When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
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Why did Christ as God seek to enter human history? Christ came among men so that those who are seeking God in sensible things – that is, in things around them, might apprehend the Father through the works which Christ did in his human body. In this way Christ would be able to convince men that he was not only human but God as well. Notice that the self-revealing of the Word occurs in every dimension – above, through creation; below, through the Incarnation; in the depths, through Hades; and throughout the breadth of the world, by filling it with the knowledge of God. In order to effect this self-revelation Christ had to be seen in a human body. By taking a human body Christ not only became visible to all mankind but he also became the instrument of salvation by banishing death.
Here’s the thing, and the paradox: the Word was not hedged in by his body nor did his presence in the body prevent Him being present everywhere else as well. When He moved his body He did not cease also to direct the universe by his mind and might. This is the mystery of the incarnation. As Word of God he could not be contained by anything (other than Himself) when he actually contained all things within Himself. In his creation he was fully human without sin. By taking a body he lived a full human life and yet, as Word, he continued with the Father and Holy Spirit to sustain the universe. His birth, from a virgin, sanctified all flesh and gave it the power to become sons of God through adoption.
So how are we understand the interconnection between God and man in the one incarnated body? How are we to understand that a baby suckling on the Virgin’s breast is the creator of the world? How are we to understand what St Hillary of Poitiers declared: that the true faith is to preach at once the Godhead and the manhood, to confess the Word and the flesh, neither forgetting God, because He is man, nor ignoring the flesh, because He is the Word?
St Paul puts it as follows: “Christ, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself taking the form of a servant, been born in the likeness of men. And being formed in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on the cross.” (Philippians 2:6 – 8). This self-emptying, or kenosis, is the profoundest of mysteries. It means that God deliberately emptied himself or withdrew from being God while still being next to the Father during the duration of his earthly life. He did this in the knowledge that He would be offered as sacrifice and atonement for humanity. Yet he loved the Father and he loved creation and for that reason he took on human form.
Although his Godhead is veiled by his human nature, his actions declare him to be not only a man but God as well. For instance, to drive out demons is not a human action, neither is it to cure diseases by power of the word, nor is it to raise the dead, or open the eyes of the blind or to feed multitudes of people. Hence, while man, he manifested such works that people who witnessed them would understand that God did this because they knew that no human could act so. Further, his suffering was real to his nature. The sixth Ecumenical Council held in 680 A.D. declared that Christ gave to his human nature, whenever he wanted, time to act and suffer what was proper, so that no one may judge his marvellous incarnation to be an imaginary or empty vision. It is by assuming his incarnation in the world that Christ assumes the full sensations of both body and mind.
So, you may well ask, what was the point of Incarnation? The point of the Incarnation, paradoxically, was the death of Christ. This is the central fundament of our faith. It is in death that Christ is revealed as God and Son of God. Christ lives amongst us to change the corruptible to the incorruptible. Further, by offering the sacrifice of himself on behalf of all, he settled all of mankind’s account with death and freed humankind from the primal transgression. Thus his body became the first fruits of the resurrection. Remember this: the body of Christ was a real body, in spite of it being uniquely formed from a virgin. Therefore it was in itself mortal and, like all mortal bodies, liable to death. But the indwelling of the Word loosed it from its natural liabilities so that corruption could not touch it. Thus, through Christ, the death of all was consummated in his body and death and corruption were abolished. Now we, who believe in Christ, no longer die as men with no hope. Now, by the grace of the Resurrection, corruption has become banished and done away with. We are loosed from our mortal bodies so we, like seeds cast into the ground do not perish in dissolution but, like them, shall rise again. In that way death has been bought to nothing by the grace of Christ’s will. Thus we are able to say: oh death where is your sting? Oh death where is your victory?
Without Christ coming into the world and thereby entering human history, God’s creation on this earth would have been pointless. We, born of human flesh, would have been hopeless and without purpose. Our death would be final and life would be intolerable in that knowledge. However, it is through the saving work of Jesus Christ that our life has been given purpose. That purpose is to praise and glorify God.
During this festive season let us reflect upon this: that God loves us so much that he sent his only begotten son into the world to endure for us so that we may be saved. Do you not see how wonderful the birth of Christ is? No wonder the angels proclaimed Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased. God is pleased because the Son is now born into the world to save the world. God’s love for us knows no bounds. We are saved by Christ’s trampling down death so those who may believe will have life everlasting. And that must surely be the greatest Christmas gift – the gift of everlasting life.
