The Mystery of the Incarnation

Each year the church throughout the world keeps vigil for three days between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  Three days of waiting in expectation.  Jonah in anticipation of that great mystery spent three days in the belly of the fish before he was resurrected to preach the gospel to the nations.  This morning marks the beginning of a three day wait for Christmas, the conclusion of this Advent season of waiting, longing and expectation.  We stand on the cusp of the mystery of the incarnation.  It is a mystery about which words alone fail us, so we sing about it on this day.  It is one day that we receive the sacraments because we stand in the presence of the mystery of it all.  The hymn, “Let all Mortal Flesh” captures this ineffable mystery:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand;

Ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in His hand;

Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.

The world has tried to sentimentalize Christmas, making it just a time for holiday cheer and warm family times, watch, “It’s a Wonderful Life” with a cup of hot chocolate.  The merchants have tried to Commercialize Christmas and make it the annual, much needed boon to the economy…The government has tried to regulate Christmas, so that schools can’t even talk about it.  The film industry wants to domesticate it. I love to watch how Scrooge becomes generous, or how the Grinch’s heart growth three times bigger, but that is not what Christmas is about.  So, let us now declare it: Christmas is about God dwelling among us in human flesh to rescue us from our sins.  Jesus Christ taking on human flesh:  Fully God and Fully Man in full union, without compromise.  The early church fathers said that the two natures coming together in one person was like fire on wood.  When wood is on fire, you can’t separate the two.  And in the incarnation, Jesus Christ set the world on fire, and nobody has been able to put that fire out.   John declares, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not put it out!  Again, it is the hymns which so powerfully capture this mystery:  “King of Kings yet born of Mary, as of old on earth He stood; Lord of Lords in human vesture, in the body and the blood.” or “veiled in flesh the God-head see, Hail the Incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel.”  One of the standard features of many Eucharist liturgies is to declare the mystery of faith:  “Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.”  But, that great mystery, the Pascal mystery, would not have been possible without this prior mystery, the Nativity Mystery:  “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”

Our texts this morning span from Genesis to John unfolding the story of this great Nativity Mystery.  It reminds us that Christmas was “long foretold” and central to the eternal plan of God.  The Genesis 3 reading reminds us that he came to reverse the curse of the Fall and to set right what Adam, our representative head had set wrong.  The Genesis 22 reading reminds us that the covenantal promise to Abraham which declared, “in your seed, all nations shall be blessed” would be finally fulfilled in Jesus Christ who comes to bless all nations. The Isaiah readings remind us that though we walked in darkness, in Christ a great light would burst forth onto the world.  A baby born of a virgin would be given a government which will rest upon his shoulders, i.e. the rule and reign of the universe.  A shoot would up from the stump of Jessee, fulfilling God’s promise to David that one of his descendants would everlastingly sit on his throne.

We all love that beautiful song, Do you what I hear?  The little shepherd boy heard the angels singing… but do you hear what I hear?  I also hear the inbreaking of the incarnation.  Do you hear what I hear?  I also hear Satan’s kingdom falling.  I also hear God’s “tabernacle” being set up in humanity.  Do you hear what I hear?  I also hear God stepping into the frailty of a womb, that we might enter into the mystery of the divine life.  I also hear that God has taken on an earthly mother that we might have a heavenly father.   Do you hear what I hear? I also hear God taking on human nature that we might be partakers of the divine nature.  I hear God laying aside his glory, that we might inherit His Kingdom.  Do you hear what I hear?  Do you hear that these texts are saying to us this morning?

Christ is that Second Adam, who inaugurates the new creation and a new humanity united to him.  Christ is the One who crushes the head of Satan. Christ is that seed of Abraham, through whom all nations shall be blessed.  Christ is that great light which dispels our darkness.  Christ is that one who will be called “wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.”  Christ is that tender shoot which comes up from the stump of Jesse.  Christ is the one who sits on the throne of David. He fulfills it all – Law, Covenant, Temple, Priesthood, Sacrifice, Prophets.. he fulfills them all.  Scattered pages which all come together to form one book – in One Person.  Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.  These are the great mysteries which we await afresh for these three days which are before us.  My wife Julie has captured this as well as anyone in her hymn, “Jesus Lord of all Creation.”

1.Jesus, Lord of all creation, stepping into time and space,

Giving in your incarnation, hope for all the human race;

2. Adam as we share your nature, like you we stand bound in sin;

Jesus now our Second Adam, new creation you begin!

3. Abraham a covenant was made with you by means of faith;

Jesus brings that faith’s fulfillment, grafted in from every race;

4. In the sacrifice of Isaac faith was proved and grace was found;

Jesus is the sacrifice where grace and justice both abound.

5. Moses champion of deliverance from the bonds of slavery;

Jesus breaks the greater master, from our sin we’re now set free!

6. Moses giver of the Law that taught us of our need for grace;

Jesus is the Law’s fulfillment; Light that shone from Moses’ face!

7. David, royal king who led God’s people to great victories won;

Jesus, sovereign King of all kings: hail, great David’s greater son!

8. Prophets wrote of one whose suffering borne in love would end our pain; `

Jesus, perfect suffering servant, you have made us whole again.

9. Jesus, Lord of all creation, Word of God in flesh made known;

You have purchased our salvation – now our lives are yours alone.

10. Jesus, all our hopes fulfilling, Second Adam, Abraham,

Moses, David, Suffering Servant, God Himself, the great “I AM!

So, in this three-day vigil of waiting which is before us, let us not forget the great mystery which is here revealed.  Nothing less than the entire Christian gospel and the fulfillment of all the ages, is found wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.