Introduction Early church father Saint John Chrysostom said this about the nativity: “The Ancient of Days has become an infant. He who sits upon the sublime and heavenly throne now lies in a manger. And he who cannot be touched, who is without complexity, incorporeal, now lies subject to human hands. He who has broken the bonds of sinners is now bound by an infant’s bands. But he has decrees that the ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory and abject humiliation the measure of his goodness. For this he assumed my body, that I may become capable of this word; taking my flesh, he give me his spirit; and so he bestowing and I receiving, he prepares for me the treasure of life.” The Incarnation The miracle of birth is just that… a miracle and the birth of Jesus Christ (the incarnation) is the greatest miracle of all. The incarnation is a mystery that has not been solved for millennia but has always ended up attributed to God’s miraculous and mysterious work. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “The incarnation of God is an infinitely greater thing than anything I would dare to write.” This is an amazing statement because Tolkien had one of the most creative minds when it came to writing fantasy stories. I believe Tolkien may have implied that the reality that Jesus became a human so that he may identify with us, including what Psychologist call the most painful event in life – birth and this is something that even in his vast and wild imagination could ever conceive or write about. The incarnation is not just a great mystery because it is about a baby being born. The mystery is in God becoming human and dwelling among us. The mystery continues in the way he came into the world through a young, unmarried virgin mother named Mary. The great reformer Martin Luther wrote, “The virgin birth is a mere trifle for God; that God should become man is a greater miracle; but most amazing of all is that the maiden should credit the announcement that she, rather than some other virgin, had been chosen by God.” Matthew 1:18 – 25 The account of Jesus’ birth is a miracle in itself. As I mentioned in a previous sermon this life of Jesus began and ended in humility, but the humility is encapsuled in a miracle. The miracle begins with a young virgin receiving the news and promise of giving birth to the Messiah (savior) through unusual means. The Greek word for virgin is Parthenos which means an unmarried female of marriageable age. Both Matthew and Luke state that the young girl was a virgin at the conception of Jesus and remained a virgin through full term. “She became pregnant…” Let’s go back 2000 years…imagine a young unmarried girl, at the age of 15 getting pregnant, this would not have been widely accepted in society. There were harsh laws and punishments for young women who gave birth out of wedlock. This pregnancy was unusual because Mary was a virgin. We are told that she became pregnant “through the power of the Holy Spirit.” The mystery deepens…We do not know how this happens. We are not given the details. All we know is that this is a work of God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a divine mystery and an essential mystery because it is through the divine conception that Jesus will be called holy – The son of God (Luke 1:35) Mary was engaged to Joseph. We do not know much about him, but we do know he was considered a righteous man. At first, he determines to break the engagement quietly because he didn’t want to embarrass his fiancé publicly. Upon this consideration the angel of the Lord visits Joseph and encourages him to not be afraid, and that he should Marry Mary. Why? Because God is moving and doing a great thing, the Holy Spirit was at work, and he needed to stick this out, because what was happening is way beyond his understanding. The angel also instructs him … “You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew tells us what is happening so that the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 would be fulfilled. All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). They will call him Immanuel – “God with us”, or “with us is God”. This is the Prophetic Messianic name or title of Christ. This is the great mystery revealed. God will come and dwell with his people. John 1:14 - 18 Vs 14- 18: The Word became flesh: The incarnation. The eternal God, Creator of all, and the light of the world took on the form of a man and dwelt among humanity. He came to bring the light of salvation to all who believe. He came to dispel the darkness and bring life. John was an eyewitness as he walked, talked, and touched the living God in human flesh. John himself bore witness to Jesus’ glory. The word glory means “the most exalted state or kingly majesty”, so that all humanity may see the light of the World is the true light of all. The word dwelt literally means tabernacled or “pitched a tent among us.” To better understand this meaning, we need to understand what the tabernacle was and what it represents. The tabernacle was the precursor to the temple. It was literally a portable worship space that the Israelites would set up and take down as they wandered through the desert until they reached the Promised Land. The tabernacle contained the Ark of the Covenant and was the meeting place between God and Israel. The Tabernacle was a constant reminder of God’s presence among the people. The tabernacle essentially has no meaning apart from Jesus Christ. The purpose of the tabernacle was to point to the coming Messiah. To show that one day God himself will dwell among his people. God established the tabernacle thousands of years before Jesus came to show that one day the Messiah would be the tabernacle for us. So, when it is said, Jesus dwelt or tabernacled among us, we can see Jesus as the fulfillment of the tabernacle and the temple. How so? The Tabernacle and Jesus The tabernacle was the place where people would meet with God. Jesus is the way to God. John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” The tabernacle was the center of Israel’s camp and the gathering or meeting place of God’s people. Likewise, Jesus is the center of Christianity, and all humanity is drawn by Him and to Him. John 12:32: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” The tabernacle was where people offered sacrifices for their sins. Jesus is the one true, perfect sacrifice for forgiveness of sins to all who believe. Hebrews 10:12: “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor under God’s right hand.” The tabernacle was a place of worship. The church, or the body of Christ, is where we gather to worship today. Conclusion The incarnation is the fulfilment of God’s plan and prophecy to save the world. God at an appointed time sent Jesus, born of a woman, to set humanity free from those who are slaves under the law and adopted us as His children. Galatians 4:4 – 5: “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” D.A. Horton writes, “Through the incarnation, God the Son entered into our fallen world in order to place Himself under the law of Moses.” Hebrews 2:9: “What we see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position ‘a little lower than the angels’; and because he suffered death for us, he is now ‘crowned with glory and honor.’ Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.” Through the incarnation we see not only the importance of the life of the savior who dwelt among us, but also in his death that he died. Though the incarnation Jesus dwelt among us and he was subject to death by the hands of humanity so that we may be crowned with glory and honor.
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Jeff has been in full-time ministry for thirty years. He currently serves as Executive Director at Anchor House Ministry at SeaPort Manatee in Palmetto, FL and he is a part-time Campus Pastor at West Bradenton Southside in Bradenton, Florida.
Jeff Has authored A Lent Devotional (A Spiritual Journey to Lent) an Advent Devotional (The Advent of Jesus) and a devotional on the book of James (James: Where Faith and Life Meet). All three are available on Amazon. He is married to Carrie and they have four children, Micaiah, Gabe, Simon, and Berea. Preview or purchase Jeff's Books
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