Two Things the Incarnation Causes in the Believer

In a world that seeks self-gratification and affirmation, it is easy for Christians to "veer off the path" and away from the truth. One way to keep from wandering away is by keeping a constant gaze on the magnitude and beauty of God as revealed in Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit. My aim as a writer and a preacher is to help people see that beauty and shape their lives in a way that is worthy of it (Phil. 1:27). The Incarnation, Jesus becoming human, is one aspect of Christ's beauty that changes the believer's life. When perceived and beheld, the Incarnation causes us to become both humble and confident in the way we live.

1. Humility

"A slave is not above his master," says Jesus to His disciples as he expounds on their future suffering for His sake (Matt. 10:24). "Who is our master?" we must ask. Well, my friend, it is Jesus Christ. He is Deity-Incarnate; the Son of God. We cannot say that we are above him, because, in essence, there is nothing above Him. He is equal and one with the Father as God.

Yet our Master, "though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man" (Phil. 2:6-7). As the apostle Paul states, the Incarnation was a display of emptying; of humility. Why did Christ humble Himself to become man? So that as a servant he could die (v.8). The Second Person of the Godhead became flesh so that He could lay down His life for our sins.

Reader, this reality of the Incarnation should grip our hearts and permeate the fabric of our relationships. When we perceive that the Master humbled Himself by becoming flesh, so that He could sacrifice Himself for us, we as servants should understand that we are not greater than our Master. Rather, in imitating Jesus, we should humble ourselves and follow Paul's command to "do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves" (Phil. 2:3).

2. Confidence

Paradoxically, God-Incarnate not only conveys humility but also power. Jesus Christ displayed this power through numerous miracles, His authoritative teachings, as well as through His transfiguration (Mk. 9:2-8). The greatest affirmation of Christ being Deity-in-the-flesh was His resurrection from the dead, where He plucked out death's sting. But, we are still reminded, through the Lord's table, that the Christ who rose victorious was also the Servant who suffered. So in both the suffering and exaltation of the Incarnate Christ, we gain confidence.

We gain confidence in Christ's suffering, namely His crucifixion, because it is by which we gain freedom from sin's penalty (1 Cor. 15:3). Also, in Christ's suffering, we see a God who sympathizes with our weakness (Heb. 4:15). Being God-Incarnate, Jesus was able to feel the weight of everyday sorrows and heartaches. We have confidence because we have a God who knows our pain.

Like in His suffering, we also gain confidence in Christ's exaltation as God-Incarnate. When we hear the Great Commission in Matthew 28 and the promise, "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (v.20), we must remind ourselves who speaks those words. Once again, it is the King, Jesus the Son of God, Deity-in-the-flesh. God's power stands with His people as they proclaim His Word because God stands with His people. The very Being who created the world, parted the seas, walked on water, and rose from the dead is always with us.

Conclusion

The way we live changes when we behold the beauty of Christ's Incarnation. When we become embittered towards a brother or a sister, we must remind ourselves of what Jesus did in coming to die for us. In the midst of heartaches and uncertainty, confidence can surround us as we realize that the God who created the world, in becoming flesh, knows our weakness and stands with us. He is with us, all the way until the end.