The mesmerizing miracle of the incarnation is that God the Son became one of us. The immeasurable glory of the eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, self-existent, Creator God, was poured into a baby, in a teenager’s womb, and was born and lived among us!
Millions of words have been written about this history-changing event. Though I cannot fully grasp with my finite mind the mystery of the incarnation, I celebrate its magnificence! At the heart of the incarnation, however, is a paradox…
God the Son, who in His pre-incarnate state lived (within His own character and code) a limitless existence, is now “boxed in” by a human body.
For the first few years this body would make Him almost entirely dependent on other human beings for His very survival and even when He learned to stand on His own two feet, His body-box meant that God in flesh could only be in one place at one time. He would get tired, hungry, weak and lonely.
When the sun shone, His skin would burn and when winter came, He would shiver – just like everyone else. When cut, He would bleed. When beaten, He would bruise. In time, nailed to a cross, He would die!
JOHN 1: 1-7, 9-18 AMP
In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ( Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him. There it was--the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own [that which belonged to Him--His world, His creation, His possession], and those who were His own [people--the Jewish nation] did not receive and welcome Him. But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name-- who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth--they are born of God--spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified]. And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception). John testified [repeatedly] about Him and has cried out [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.’” For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].
We might not think of Jesus’ body as a box, but it was. He had to learn to live within, and to make the most of His human limitations. He had to rest, sleep, take care of what He consumed, plan His journeys carefully and give Himself every chance to succeed within His human condition. His deity didn’t override His humanity. Rather He lived within it.
Our physicality is part of our spirituality and we have a responsibility to steward our bodies well, whatever their condition. Though it brings its limits, if we respect, take care of and invest in our “physical box”, it can be an amazing tool in the hand of God. For approximately 33 years, Jesus lived successfully with His body-box! We may be limited to one place at one time, but we can still live a big life!
