I will admit the incarnation of Jesus Christ is not an easy piece of theology to wrap our heads around. There are a few things we do know, but a lot that needs to be taken with a dose of faith and humility. As human beings we will not be able to have all of the answers in terms of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, however, there are many things we can take away from this miracle that will greatly impact our walk in 2014. Here are a few things to consider and pray about.
1) The incarnation of Jesus Christ was foretold long ago. Many Old Testament prophecies align directly with the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ. Some of the most applicable prophecies surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ are Micah's prophecy in Micah 5 that Jesus will be born in Bethlehem and in Isaiah 7 where it is prophesied that a virgin will give birth. Is this the way it had to be done? Did God have to enter into humanity is such a humble, but yet miraculous way? Well, sadly my answer is, "I don't know." I do think the prophecies served the purpose of showing and allowing the people of God to see that when the Messiah who they've been waiting for generations will come these are the signs to look for. God could have entered the scene whenever God chose to, but there's a good chance people would not have recognized God. The prophecies are important, but they should always be subservient to the one they are prophesying about.
2) The incarnation shows that God is literally crazy about knowing human beings. I will tell you this don't try and rationalize the incarnation of Jesus Christ. First of all, it's a mistake in my mind to try and and wrap your brain around why God does what God does. However, the point I'm trying to make is that the incarnation is God's ticket into a deep, close, personal relationship with every human being who desires one with God. There's no other way to wrap your mind around it other than to say that God wants to know and empathize with human beings, so God became one. Now, I will say there is the issue of sin and its consequences, and that truly is one of the major things Jesus Christ took care of with His death and resurrection. However, if sin never happened, and I believe it would have eventually, could God really relate fully to human beings without becoming one of them? Well, that question is tough to answer, the great, amazing truth is that God did to become one of them and surely that is some of the best news of all human history.
3) God can do both. In theological circles many folks have debated how could Jesus be both fully man and fully God at the same time? Well, there aren't any other examples of a God/Man walking around in our society today, so there really is nothing or no one to compare Jesus to. However, with God I firmly believe all things are possible. I challenge you to have the faith and belief knowing that your God walked this earth as a complete human being and complete God at the same time.
4) The incarnation gives way to reconciliation. The Apostle Paul speaks clearly about God's goal for humanity in 2 Corinthians 5 when he says that God is reconciling the world to himself in Jesus Christ. Sin broke the relationship between God and humans in the Garden of Eden. The goal of all human history is for God and humans to once again be reunited in a full, close relationship. The incarnation is a key piece in making this happen. This new year I hope you rejoice in the truth knowing that God came to you and God continues to come to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment