Now through the end of December, a chance to re-examine the gifts of Advent, the arrival of a Savior, and the epiphany of Epiphany.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The incarnation, in the end, is simply mystery. Even though we can never explain the way God became a human being, poetic voices have painted the picture with words that help us imagine.
The gospel writer, John, says: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Charles Wesley penned: Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see. Chris Rice wrote: Wrap our injured flesh around you, breathe our air and walk our sod.
The idea of God wrapping our injured flesh around himself is particularly powerful to me. Jesus once said there is no greater gift than to lay down your life for your friends – and that is not just the gift of his crucifixion, it’s the gift of his incarnation. Jesus didn’t just lay down his earthly life; he laid down his heavenly life for this messy world in an act of perfect self-discipline. Scripture says Jesus learned obedience by the things that he suffered (Heb. 5:8).
As Advent draws to a close, consider what suffering was involved before Jesus was gently laid in that manger. May a fresh gratitude for the incarnation dawn as we celebrate his coming.
Prayer: Giver of good gifts, forgive me for viewing the incarnation through a fairy tale filter. Your willingness to be wrapped in my injured flesh was a costly gift, and I honor and love you for becoming more like me, so that I could become more like you.
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