As Advent approaches, our thoughts turn to Christ’s incarnation. That the eternal, timeless, infinite God would humble Himself and take on our frail humanity is a profound mystery. Yet it is also profoundly true.
In the 14th verse of the 1st chapter of his Gospel, John tells us, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” We are not capable of comprehending the humility that God displayed in His incarnation. However, because God’s nature is perfectly, completely, and finally revealed to us in Jesus, we know that humility is one of God’s attributes. Jesus said, “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
I’d like to focus on what I believe to be an often-overlooked aspect of the incarnation, and that is that God understands what it’s like for us to live in these bodies of flesh. Psalm 103 is one of my favorite chapters in all of Scripture, for in it God shows us that He understands us.
“The unassumed is the unhealed.” - St. Gregory of Nazianzus
Psalm 103:1-18 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.”
That is a rather lengthy passage of Scripture but I would encourage you to go back and read it in its entirety if you didn’t before. I love how our Father gives us a glimpse into His heart of compassion and lovingkindness that He has towards us.
Here’s the thing—as humans, we’re earthy. We were created from the dust of the earth. When we get hot, we sweat and smell bad. We wake up with morning breath and offend everyone within ten feet of us. We eliminate waste from our bodies, we get tired and have to sleep, we get hungry, and so on. And yet there is a beauty in all of this. For we humans are not merely of the earth—as Dr. Tim Mackie says, “we are dirt and divine breath.”
God is no stranger to our earthiness. He designed us this way, and even more than that, He entered into our earthiness! He fully understands us. Speaking of Jesus, Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” The eternal One limited Himself to linear time. He who is omniscient limited Himself to human knowledge. The omnipresent One confined Himself to a human body to be only one place at any given time…God humbled Himself and took upon Himself our earthiness and humanity. Philippians 2 teaches us that Jesus never ceased being God but He did voluntarily lay down the powers and privileges that come with deity (this is the doctrine of kenosis).
In conclusion, I think that sometimes we expect way more out of ourselves than God expects from us. We beat ourselves up so often when He has forgiven us through the finished work of the cross, and we forget that He has been touched with every weakness that we face, yet without sinning.
So as preparations begin for the start of Advent, take heart. The King of Heaven knows you, understands your weaknesses, and loves you in spite of them. The beauty of the incarnation is that God came near. He truly is Emanuel, God with us.
P.S. - My wife, myself, and a few of our friends have been writing devotionals for each day of Advent. Stay tuned…