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THE INCARNATION
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
Philippians 2:5-11

Matthew 1:18-23

 

“…a man of sorrows.”

 

THE INCARNATION
 
In our previous devotions we have considered biblical facts about God the Son before He came to earth. He was truly God, being with the Father from eternity past. He was spoken of by the Old Testament prophets as the Saviour that was to come. As we continue our meditations on God the Son we will consider how the eternal, almighty God became man and lived on earth.
 
The English word “incarnation” comes from the Latin word which means “enfleshment” or “to take on flesh.” In modern English we would simply say “to become human.” The eternal, immeasurable God loved the world so much that He was willing to subject Himself to the limits of a human body. This would be unbelievable except for the very clear teaching of Scripture.
 
The Gospel of John opens with the startling statement that the eternal God, the Word, became flesh and lived among mankind (John 1:14). The Philippian letter affirms that while Christ was truly God, He left His heavenly position and became a human being. He who was over all became a servant, willing to follow the plan of the Father in order to redeem sinful mankind (Phil 2:6-7).
 
The doctrine of the incarnation is known to every Christian. Perhaps because of its familiarity we tend to lose sight of the great cost of our salvation and the incomprehensible love that made it possible. Our salvation is a gift given by God. It becomes ours by faith, without any personal merit or work on our part. But after salvation, the Scripture clearly teaches that we are no longer our own. We belong to God and must live in a manner that will reflect His love and righteousness. The little children learn to say, “We love him because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Let us show this love by following the example Jesus set for us.
 
THOUGHT: What does the word “incarnation” mean?

PRAYER: Father, help me to love others as Christ loves me.

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