By Thomas Smith
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
This is a wonderful time of the year for those who understand the greater significance of the holiday message. The exact date of Jesus’ birth is not important. We do not worship a day, nor even a tradition, but a Person–the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not wrong to celebrate the fact that God became a man; our Savior was born of a virgin. We rejoice that the “Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The incarnation, as God robed Himself in human flesh, is one of the most glorious and absolute essential of Bible doctrines.
From this wonderful truth, we are able to appreciate many other aspects of God’s greatness. The faithfulness of God is seen in the birth of Christ. The Old Testament prophesied many times that a Messiah would come. Isaiah said that He would be born of a virgin and that His name would be called Emmanuel, meaning “God with us.” God kept His promise; and when the fullness of time had come, He sent forth His Son. God is faithful and His Word can be trusted.
The love of God is also seen in the incarnation. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to become the sacrifice for our sins. The love of Jesus caused Him to leave the glories of Heaven to become our Savior. We should never doubt God’s love for us, for it is clearly seen in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The condescension of God is also made clear in the Word being made flesh. This is the nature of God. He created us to fellowship with Him. When our sins prohibited us from rising to where He is, He came to us. Jesus humbled Himself and became a man that He might redeem sinful men. He took upon Himself the form of a servant and was obedient unto the death of the cross.
The virgin birth also speaks of the completeness of salvation. Sinful man could never provide a sinless sacrifice for our lost souls. The sacrifice had to be both sinless and eternal. The best of men could never qualify. God Himself became the sacrifice. Since the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was sinless and eternal, we can receive forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.
What a wonderful truth it is, that God would come and dwell among us, allowing us to behold His glory, and to know Him as Savior.
SHARING
