“What a scandalous, even ridiculous idea”, the skeptic would say. “God is transcendent, far above His created universe to ever be considered to have willingly condescended to assume the role of a lowly slave to His creation. Such a thought is outrageous, incomprehensibly demeaning and unworthy of the glorious nature of God”.
But that “ridiculous idea” is the assertion of the Christmas message of the incarnation-God entering the world of this planet by means of a human being, namely Jesus, to deliver, both a message of His love and concern for us, and to act on that love by rescuing us from our helpless and hopeless condition. Apparently there was no other way.
Perhaps we stiff arm this “ridiculous idea” because we cannot process the shocking impact on our pride [“why would God need to do that?, I am certainly not in a helpless or hopeless condition!”] on the one hand, or our perceived ignobility: “I am a nobody, just a corrupt and unworthy speck of dust on this small insignificant planet; why would God have the slightest concern for me?”
The message of the incarnation is rebuffed by the proud, until the day comes when they recognize their moral bankruptcy. As for the “ignoble”, the incarnation is disbelieved, or at best deemed a useless myth or perhaps a fact of history, until the day comes when they experience a more or less scripture-inspired epiphany of soul-“that God lives, and deeply loves even me!”
As the apostle Paul, who described himself as the “chief of sinners” said: “…and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me“. [Galatians 2:20].
So the scriptures declare that God was willing, and in fact did enter this world of helpless, hopeless, and ignoble humanity as a bond-servant by means of His Son Jesus via the incarnation:
“…Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father”. [Philippians 2:5-11].
JOY TO THE WORLD, GOD’S BOND-SERVANT HAS COME!
Be First to Comment