Advent Day 04 – The Mystery of the Word Made Flesh

“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a virgin, born under the Law.” (Galatians 4:4)

“King of kings yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood
Lord of Lords in human vesture…”
—Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent

Perhaps the greatest mystery in all of Scripture is the mystery of how God became flesh. Throughout the years, different theories have emerged from people wrestling with everything from the makeup of Christ’s material body to the question of how God could become man and yet remain… God? Tens of thousands of pages have been written trying to explain or understand this mystery.

But of this teaching of the Deity of Christ the Bible says little by way of explanation, though much by way of proclamation. Our text in Galatians 4:4 is one such place of proclamation. It tells us that Jesus was God’s Son SENT by Him to earth. And then, in the same sentence, it proclaims that Jesus was born of a WOMAN in the way every child is born.

One thing is clear. Jesus was the most completely unique person that ever lived. Though He took on flesh and bone and blood and skin and bore our weaknesses and our temptations, yet He lived without ever committing sin.

His Deity was not diminished in its capacity even though, as Philippians says, “He emptied Himself…” of the rights and privileges that should have been His. In that self-emptying He did not cease to be God, and in his humanity, He was fully a human being. He was always, fully, both.

The wonder of Christmas is to gaze again upon this mystery of God made flesh… this babe in a manger… this King Who caused the angels to bow…

…and worship Him.