HomeWord - December 15, 2014

 The Incarnation

This devotional was written by Jim Burns

The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the father full of grace and truth. —John 1:14

How do you package love? God used a stable and straw on the eve of Christ's birth. The incarnation means that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Paul put it this way, "He is the visible expression of the invisible God." I heard a story as a child that helped me understand this concept. It's about ants.

Once upon a time, there was a colony of ants that were busy doing whatever ants do with their lives. God wanted to tell the ants of His love for them and His eternal home prepared for them. What was the very best way for God to communicate to those ants? The only possible way to speak to the ants was to become an ant and speak their language. So He did, and they believed.

The only way for us to fully recognize God was for God to come to Earth in the form of a man to identify with the world. Jesus was fully God and fully man; He knows what you are going through because He lived on this earth and completely identified with humankind. Hebrews 2:17-18 helps us understand the incarnation of Jesus and how He relates to our life:

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

GOING DEEPER:

1. John 1:14 tells us that "the Word became flesh and lived for a while among us." Who or what is the Word and why is this Scripture so important?

2. How does it make you feel to know that God loves you so much that He went out of His way to connect with you?

FURTHER READING:

Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:7-8; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14

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