Nov. 25 The Incarnation

November 25 - The Incarnation

Christ reveals God to us, but His birth was a revelation. God revealed His connection to humanity with the birth of Christ. He not only is our Creator, but He wants us to know and understand Him so that we can have the relationship with Him that He wants.

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

It would have been one thing for God to send an angel, a heavenly being to earth to interact with us, but He did so much more than that. He sent His Son to be human. Jesus was so far above humanity because of His divinity, but this was a chance for God to make Himself known to the people of earth in a way that they could fully understand. He became just like us.

"You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus." (Luke 1:31)

"The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

"For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man." (Romans 8:3)

"...but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:7)

"Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16)

God revealed Himself to us in a form we would be comfortable with - a man. A man who walked on this earth among friends and enemies, who taught us what it was like to have a friendship with God.

"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." (1 John 4:2)