Big Words of the Faith – Incarnation

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John 1:1,14, NIV).

“Incarnation” is one of the big words of the Christian faith. It simply means that God, in Jesus Christ, took on human flesh and lived among us. This is a precious mystery, that we would witness both God and man, divinity and humanity, simultaneously in the Christ, a mystery that means everything concerning God’s redemptive act and our subsequent salvation.

Like any of the big theological words, however, there is danger in misrepresenting the doctrine of the Incarnation. This is not some mere mathematical formula, cold and calculated. Rather, the Incarnation is one of the sweetest truths of the Christian faith. It is God’s unconditional love wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. It is God’s mercy and grace put on display on the cruel device of a cross. It is God’s power bursting forth from a vacated tomb. The Incarnation of Jesus is the realization that the Creator cares for his creation so much that he chose to become one of them.