The Incarnation of Christ

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. As we prepare

to celebrate the birth of Christ at this Christmas holiday, we remember the

words of the Apostle John: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling

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.”

That’s right, the word became flesh. The eternal God who was present before

creation, the one who brought into being all that exists, that very God took on

human life in flesh and blood. The God of all glory came to live as one of us.

His birth was miraculous, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the

Virgin Mary. But in so very many ways, his life was like ours.

We are challenged by many, many difficulties in life. So was Jesus, the Word

made flesh. Jesus was born in a place where animals were kept. It was dirty,

smelly, and lacking in privacy. Shortly after his birth, he and his mother and

adoptive father had to flee to Egypt because King Herod sent soldiers to kill

him. He grew up as the son of a carpenter/construction worker. Life was not

easy. Jesus often had to sleep in very rough conditions. Jesus said about

himself, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no

place to lay his head.”

Jesus was a rabbi. That means he was a teacher who had disciples who

followed him and assisted him. But Jesus’ disciples were so problematic. They

often misunderstood his teachings. They quarreled among themselves. Jesus

followers were constantly looking for a better position for themselves. They

made the life of their teacher very difficult.

And then there were the Pharisees. These men should have understood the

will of God very well. They spent much time in the study of God’s word

including the Pentateuch, the psalms, and the prophets. But they utterly

failed to understand the character and the will of God. Worse, they tried to

stand in the way of others who were hungry to know God.

Jesus’ life was not easy. Isaiah said about the incarnate Son of God, “He was a

man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Why did God send his one and only

Son to suffer all of these indignities, hardships, and difficulties? Why? The

answer is wrapped in the words of the angel who spoke to Joseph in a dream

saying “…you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people

from their sins” and “they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with

us).”

This is the message of the incarnation, this is the message of Christmas: the

One who came to save us from our sins is God with us, Immanuel. He identifies

fully with your suffering, your challenges, your disappointments, your

heartache and your pain. The book of Hebrews says “He is able to deal gently

with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject

to weakness.”

So my brothers and sisters, this Christmas let Immanuel minister to your heart.

Find a quiet place to draw near to him in prayer. Ponder the difficulties and

challenges of his incarnation. Remember that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us,

God with you. Let him encourage your hear just now. Renew your strength by

drawing near to the One who identifies fully with you and loves you more than

you could ever know.

Merry Christmas!

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Incarnation #WordBecameFlesh