Scripture

The Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father’s uniquely existing Son, who is full of grace and truth.

~John 1:14, ISV

Quote

The greatest mystery is not the atonement or the resurrection; it is the incarnation.

~J. I. Packer {Knowing God, p.53}

You can imagine how elated I was to discover the quote above. I was listening to KNOWING GOD on audible when I heard first heard the quote, and then I drove June nuts till she ordered me the book. CHRISTMAS haters like to mask their disdain for Christmas by saying things like, “I don’t know why you folks get excited about Christmas, the Resurrection is the real miracle.” When I hear them, I am thinking, “You have to be kidding. God becoming flesh doesn’t impress you?” God literally became a man. The second person of the Godhead became human. Jesus becoming man became the second representive head of the race and when He took on humanity, it did not lose His deity. This means there is a human in the trinity. Tell me this is not a mystery. God became man, the only begotten full of grace and truth became a Jew. He appeared on earth as a helpless baby. He had to be cared for just as we care for all infants. He became a child who ran and played in the streets. He became a teenage with pimples, yet He was God. Packer says that nothing in fiction is as facinating as the incarnation.

The incarnation is an unfathomable mystery but it makes sense of everything else in the New Testament. How could Jesus live a sinless life? He was God in flesh. How could He become an atoning sacrifice? He was the pure and perfect LAMB of God without spot or blemish. He had a divine nature and a human nature but no sin nature. Eve was His mother, but Adam was not His father. We all know that all mankind is under the curse of death but Jesus was God and the grave could not hold Him. Celebrating the Passover {LORD’s Supper} and the Resurrection {Easter} are wonderful but it all begins with the baby in the manger.

You know what I think? I think selfish people have a hard time with Christmas. All the giving vexes their spirit. They don’t like lights, carols, parties, gift-giving, Lottie Moon or anything that causes them to spend or give their money. People who love to give love Christmas: people who don’t hate it. It’s all grace folks. It all began with a gift–For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son. If that don’t lite your fire, your wood is wet.

Extra

I may be a little late this morning. I dropped Troy off at the airport at 7:15 and just now getting back to the office. I had a great Father’s Day. I can’t complain about anything. I have the new Stihl battery powered weed eater and it is awesome. It came a shower at the Greenbriar exit a few miniutes ago. I hope we get some rain today. One rain and we will have corn for sure.

Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.