Advent 2016 Day 4

Incarnation Part 2

Yesterday we began to unpack the mystery of incarnation. That the godhead was “veiled in flesh.” That, as we read in Colossians, “the fullness of the godhead dwelt bodily in Christ.” This fact alone was scandalous in the early days of the Christian faith. The world that Christianity was born in rejected all flesh, any flesh or matter, as fundamentally evil. It was something either to be beaten into submission, or indulged in every way since it will simply be discarded like a locust shell at death anyway.

But Christianity came on the scene with a new thought… a new idea: that God does not see the flesh in that way. Yes, the image of God in humanity has been twisted and distorted by sin. But even though the mirror is cracked, it still reflects something of the Creator’s original intent.

Christ came to earth to redeem, not just the internal and invisible spirit of people, but even the very flesh and blood that are part of humanity. It was the teaching of the early church… and of our Bible… that God’s intent is to eternally redeem and forever transform even the skin and bone we walk in.

So, as A.W. Tozer said, “When the ancient Word stood up in human flesh, he felt at home.” He was not out of His element. After all He was the One who said, “Let us make man in our image and after our likeness.”

Jesus did not come to earth as an exile. He “came unto His own.” He called Himself “the Son of Man.” He wore our flesh, but not as “Saul’s armor;” something awkward or uncomfortable. He came as One with us:

Immanuel.


FOR MEDITATION: He came unto His own, but His own did not receive Him.   John 1:11

FOR REFLECTION: How does the incarnation of Jesus change the way you see your own body… and every other human being made in God’s image?

 

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