Incarnation

The incarnation simply means Jesus was both God and man. This is such a difficult theology to understand. John starts his gospel bringing this teaching to the forefront (John 1:1-18). This is such a hard teaching for us because it is difficult to believe Jesus is both divine and human.

Maybe the problem we have is that we look at it backwards. When we think about man becoming God it is an impossible concept. But when we think about God becoming man, it becomes very possible. Because the abilities of God are limitless.

Have you ever thought about what it meant for Jesus to become a man? Philippians 2:5-8 points out that Jesus gave up "equality with God." He became a man, but more than that he "made himself nothing taking on the very nature of a servant." He was obedient to God, which led to his death on a cross.

Jesus gave up his position beside the Father. He had anything he wanted and what he did not have he could speak into existence. He limited His divine nature living as a human being. Even within His humanity he chose a lesser position. He could have come to a wealthy family within the Pharisees. He could have had the riches of the earth yet he came as the child of a carpenter. He grew up in a small town called Nazareth. A place which Nathaniel asked the question, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

Here is something else to think about. Jesus took part in creating the law that was handed down to Moses. When he came to earth as a man he was now living under the law he created. Just because he was the creator of it he did not have special privileges. He lived under the law better than any man who has ever lived. He fulfilled it perfectly. Maybe he did because as the creator of the law and knew it was the better way to live. He avoided the consequences of living outside the law. And as a man he had the most incredible relationship with the Father that a human could have.

When he gave up everything to become a man he also knew where that would lead him. He knew before he came that he would have to die like everyone else. He also knew when he would die and how he would die. He lived so he could be beaten and nailed to a cross, dying a humiliating death.

That is what the incarnation meant for Jesus. When God became a man. We get caught up in trying to explain the incarnation without really focusing on what it meant for Jesus. It is in this that we see the story of love and grace.

While we chase after things that do not matter, wealth, fame and position in society, Jesus gave all that up. He gave up more than we can imagine. Why? Because there was something that mattered more to Him.

You . . . Me . . . all of humanity.

He did it so that we could have what he understood, what he left behind. He did it so we could be restored into an authentic relationship with the Father. So we could have eternal life in the presence of the Father forever.

This is what the incarnation means for us.

Who got the better end of the meaning of incarnation?