I am getting really excited about our upcoming series on the Incarnation of Christ... and no, when we say "incarnation" we are not talking about a flower that you give to your Grandma on Mother's Day... those are called "carnations". When we say "Incarnation" we are talking about God the Father sending His son to earth to be born of a virgin... God becoming man... The creator of the universe coming down to a world that is hostile in it's ways... a world that is fallen and sinful... a world that would soon crucify the only Son of God. This was an invasion, God invaded creation on that wonderful day; he invaded creation in order that he might save those who were His enemies... Listen to this quote by Charles Spurgeon...
"Did you never see the depth of love there was in the heart of Jehovah, when God the Father equipped his Son for the great enterprise of mercy? There had been a sad day in Heaven once before, when Satan fell, and dragged with him a third of the stars of heaven, and when the Son of God launching from his great right hand the Omnipotent thunders, dashed the rebellious crew to the pit of perdition; but if we could conceive a grief in heaven, that must have been a sadder day, when the Son of the Most High left his father's bosom, where he had lain from before all worlds "Go," saith the Father, "and thy Father's blessing on thy head!" then comes the unrobing. How do angels crowd around to see the Son of God take off his robes... He laid aside his crown; he said, "My father, I am Lord over all, blessed forever, but I will lay my crown aside, and be as mortal men are." He strips himself of his bright vest of glory; "Father," he says, "I will wear a robe of clay, just such as men wear." Then he takes off all those jewels wherewith he was glorified; he lays aside his starry mantles and robes of light, to dress himself in the simple garments of the peasant of Galilee. What a solemn disrobing that must have been! And next, can you picture the dismissal! The angels attend the Saviour through the streets, until they approach the doors: when an angel cries, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors, and let the king of glory through!" Oh! methinks the angels must have wept when they lost the company of Jesus- when the Sun of Heaven bereaved them of all its light. But they went after Him. They descended with him; and when his spirit entered into flesh and he became a babe, he was attended by that mighty host of angels, who after they had been with him to Bethlehem's manger, and seen him safely, laid on his mother's breast, in their journey upwards appeared to the shepherds and told them that he was born king of the Jews. The Father sent Him! Contemplate that subject. Let your sould get hold of it, and in every period of his life think that he suffered what the Father willed; that every step of his life was marked with the approval of the great I AM. Let every thought that you have of Jesus be also connected with the eternal, ever-blessed God; for "he," saith Jehovah, "shall come forth unto me." Who sent him, then? The answer is, his Father."
Like Spurgeon, we can only imagine what that day was like... We only see now dimly, but soon we shall see His very face... the face of our Savior... who became a babe for us... And behold our Father; who sent His only Son, and crushed His only Son that we might be forgiven our debts... and given His righteousness...
Looking forward to learning more about the "true" meaning of Christmas... Here is a short clip to promote our series... Lets pray that God moves mightly in our church over the next month as we learn and celebrate the mystery of God become man...
