incarnation.

Merry Christmas! The holiday season seems to be the only time when consumerism and philanthropy can coexist. Though consumerism has remained the alpha male, some minority voices have tried to spread the true meaning of the Christmas season only to be silenced by those who think Christmas is about 'peace on earth and goodwill toward men.'  However, if you are reading this thinking 'Christmas is about the birth of Jesus' you are only partially right.  Genuine believers who gather during the Christmas season aren't necessarily remembering the birth of Jesus, but rather the fact that God became a man.  This doctrine that is at the foundation for all of Christian theology is known as the Incarnation. The incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ is without a doubt what needs to be celebrated at Christmas.  

The modern English word comes from the Latin caro (or carnis in the genitive form), which means ‘meat’ or ‘flesh.’ So when we talk about the incarnation of God, we mean that God, a spiritual entity, incarnated Himself and took on carnal form.  This is no doubt what John is referring to in the first chapter of His gospel when he says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” It is the second instance where John mentions ho logos, ‘The Word’, in the first chapter, the other being verse 1. John is clearing articulating the incarnation of ho logos. I must quote Carson on this verse, he says: 

“If [John] had said only that the eternal Word assumed manhood or adopted the form of a body, the reader steeped in the popular dualism of the Hellenistic world might have missed the point. But John is unambiguous, almost shocking the expressions he uses: the Word became flesh."

καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν (and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us). The verb ‘to dwell’, eskenosen (ἐσκήνωσεν), in that verse is from the verb skenoo. It means that ‘the Word’ ‘pitched his tabernacle’/’lived in his tent’ amongst us.  Many have made the point that any Greek-speaking Jew reading John’s words here would’ve immediately thought of the tabernacle, the place where God would meet with Israel before the building of the temple. The tabernacle was the place where God would dwell to meet with His people. It was, in essence, a prophecy to the incarnation of God who would eventually dwell among His people. (By the way, I only took one semester of Greek in college so I am by no means a scholar; just know enough to barely get by).

The birth of Christ, the incarnation, was also prophesied by the prophet Isaiah.  In chapter 9 Isaiah writes “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.” This is clearly a reference to Christ.  Some have said, “All these prophesies could’ve just been written in afterwards, after all this stuff happened.” That is a pretty easy claim to debunk, it is really part of the reason the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was so important.  One of the most beloved pieces of the Qumran collection is the Great Isaiah scroll, which thanks to technology, and the Israel Museum, you can now view here. Anyways, the Great Isaiah scroll was carbon-14 dated to approximately 125 BCE, more than a century BEFORE the coming of Christ. Pretty cool stuff.  ‘The Word’ (Jesus) came in flesh, as a child, as it was prophesied 6-7 centuries before it took place!

God incarnating as a newborn is even more astonishing.  The fact that the ‘wonderful Counselor’ and mighty and everlasting Father came as a weak child is the epitome of humility and is a clear echo of Philippians 2:6-7.

The words ‘and dwelt among us’ also bring, certainly more to our modern minds, a missional aspect of the incarnation. Any serious missionary who wants to bring the gospel to any particular group of people must learn how to ‘dwell’ among the people they are trying to reach.  Learning their culture, customs, and language are all things that are necessary to properly live among a certain people group. This is precisely what Jesus did. He spoke how they spoke, ate what they ate, did what they did; He lived and ‘dwelt’ among a certain culture and become one of them in order to proclaim the good news of His forthcoming death and resurrection for the sin of men. 

Ultimately, God came in the form of a man to live a sinless life in order to pay the penalty and sacrifice that a holy and righteous God requires for the remission and remedy for the sin that we all possess. Think about that before you revel in your earthly treasures that bring you temporary joy this holiday season. Joy is found in the gospel, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Soli Deo Gloria. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Please watch this video to learn more about Jesus and the Incarnation.