Eternity Daily Bible Study No. 260

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Thoughts About Christmas - 2

The Incarnation –  It Wasn’t A Very Good Disguise

John 1:14
(14)  And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.

1 John 3:8
(8)  He who practices sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might undo the works of the Devil.

Matthew 16:15-18
(15)  He said to them, But who do you say I am?
(16)  And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
(17)  Jesus answered and said to him, You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven.
(18)  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Sometimes you hear someone say that the God “disguised Himself in human flesh” – in the person of Jesus. Well it wasn’t a very good disguise - because people of faith easily saw through it. In fact it was not a disguise but a revelation of the glory of God!

To those who have faith see glory and wonder in Jesus: 2Co 4:6  For it is God who said, "Out of darkness Light shall shine;" who shone in our hearts to give the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

The miracles opened many peoples eyes: 
John 2:11
(11)  This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. And it revealed His glory. And His disciples believed on Him.

But not all understand:
1 Corinthians 2:6-8
(6)  But, we speak wisdom among those who are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, that come to nothing.
(7)  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, which God has hidden, predetermining it before the world for our glory;
(8)  which none of the rulers of this world knew (for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory).

John 12:37-41
(37)  But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they did not believe on Him,
(38)  so that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
(39)  Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again,
(40)  "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
(41)  Isaiah said these things when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

So the Incarnation is both a revealing of God and a hiding of God. In Christ God is hidden from the crafty and cunning and powerful world rulers. No world ruler would choose to be born in a manger. No world ruler would choose to be a Jew. No world leader would choose to die on a cross to save others. 

Yet some simple godly folk saw straight through Jesus’ disguise – even at His birth:

Luke 2:27-32
(27)  And he (Simeon) came by the Spirit into the temple. And as the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do according to the custom of the Law concerning Him,
(28)  even he received Him in his arms and blessed God, and said,
(29)  Lord, now You will let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word.
(30)  For my eyes have seen Your Salvation
(31)  which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples,
(32)  a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel.

Here is a mystery – to those who are of faith Christ is perfectly obvious and revealed. To the self-confident and worldly Jesus is obscure and disguised. In fact John the apostle made the spiritual recognition of Christ “coming in the flesh” one of the tests of true faith. 

1 John 4:1-3
(1)  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits to see if they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
(2)  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God;
(3)  and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the antichrist you heard is coming, and even now is already in the world.

The incarnation, and particularly the Cross, is a stumbling block to unbelievers but sheer grace and truth to those who are being called to salvation.  As Jesus  said to Peter when he confessed that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the Living God: You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven.

To those whom God reveals Jesus Christmas is wonderful, but to those, like Scrooge, who are caught up in Mammon and the cares of this world it is “Bah! Humbug! This Christmas ask God to open your eyes to the glory of God in the face of Jesus so you too can say with Simeon “For my eyes have seen Your Salvation.”  

Blessings,

John Edmiston johned@aibi.ph

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