, a human nature to live a sinless life and die for our sins to accomplish our redemption.
The Incarnation is about much more than just the birth of baby Jesus. It is also about his life. We must mediate on the humanity, the “man-ness” of Jesus this Christmas. Hebrews 4:15 says something truly extraordinary about him, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus was born to sinful parents and he never sinned against them and dishonored them.
He had sinful siblings, brothers and sisters who got attitudes with him and he never got an attitude back. He never sinned against them.
He grew up in a town where people did the math and knew that his age didn’t quite match up with the marriage of his parents. Despite them gossiping about him and his parents, he never grumbled about it. He never sinned against them.
He knew that he was going to pass on his ministry to twelve men who never understood who he truly was until after he was dead. He never worried. He never sinned.
When he, in the garden was “grieved unto death” and his best friends abandoned him. He did not despise them. He never sinned against them.
Jesus was beaten, mocked, and scorned before sinful men who were the instruments of Satan. Yet, like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He never sinned.
He never sinned. He always endured. He never sinned.
As we think about Christmas and celebrating the Incarnation, we must make much of this season. God became flesh and he never sinned. Are you a worrier? Stricken with anxiety? Jesus became flesh and was tempted to worry, but he didn’t. Burdened by fear? He became flesh and was temped to please people and fear man, but he didn’t. Aching with guilt? Are you struggling with sins that you can’t overcome? He didn’t sin so that our sins can be paid for.
It may be easy to think that Jesus had it easy, “he never sinned so how can he actually sympathize with us?” C.S. Lewis put it this way, “That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means—the only complete realist”.
He truly sympathizes with us, and the Incarnation, the event we celebrate at Christmas, is an opportunity to make much of this concept. Spend time alone with God, with your spouse, with your family and friends, and with the church making much of the Incarnation. Let our hearts come adore the precious baby in the manger who would endure more temptation than any of us and yet never sin.
We have a lot to celebrate as Christians. Throughout history, Christians have marked with special observances certain events in the life of Christ. This blog series will consider 5 of these important days. These days are an opportunity for Christians to “make much” of a Jesus and God’s unfolding plan of salvation. So take time to reflect and meditate on what these holy days celebrate. The days we will consider are: the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension, and Pentecost. We begin with the Incarnation.
Making Much of the Incarnation
If we were asked by a stranger what we celebrate on Christmas, we might be ready with a few answers. “It’s the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus,” “It’s the day we celebrate God becoming a man,” and if we really wanted to show of our theological vernacular we might answer, “It’s the day we celebrate the Incarnation.” But what does this mean? The doctrine of the Incarnation is packed but a simple definition is: the belief that the Second Person of the Trinity took on a second nature, a human nature to live a sinless life and die for our sins to accomplish our redemption.
The Incarnation is about much more than just the birth of baby Jesus. It is also about his life. We must mediate on the humanity, the “man-ness” of Jesus this Christmas. Hebrews 4:15 says something truly extraordinary about him, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus was born to sinful parents and he never sinned against them and dishonored them.
He had sinful siblings, brothers and sisters who got attitudes with him and he never got an attitude back. He never sinned against them.
He grew up in a town where people did the math and knew that his age didn’t quite match up with the marriage of his parents. Despite them gossiping about him and his parents, he never grumbled about it. He never sinned against them.
He knew that he was going to pass on his ministry to twelve men who never understood who he truly was until after he was dead. He never worried. He never sinned.
When he, in the garden was “grieved unto death” and his best friends abandoned him. He did not despise them. He never sinned against them.
Jesus was beaten, mocked, and scorned before sinful men who were the instruments of Satan. Yet, like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He never sinned.
He never sinned. He always endured. He never sinned.
As we think about Christmas and celebrating the Incarnation, we must make much of this season. God became flesh and he never sinned. Are you a worrier? Stricken with anxiety? Jesus became flesh and was tempted to worry, but he didn’t. Burdened by fear? He became flesh and was temped to please people and fear man, but he didn’t. Aching with guilt? Are you struggling with sins that you can’t overcome? He didn’t sin so that our sins can be paid for.
It may be easy to think that Jesus had it easy, “he never sinned so how can he actually sympathize with us?” C.S. Lewis put it this way, “That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means—the only complete realist”.
He truly sympathizes with us, and the Incarnation, the event we celebrate at Christmas, is an opportunity to make much of this concept. Spend time alone with God, with your spouse, with your family and friends, and with the church making much of the Incarnation. Let our hearts come adore the precious baby in the manger who would endure more temptation than any of us and yet never sin.