12.06.2015 The Story of God becoming Man - Incarnation

12.06.2015 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

This year – in Advent – we will focus our attention on waiting and expecting. Each week we will light a different candle…
Incarnation – a theological term of how God became Man in Jesus Christ. I’d like to look at this in an uplifting and encouraging way – hopefully not dry and academic – but what it means for us.
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank You for the opportunity to be in Your presence – to draw near to You – because You became Man. You stepped into darkness – You, the light of the world. You stepped out of Your kingdom – out of glory, and entered this world as a human. What a glorious thing to think of that. May our hearts be open to the glory of Who you and the glory of this season. This holy day is an opportunity to glimpse into the mysteries of God and to understand Your love and what You have done for us.
CS Lewis called the incarnation the central miracle of Christianity. Every other miracle comes from – or out of – the incarnation.
Here is why he believed this – and I believe it – that in the incarnation we are able to look into the heart of God – the core of His being. Through the incarnation we discover Who God is. In the incarnation, we understand God’s original intent – because ultimately what God always wanted – predestined to happen – purposed – was to be with us as one of us. The ultimate relationship – the ultimate expression of love – as one of the creatures living together in His creation.
John 1:14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory….
Phil. 2: 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.
God emptied Himself – setting aside His rights and privileges, advantages, and glory, that He might suffer and die for us. That is what God does. He sets aside all of these things to suffer and die out of love for people. He is not concerned about what He has – He is willing to let all of that go, that He might love us and bring us into all of that with Him.
CS Lewis – the incarnation - Strategic, coherent invasion – an invasion which intends complete conquest and
It is an invasion of love.
John 1: 14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us.
God – the Word – became flesh. Human. Here is your assignment: Go and THINK ABOUT THAT between now and Christmas! The Creator became a creature – Jesus became fully man! Go through the old Christmas carols – look at the words – not like Grandma got ran over by a reindeer – but actual Christmas carols – it is amazing the insight you get from that.
Some of the radio stations actually play Christmas carols – and from those you can gain encouragement. The more you understand the incarnation, the more hope and encouragement you have.
This is the reason there is a universe – so that God could become one of His creatures and live with them and love them forever.
You can do that assignment while driving in your car!
2nd – God became man to dwell among us – the Message says He moved into the neighborhood! He became one of the neighbors to be with us – to walk this earth.
Emmanuel –
Matthew 1: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”
In the Old Testament – there are indications of God being with us in many ways – but in Jesus it is different – they were face to face – they ‘handled’ the Word of God, John says.
Because of Jesus, where is God? He is IN us – even more intimate – so that with God IN us, we can relate to and love Him –this is amazing and hard to comprehend – but we are a spiritual people with this unbelievable experience of God.
We should pray and read the word – NOT because we are Christian and it is what we ought to do – but in me He wants to live through me and connect with Him in a way that just this could never connect with Him.
The story of God becoming man is really the foundation of all great stories – think of the superheroes stories – or even Star Wars – if you think of the stories that move us – deep down, somewhere, you have the incarnation. I’m not saying that they are promoting the incarnation – but the human mind could never come up with these great stories that capture us unless God had placed it there all along.
God created us to create; God imagined us to imagine – Irwin McManus.
John 1:14 – dwelt among us – moved into the neighborhood – tabernacle – what the tabernacle was – the place where heaven and earth met – came together – spiritual heavenly realm connected with the human realm – it was a TENT – they would place the Ark of the Covenant in it – and every once in a while, God would show up there. Eventually it ended up in the Temple – but the place where heaven and earth meet completely now – is met in Christ.
It is no longer smoke and fire, but the Presence of God is with us face to face. The incarnation was God’s way of making Himself known. He has revealed Himself, John says – and made Him fully known.
Dick quoted it – Hark – veiled in flesh, the Godhead see – Hail the incarnate deity!
We understand God better – veiled in flesh – than we can when we see Him in all His glory on His throne.
When Isaiah saw the Lord – the train filled the temple and smoke and glory – we think – if God showed me that I would believe – but that didn’t really change anything. What changed things was when Jesus became veiled in flesh.
God broke through the divinity barrier – we couldn’t look upon Him, but in Jesus we can.
The incarnation means that God is with us on our behalf.
Mark 10: 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Here again – the benevolent invasion in John 3:17 – He came NOT to judge the world – but that He might give His life as a ransom.
Armies invade to kill, destroy, and plunder; Jesus invaded to sacrifice and die.
What does the Incarnation mean to us and God?
Something happened to God in the incarnation. We can only get glimpses of what took place.
Phil. 2: 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.
Emptied Himself – setting aside of rights, privileges, and glory – culminating with the cross.
We see this emptying – this limiting, in His birth. In Jesus, Jesus lived a life of total dependence and trust on God. In His life, He had to be totally dependent on God – and in his birth – He had to be totally dependent on humans.
Human babies are the most dependent things around – even cows come out and get up and walk around!
God was a human baby – He didn’t become God at age 30! He was just a baby – no halo – ugly and slimy! You think we shouldn’t think of God that way – but God wants us to think that way!
In His ministry – I do nothing but what I see the father doing. He didn’t do it Himself. He had to live a life of faith, trust, and dependence. And in His death, He is hanging on the cross – and could have commanded legions of angels, but what did He say? I put my spirit in Your hands.
Light of the world stepped down into darkness – think of that! Jesus – this may sound sacrilegious – but when He got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom – he had to walk in darkness and probably stubbed his toe! Imagine these simple concepts because they give a deep appreciation for the realness of God. The eternal one – the ancient of days had His life cut short. The one who possessed all things became poor.
The Holy One – the Righteous One – the Pure One – became a ‘Friend of Sinners’
He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God.
The one who had all authority submitted Himself to evil human authority and gave himself over to them to be crucified without a word.
The ultimate insider became the ultimate outsider.
The next 2 I stole – but can’t remember who –
The creator of the universe – wouldn’t it be cool to see all of the universe – even seeing the ocean and mountains and Grand Canyon – the one who did that built primitive homes, simple furniture – with primitive hand tools!
Think about it!
The temple of Heaven – became a member of synagogue with sinners.
If the incarnation happened today – and He came to our church – imagine God sitting in there as a twelve year old – thinking – does this guy know ANYTHING?! He was just that human.
No way less.
The closing – in practical – what do we do with this? From a practical standpoint – God was able to identify with us -
Hebrews 4: 15 For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.
He understands our weaknesses, temptations, hurts, joys – fully and completely understands everything we ever go through in life. From a practical standpoint – that is the most important thing in the incarnation. He identified with us in His birth, by identifying with our shame. In Mary’s pregnancy is an unwed mother who had great shame. Joseph would have divorced her had God not intervened. His righteous reputation was soiled.
When Jesus started his ministry – people said – we know this man, we know his parents – the scandal was known by these people – and Jesus lived in that shame.
We don’t use the term shame anymore. Shame on you! Maybe it was my Italian background. But for me – that SHAME ON YOU when I did something wrong – it caused me – like in school – to never ask questions – I thought it was better to flunk than to ask questions and be embarrassed. We all carry great shame – and in identifying with it – He is able to replace it with love.
In our mission – Advent being a time of mission – when we think of sharing our faith – how often do you think about it as removing shame and replacing it with honor? To think – I have the opportunity to remove shame and replace it with honor. This shame can only be replaced with honor in Christ‘s forgiveness and what He did on the cross and identifying with Him. Our tendency is to ADD shame. Jesus never did that! He may have told them – sin no more, but He always removed the shame first. Straight out! Then He challenges them, YES! But He is quick to remove shame!
Zaccheus – you don't have to be ashamed of who you are anymore.
Woman in adultery – Neither do I judge you – go and sin no more.
The woman with the hemorrhage – Who touched me?! Your faith has made you well! Shame removed! What an opportunity in this world to remove shame!?
Next thing – He identifies with the dislocated or displaced. Think of the birth – they couldn’t find a place to have a baby so they ended up in the manger – the feed trough with the animals. Then two years later – had to flee to Egypt as refugees. It should at least – there is not a political statement in this – but it should change our attitudes toward refugees and immigrants. Our attitude should be different toward those who are displaced.
Outside of that – a lot of us – living in a nation of displaced people – economics – spread out families – not like the olden days – so many ways people feel displaced and dislocated. When we think of our mission – we need to think of displaced people to reach out to – and they come in all shapes and sizes – there are displaced people in your life!
He lived in a violent world – we live in a violent world.
On the BBC news – after San Bernardino – came on like ‘just another day in America!” – mass shooting. Jesus was born into terrorism – Herod sent soldiers to kill al the babies.
Jesus identified with the marginalized. He hung out in Galilee. You had the hub – Jerusalem – and above that – Samaria – and above that – Galilee.
Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
For someone out of the south – saying – can a Yankee bring any good?
Or someone from Ohio – You’re from MICHIGAN?! That place up north – that is what they were saying.
He had physical limitations – thirsty – hungry – pain
He experienced loss and grief – sometime between 12 and 30 his father passed away.
He was tempted in every way as we have been. And ultimately in closing -
Heb. 2:11. 14
11 For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, and so he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil),
Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family, so Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
It went from God to creature – God becoming Man in Jesus – to brothers and sisters – what a change in relationship – not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.
Lord, thank You – we ask that You would help us in this season – as we listen to Carols and hear stories – may our eyes be opened to all that the Incarnation means – beyond the celebration and family time, and church events – candles trees and lights – may our lives be changed by the light of the world – the one who stepped down into darkness.