Long ago, in Persia, there ruled a wise and benevolent king who deeply cared for his people. He yearned to understand their lives and the hardships they faced. Often, he would disguise himself as a working man or a beggar and visit the homes of the impoverished. No one suspected that he was their ruler. One such visit led him to a very poor man living in a cellar. Even though the poor man did not have a lot to offer, he shared his food with the king. They enjoyed conversation with one another. The king was so moved by this interaction that he came back to the poor man the next week. He revealed to him his true identity. To the king’s surprise, the man did not request any gift or favor. Instead, he humbly expressed his gratitude, saying, “You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark and dreary place. You shared my humble meal and brought joy to my heart. To others, you have given your wealth and possessions. To me, you have given yourself!”
While far from a perfect parallel, perhaps that story helps us to begin to understand and appreciate what Jesus has done for us. The King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16) did not just disguise Himself as a beggar; He became a beggar. In the person of Jesus, God gave Himself to us. In the Old Testament, we read about a child to be born and a son to be given who will be called Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6-7). We read about a virgin who will conceive and give birth to a son, who will be called Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). When we come to the New Testament, we clearly see that these predictions are about Jesus. According to Philippians 2:6-7, Jesus was in the form of God and was equal with God, but He did not count that as something that He should hold on to. The One who was in the form of God emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant and coming to earth in the likeness of man. The Word, who was with God and was God in the beginning, became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). The Son of God was born of a woman at exactly the perfect moment in history (Galatians 4:4). Like all of humanity, Jesus was for a little while made lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9; cf. Psalm 8:5). Jesus partook in flesh and blood (Hebrews 2:14). God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). Jesus was manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). Jesus came down from heaven to do the Father’s will (John 6:38). As Colossians 2:9 states, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”
The term that we use to describe this reality is “incarnation,” which literally means “to take on flesh” or “to embody flesh.” God came to earth and lived as a human being. Jesus was one person who had two natures, both a divine nature and a human nature. Jesus was fully man, while at the same time being fully God. This is an essential element of the Gospel that we must know, believe, appreciate, and love. A denial of this teaching, that God came to earth and lived in the flesh, causes one to be labeled as a deceiver and antichrist (2 John 7).
As we are walking through a series of lessons about believing God’s story on Sunday mornings, this is the next major event that we must consider. God creates all things to be very good (Genesis 1). Mankind falls from God, and sin and death enter into and destroy God’s perfect creation (Genesis 3). How will God bring humanity, who He created in His image and likeness, back into relationship with Himself? From before the foundation of the world, God had a plan (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20). God calls a man named Abram (Genesis 12). From Abram comes the people of Israel, who God entered into a covenant relationship with at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-20). From the nation of Israel comes the Savior of the world. God very personally and literally steps into His own story. He becomes flesh and blood in order to bring about salvation from sin and new creation. What an amazing God we serve!
-Tyler Alverson
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