Recap

  1. Son of David
  2. Son of Joseph
  3. Son of Man
  4. Son of God

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

Gospel of John doesn’t tell the Christmas story from the human perspective. It tells it from the eternal perspective.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

John 1:1–5

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

This is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

The central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation… if the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the earth—the very thing that the whole story has been about.

C.S. Lewis, Miracles

This is what we celebrate, not just during Advent, but all year long.

Come behold the wondrous mystery, in the dawning of the King
He the theme of heaven’s praises, robed in frail humanity
In our longing, in our darkness, now the light of life has come
Look to Christ, who condescended, took on flesh to ransom us.

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

How should the incarnation impact our lives?

1. BJitSoG, you can know Him.

For the entire fullness of God’s
nature dwells bodily in Christ

Colossians 2:9

In the Old Testament, when people saw God, they’re full of fear, just like the shepherds were that night.

So what is God like?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28–30, NLT

That’s what God is like.

  1. BJitSoG, you can know Him.

2. BJitSoG, you can live like Him.

For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Colossians 2:9–10

“As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”

John 20:21

Jesus did not, as incarnate, live a life of detachment. He lived a life of involvement. He lived where he could see human sin, hear human swearing and blasphemy, see human diseases and observe human mortality, poverty, and squalor.

His mission was fully incarnational because he taught men by coming alongside them, becoming one of them and sharing their environment and their problems.

For us, as individuals and churches in an affluent society, this is a great embarrassment. How can we effectively minister to a lost world if we are not in it? How can we reach the ignorant and the poor if we are not with them? How can our churches understanding deprived areas if the church is not incarnate in the deprived areas? How can we be salt and light in the darkened ghettos of our cities if we ourselves don’t have any effective contacts and relationships with the Nazareths of our day?

We are profoundly unfaithful to this great principle of incarnational mission.

The great Prophet came right alongside the people and shared their experience at every level. He became flesh and dwelt among us.

Donald McLeod, A Faith to Live By
  1. BJitSoG, you can know Him.
  2. BJitSoG, you can live like Him.

3. BJitSoG, you can be, too!

Because Jesus was born, lived perfectly, died sacrificially, and was raised triumphantly, we can be adopted into God’s family.

So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.

Hebrews 2:11, NLT

Apart from the incarnation, him coming to make us holy, he would have every reason to be ashamed of us and call us his enemies, not his brothers and sisters.

Jesus knew what he was getting into, and he came anyway. He purchased you as his own, and he didn’t keep the receipt. He came for you.

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Immanuel

Listen (hark) to the angels as the herald (announce) the greatest news the world has ever heard:

Glory to the newborn King.

The purpose of the incarnation is that we would have a relationship with him. In Jesus, the ineffable, unapproachable God becomes a human being who can be known and loved.

Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas