"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (Hebrews 2:9)
Nothing anywhere in this vast, complex world is as beautiful and as compelling as the record of the Incarnation, the act by which God was made flesh, to dwell among us in our own human history. This Jesus, the Christ of God, who made the universe and who sustains all things by His powerful word, was a tiny babe among us. He was comforted to sleep when He whimpered in His mother's arms. Great, indeed, is the mystery of godliness.
Jesus has been in our world. He spoke and taught about all these things and about everything that concerns us. The record shows that His listeners were amazed and astonished, almost to the point of being frightened. "The people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority" (Matthew 7:28-29). "Never man spake like this man" (John 7:46).
Where can we look in all the vast creation around us to find anything as beautiful - as utterly, awesomely,deeply beautiful - as the Incarnation? God became flesh to dwell among us, to redeem us, to restore us, to save us completely.
Lord, I am inspired by Your beauty. Thank You for the glory I will one day share because Jesus came to redeem, to restore and to save me. Amen
__________________________________________
God In the Form of Man
"And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)
So completely are we carried away by the excitement of this midwinter festival that we are apt to forget that its romantic appeal is the least significant thing about it. The theology of Christmas too easily gets lost under the gay wrappings, yet apart from its theological meaning it really has none at all. A half dozen doctrinally sound carols serve to keep alive the great deep truth of the Incarnation, but aside from these, popular Christmas music is void of any real lasting truth.
It does seem strange that so many persons become excited about Christmas and so few stop to inquire into its meaning; but I suppose this odd phenomenon is quite in harmony with our unfortunate human habit of magnifying trivialities and ignoring matters of greatest import.
The Christmas message, when stripped of its pagan overtones, is relatively simple: God is come to earth in the form of man.
Lord, don't let me ever lose sight of the significance of the Incarnation. Thank You that in the fullness of the time You sent Your Son to die that I might have life. Amen
~A. W. Tozer~
No comments:
Post a Comment