Incarnation: The theological riches of Christmas

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As we reflect on the time of year we are in, our response is one of familiarity: this is Christmas time, the celebration of Jesus coming to be born in the manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, the child of Mary and Joseph, the son of God. And these things are true, and right, and good. What we can miss in the allure of the holidays is the sheer gravity of the Christmas moment. In a culture riddled with colors, lights, and songs meant to “celebrate Christmas,” it would behoove us as Christians to think, not of Christmas, but of the Incarnation. 

The Incarnation is a dense theological concept, one of which we will merely scratch the surface here. It shall not be overstated, though, how important it truly is. The Incarnation poses for us four things to be considered here.

The Incarnation was a hopeful promise in the midst of sin:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. 

Genesis 3:15

Adam and Eve, placed in the Garden, are called to “work and keep it,” or really, to worship and obey. They are given seemingly infinite ways to be faithful and obedient. God told them that they are to refrain from doing one thing– eating from one singular tree. The Serpent, who is Satan, the Father of Lies, sews doubt in the minds of Eve first and then Adam. They commit sin, disobey God, and forfeit their claim to the solace of the Garden. But what’s fascinating about this sequence is that man and woman commit sin and God almost immediately promises to fix it. From the outset of the Bible, the God of the universe is promising to fix and reconcile what man has broken. The incarnation is a reminder that, all the way back at the beginning of the Bible, God promised he would fix it. And the surest sign of him fixing it came with the form of a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

The Incarnation was a divine prophecy foretold.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.

Isaiah 7:14-15 

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

Micah 5:2

It is a common, but understandable, mistake that many people make when they assume that Jesus is not in the old testament. The son of God becoming incarnate to dwell with his creation is prophesied all over the old testament. On more than one occasion, as seen by the quotes here, God promises that the birth of Jesus of Nazareth will come, it will happen, it will happen miraculously, and it will be for a very specific purpose. God promised in Genesis chapter 3 that he would bring forth the “seed of the woman” to smash the head of the serpent. He then proceeds to promise over and over again throughout the old testament that there is one coming, who will rule forever, who will pour out his spirit on his people, who will be a lamb lead to the slaughter, who will take away the sins of the world. The incarnation is the announcement that this king has come.

The Incarnation was the Son of God condescending to be with us.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  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. 

John 1:1-14

When many people think of the incarnation, they think of Philippians chapter 2. That is a good passage. But I think of the incarnation, I think of John chapter 1. There’s so much here that we could pull apart and look at, but perhaps the most profound quote in here is in verse 14 when John says, “and the word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This word, the word that God speaks in Genesis 1 to create all things, became flesh on that fateful Christmas morning. More importantly, the eternal son of God became incarnate in human flesh on that Christmas morning.

The Incarnation makes the Gospel possible: 

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Paul is taking time here in this letter to the Corinthians to recount the historical resurrection of Jesus. There are lots of things that could be said about the historical resurrection. The historical resurrection is relevant here because the resurrection of the incarnation are intrinsically connected. God became flesh through the incarnation. He lived a life here on earth in his incarnate state. He was crucified in his incarnate state. He died in his incarnate state. He bodily resurrected on the third day in his incarnate state. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the hinge that the gospel swings on. But there can be no death, burial, or resurrection if there is nobody to kill, bury, or witness having come back to life.

Celebrate lights, gifts, family… sure. Those things are fine. But as we reflect on the Christmas season, let’s dwell on the nature of what occurred. The incarnation of the Son of God came so that the glorification of God could be brought and the sins of man could be paid for.

Merry Christmas, indeed.

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