The incarnation is a term that’s used to mean ‘to become flesh’. Now all humans do take flesh when they are conceived in a mysterious way. Sure it is through the union of a man and woman; but in a slightly different context ST Paul says: “One sows and one plants, but it is God who gives the increase’. But the incarnation actually refers to the taking of flesh of God Himself who created flesh. Many examples and prophecies in the Old Testament had referred to this mystery, but our eyes were not opened until the events of the glorious Nativity.
The mystery of the God-Man.
In the first chapters of the gospels of St Matthew and St Luke, we learn of Jesus’ supernatural conception without a human father. The words of the angel Gabriel to the blessed virgin St Mary explained this through his saying “"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God”. The title given to Christ in the OT itself reveals that Jesus is indeed “Immanuel’- God with us. . St John in his gospel also reveals: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1: 14).
St Paul gives us some further explanations of this mystery. In Phil 2: 6-8, St Paul explains that Christ left His heavenly existence to take on the humble body of a man:
“Being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, ….. coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself …” (Phi 2: 6). Therefore Christ did exist as God prior to His incarnation, and when He took flesh He did not cease carrying His divine or Godly nature. He did not even lose ANY of His Godly nature, for St Paul further says in Col 2: 9 “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”.
If Christ did exist from the beginning and He became a man, and yet carried His divinity, the next question is: “To what extent did He carry His human nature in relationship to His divine nature?” Again this was a question many argued about. In our human understanding man can only carry a human nature. This human nature, in turn, is made up of a physical nature, as well as a spiritual nature-i.e. Man exists in both body and soul. When God’s Son took a body He carried both His divine nature fully, as well as a complete human nature. We see His divinity in His amazing powers (over elements, diseases, even death), through the witness of many prophets, the declaration of the Father, ‘This is My beloved Son’ and through His very words and the words of others: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God’ (Mat 16: 16). We also see His human nature in the prophecies, (see Is 53), His own acceptance of His being ‘Son of Man’, His liability to be hungry, thirsty, feel pain, to be anxious as in the garden of Gethsemane, and even said ‘My Father is greater than I’ Did this mean that Jesus had a split personality?
That is, was He at one time using His divine power, and at other times, human weaknesses as if He changed from one mode to another? This would suggest that He is divisible or has multiple personalities. But Christ is of one complete personality, possessing both divine and human natures in perfect unity, His divine and human natures working in unison. Hence the priest confesses at the last confession of the liturgy: “He made it ONE with His divinity, without mingling, confusion (or ‘fusion) or alteration…” This is why we declare that Jesus Christ carried one nature, consisting of two united natures of humanity and divinity- A point which was greatly misunderstood when the church was accused of believing in a single (rather than a united) nature of Jesus in the 5th Century AD.
Some people may ask the question:
How can God be a man?
No doubt this is the biggest question confronting many non-Christians, for it seems that the all-powerful God has been reduced to a mere mortal. Conversely some have wrongly deduced from Jesus’ life that mortal beings can become gods (e.g. Mormons).
But as we have seen through the life of Jesus, He is both God and Man, equally through a mystery which we can only see clearly, but perhaps not understand fully.
The next question we now may ask is:
‘Why the Incarnation’?
One of the early fathers had said ‘God became Man, that man may become god’. Again some people misunderstand this concept with a corrupt mind and a type of pride, believing that man becomes equal to God. A reflection of the fate of the fallen angel is a powerful reminder of such heresy. In fact the incarnation is a great joy for us, as the angel revealed to the shepherds in the field at the birth of the Lord (Lk 2: 10, 11). Through the incarnation we have been made to be God’s very sons through Baptism. This returns us to the perfect image that God had created us with- Hence the saying ‘that we may become gods’, for through baptism we are born of God’s very Spirit.
Another important reason for the incarnation is that it is through the offering of a perfect sacrifice (symbolized in the OT sacrifices with a faultless lamb), but which can be given to for all mankind, across an infinite number of generations. Only God who is all-perfect and infinite can fulfill such a requirement. But this perfect sacrifice by definition, needed to die. Now we know that God cannot die, for He is the very source of life; So He took human flesh so that this human flesh fulfilled the requirement of death for man’s sins.
Other benefits of the Incarnation
The greatest benefit of the incarnation is man’s salvation. But through the incarnation we have also benefited by:
1. Seeing God as He really is. In times past, only Moses was able to speak to God directly, but no one else was able to know God. In Christ Jesus we see God face-to-face, for He was the ‘image of the invisible God’ (Col 1: 15), as Jesus also said “He who has seen Me has seen the Father’ (Jn 14: 9), and ‘I Am in the Father and the Father is in Me’ (Jn 14: 11). How grateful we should be and unworthy we should feel in beholding the very image of God!
2. Being given the right to be God’s very own children as Christ had said: ‘I no longer call you servants, but friends’ (Jn 15: 15). Yes those who enjoy this privilege will not care about the inevitable burden of losing our inheritance of God’s own kingdom, which He has reserved for His very own sons and daughters.
Conclusion
My friend, we have seen why God had to incarnate by becoming a man. So don’t be deceived by those who think it strange and try to shake your faith. We have seen the benefits and necessity of this for our eternal lives. So appreciate this very special privilege, and live as a true son/daughter of God who God will be proud to call His own son., as He said: “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Mat 12: 50).
