For His glory

It’s hard for me to imagine the Messiah coming in any other fashion than Jesus’ bodily form.

I think that’s because it’s the only way I’ve ever heard, or known, the story. A baby. In a manger. But when I stop to consider that God put on human flesh, I really can’t imagine that either.

Can you?

Seriously. God. In bodily form. The One Who caused “the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear” (Genesis 1:9) walked upon its very soil. He Who designed our bodies to need nourishment ate meals with family, friends, “sinners” and disciples. Our God — limitless in power — temporarily limited Himself to live in our circumstances and culture. Jesus was willing to release the equality He shared with God (Philippians 2:6) to serve us. 

He put on flesh and blood so that we might recognize His example, and ministry, to us. It is by His sharing of our humanity that we see — and value — His service. Paul Harvey illustrates the incarnation this way:

A family had a tradition where the Mother and children would go to the Christmas Eve service, and the Father would stay home and read the paper. When the family returns home from church, they would all gather to open up their presents.

The Father was not an evil man, but he just couldn’t believe in the childhood stories anymore of God coming as a baby in a manger. As the family left for church, he opened up the evening paper and began to read by the fireplace.

Suddenly, he heard tapping on the window. It was a bird flying against the glass of his window trying to get out of the snow into the warmth of his home. The man had compassion on the bird, and he went outside, hoping to bring it in.

As he approached the bird, the bird just flew against the window even harder. Pretty soon, the bird flew into the bushes below the window, half frozen, yet too afraid to be caught by this huge man. The more the man tried to reach for the bird, the more the bird flew frantically into the snow and thorns of the bushes.

After a few minutes in the cold and seeing the bird continue to injure itself, the man yelled out in frustration, “Stupid bird, can’t you understand that I’m trying to help?” The man paused and thought, “If only you understood you wouldn’t fly away … if only … if only I could become a bird, and get you to understand.”

Just then, the church bells rang, as they always have on the hour. But when the man heard the bells this time, he fell to his knees and began to cry, saying, “Oh, God, I didn’t understand. Oh, God, I didn’t understand.”

God’s Son came in human form that we might understand from where we have come, for what reason we were separated and how we could be restored to God.

I think too often we stop short of the significance of Jesus’ physical ministry on earth and His sacrifice.

[Tweet “If we think Jesus’ birth and death was just about us, we’ve dimished God’s purpose. #advent #Christmas”]

We acknowledge our sin and need for a Savior. We trust in Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for that sin. And we rightly bask in the wonder of our redemption and reconciliation with God. Because of His poverty, we become rich spiritually (2 Corinthians 8:9). To be sure, our salvation was of such value to God that He was willing to pay the highest price of all. Yet to think God’s purpose in Jesus’ sacrifice was our redemption — and nothing more — is to think too highly of ourselves, of mankind.

Our salvation, purchased by the blood of the Lamb, was meant to glorify God. 

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
— Philippians 2:8-11 ESV (emphasis mine)

It is for His glory. For His glory that Jesus was born. For His glory that Jesus died. And for His glory that we now live.

For His glory.

I wish you a most joyous Christmas, friends.
As you reflect on our Savior’s birth, I pray you will
return glory and praise to Him
who made you, loves you and died for you.