The Incarnation of God

by Pastor Paul Wolff

The Incarnation of God in Jesus is one of the greatest mysteries in all of history. Yet, we ought to remember that whenever the Holy Scriptures speak of a mystery it is something that has been revealed to us in Jesus. It is not that all our questions are answered, but the great mysteries are no longer hidden, but are revealed in Jesus.

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:1-3)

When the Angel Gabriel said to the virgin, Mary, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus…” God was then incarnate in a microscopic single celled person, Jesus. He was still God, but He humbled Himself and from the moment of His conception He lived a life just like the rest of us, except without sin.

It should be little wonder that “the world did not recognize Him” (John 1:10) because in His humility Jesus did not use His Divine power until his ministry began. Jesus had to learn who He was, and why He came to earth to live as one of His beloved creatures. And yet, even though Jesus had to learn and grow like any other child, He still lived the sinless life according to His nature. Even though Mary and Joseph surely sinned against Him (how could they not?), and even though His siblings: James, Joseph, Judas, Simon, and his sisters (Mark 6:3); surely sinned against Him, yet Jesus never sinned against them, nor against God, the Father.

Window from Trinity Lutheran Church, Herscher, Illinois

It is a good exercise to consider all that Jesus sacrificed in order to save us. Though we cannot know all that Jesus sacrificed, the better idea we have of what He sacrificed, the better we can appreciate what He did to save us from our sin and death.

Pastor Jared Melius of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Denver, Colorado, has some great insight into Luke 2:41-52 (Issues Etc. audio link) which shows just how much Jesus gave up to win our salvation. This story is not about Christ’s Nativity, but it happened when He was 12 years old. Sometimes this event is described as the boy Jesus teaching in the temple, but that is not the way Luke records the event. Pastor Melius’ brilliant insight is that although Mary and Joseph regularly went to Jerusalem for the Passover this may have been Jesus’ first time there since He was 40 days old (Luke 2:22-ff). Jesus did not come to teach, but to learn, as Luke makes a point of saying how Jesus grew as a child.

Since it was the Passover celebration, Jesus likely asked questions about the sacrifice of the passover lamb, and how it saved God’s people from the plague of death, and how the death of the lamb related to the promised messiah. He learned from the Scriptures that God’s messiah would sacrifice His life like a passover lamb to save all people from their sins. In His state of humility, Jesus had to learn that it was the will of God, the Father, that He would give up His life to save sinners from the consequences of their sins. And yet, Jesus did not once turn away from the path that God, the Father, had placed before Him.

The Holy Scriptures were not written only for us sinners, that we may believe in Christ as our savior, but they were also written for Jesus, so that He might also know what He had to do in obedience to God to win our salvation. Jesus, too, had to trust in God’s Word, and obey God as a man, even though it meant great suffering and torment for Him. Out of His love for God and for us sinners, Jesus obeyed His Father and was obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-11)!

May Christ bless you and your family through the Christmas Season and throughout the whole year as you contemplate God’s incarnation, and all that Jesus did to save you from sin and death!

The Lord is my Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23:1-6 (KJV)

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Once upon a time, but not so very long ago, the most memorized chapter in the Bible was Psalm 23. It is probably still the most memorized chapter in the Bible, but far fewer Americans know this Psalm than knew it in the recent past. King David’s most famous Shepherd Psalm is still a source of great comfort for faithful Christians in every part of the world, but I don’t think that the “Church Growth” types have much use for it.

The pastor of the largest congregation in the United States, Joel Osteen, seems to have little use for the Bible on the best of days, except as a prop, but Osteen is too caught up in getting his people to follow him like sheep to teach them to follow Christ. Besides, walking “through the valley of the shadow of death” is not Osteen’s idea of “Your best Life Now.” If Osteen started to preach about truly taking up your cross and following Jesus then this message would likely turn away many people who would otherwise come to see the spectacle of his church and he would not be able to enjoy the fabulous lifestyle to which he has become accustomed. Jesus preached this and many people did walk away, but instead of changing the message, Jesus kept preaching to the faithful so that they may be saved.

Likewise, the author of the “Purpose Driven Church,” Rick Warren, is not likely to emphasize Psalm 23 too much because although “becoming more sheep-like” is a valid Christian purpose, I’m sure Warren would not have sold multiple millions of his books if he had tried to teach people to be more like sheep or little children (as Jesus taught). Instead, Warren teaches people to be very much wolf-like, which is the antithesis of the 23rd Psalm and also the rest of Scripture.

It is humbling to view one’s self as a sheep who is totally dependent on a shepherd, even one as gracious as Jesus Christ. Even though it is true for all people on earth, no one likes to admit that they need Jesus the way sheep need a shepherd. This is one reason why the majority of people (worldwide) do not believe in Jesus as their shepherd unto salvation.

I must confess that although from the day I was born I have inherited the surname of Wolf(f), ever since I was baptized into the Christian faith as a baby I have been a little lamb who follows Jesus as my Good Shepherd. However, as a descendant of Adam and Eve (like everyone else) my natural inclination is to rebel against the shepherd and go live among the wolves, yet the Good Shepherd’s “rod and staff” have graciously kept me as a sheep within the flock.

Many people reject Jesus because they are unwilling to humble themselves and submit to Christ as their Shepherd. Christians know that it is much less humiliating to humble yourself now than to wait for Jesus to return in power and glory and humble you as He judges you, saying, “I never knew you.” (Matt. 7:23) Jesus may ask for our trust, but He doesn’t ask for us to suffer and die for our sins as they deserve. Instead, that is what He did for us. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, not because He is so nice He would never send anyone to hell, but because He suffered hell for us as our substitute so that all who believe in Him are forgiven and will never have to endure the hell that He suffered on the cross.

It is only because of what Jesus did for us on the cross that we can look forward to judgment day in faith as David did when he wrote, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”