Humanity with Love
Day 17
by Gini Crawford, MSW
The incarnation
At the right time, over 2,000 years ago, God Himself out of love for us became man (the incarnation), and literally lived among us. The incarnation refers to the time when God the Son took on a human body. Before the incarnation of Jesus Christ, there were theophanies. Theophanies were temporary appearances by God the Son to humans in the Old Testament times. God has always wanted to be with us and His incarnation guaranteed that (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
A man and his adult handicapped son ride a tandem recumbent bike in my community. There is always a big smile on his son's face and a wave towards me. The man is the one peddling up the long hill I see them on. This man takes at least an hour or more out of his day to show his love to his son. Every time they pass me, it reminds me love is shown through selfless time given. Jesus' love is shown to us through the selfless time He physically spent on this earth. During this time Jesus readily put our needs first by becoming a man, to serve us to the point of death on a cross. (Philippians 2:3-8).
Even though Jesus isn't bodily living on this earth now, He is still very much with you (Matthew 28:19-20). When you are struggling with unmet needs or it seems no one really cares, remember, Jesus became human to be there for you - to give you mercy, grace and help. (Hebrews 4:14-16). Will you give Him your time by diligently and intentionally getting to know Him through His Word and prayer. He very much wants to peddle with you through life.
His incarnation was definitely an act of love for us. Your thoughts on His incarnation?
The miracle birth
What did Jesus have to do as God to become man? This is a complex question we could speculate about until Jesus comes back. But let me answer it very simply: the virgin birth.
Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit so He was born of a virgin. You might be thinking, a pregnant woman can't be a virgin. You are absolutely right, except this birth was different from any other. This birth bought together the human and divine, so that Jesus' full humanity would be evident to us from a human mother, and His full deity would be evident by His conception in Mary's womb by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35). The virgin birth made it possible for the Son of God to take on human flesh without inheriting a sin nature like the rest of humanity as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
In the Gospels, Luke gives the most details about Jesus' birth because he understood how key the virgin birth was for God to become man. Luke 1:26 -38 and 2:1-20 articulates this profound reality of the virgin birth. Archaeology has proven that Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, is a first rate historian. He was also a medical doctor, so he understood the virgin birth was impossible without a miracle of God.
The virgin birth reminds us of God's love for us. This is because the Creator was willing to become the created, a man. What would life be like if God hadn't cared enough for us to be born one of us? Now, that's the best Christmas gift ever, isn’t it?
Life Application
God's humanity was necessary for us
...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).... / Christ Jesus ... being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form... / Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect ... to make propitiation for the sins of the people. / You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. Matthew 1:20-23; Philippians 2:5b, 17-18; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 3:5 ESV®
Jesus was just like us: Jesus had a body like ours. He was born like we were, yes, conceived differently but a birth like ours. He grew up and became an adult, and experienced fatigue, hunger, sickness, and the aches and pains of this world as He aged. He learned and increased in wisdom and stature, just as any other person would. He experienced the full range of human emotions, from joy and love to sorrow and anxiety. He felt betrayal and the weight of the fallen world all around Him. He experienced the human condition, with its ugliness and struggles. His human side was tempted like we are, but He did not sin like we tend to do. His life on earth, from humble beginnings to his ultimate sacrifice, demonstrated the depth of God's love and His willingness to connect with humanity in a vulnerable way. Despite being fully God, Jesus chose to limit Himself by taking on human form, experiencing life as one of us, allowing Him to be our perfect substitute. Read Isaiah 53:1-6; Mark 1:12-13, 3:7-12, 4:35-41; Luke 2:7, 40, 52, 22:39-53; Hebrew 4:15-16. Explain Jesus' humanity.
Some people have assumed that Jesus was not entirely human. Yet, it is crucial to understand Jesus' humanity, as it is essential to our salvation. Jesus had to be fully human to serve as our substitute on the cross. Without His humanity, the sacrifice would not have been valid. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:14-18, 10:5-18; 2 John 1:7. Why is Jesus' humanity important?
In a communist country, a young man was going to be imprisoned because he had stolen. His father had also stolen in the past but had escaped notice. His father went out of love to the authorities and confessed to his son's crimes and was imprisoned. He took his son's place. Our God Who exists in perfect holiness and righteousness took on humanity, and out of love for us, even though He was completely innocent, died as a criminal in our place. Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-16; Colossians 1:19-22. Share some insights.
Ponder this: Christmas is the time we rejoice in the miraculous incarnation, when the One True God became flesh and dwelt among us. By becoming a man, Jesus identified with mankind to the ultimate extent, didn't He? Don't let the familiarity of this amazing event diminish its incredible meaning on you. Recognize that Jesus is the Gift above all gifts to us! This would be a good time to thank God for becoming one of us. Write a short prayer expressing your gratitude.
Reflect on Colossians 1:21-22.