The Shock of the God-Man

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home. I heard about God and Jesus from the time I was born. I was made to go to church every time the doors were open. As I learned English, I also learned what we might call Christian language. Stories of God and Christian terms were never foreign to me . I had a lot of familiarity when it came to the things of God. I say all that to say that the concept of God becoming a man probably didn’t shock me like it would someone who was saved at an older age. I was blessed to grow up knowing about God.

Now that I’m older, I realize that the idea that God would become a man should shock us. It maybe should even offend us that God would stoop so low as to become one of his creation. Our God is glorious, holy, mighty, just, and perfect. That he would come and dwell among his sinful creation is truly perplexing.

The incarnation doesn’t strike us like it should because we get used to it. Even those who are saved at an older age grow accustomed to this essential doctrine. It loses its wonder because we celebrate Christ’s birth every year and it’s something we must hold close in our doctrine. It is scandalous though. Packer rightly observes that “this is the real stumbling block in Christianity. It is here that Jews, Muslims, Unitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many of those who feel difficulties concerning the virgin birth, the miracles, the atonement, and the resurrection have come to grief” (53). Those that have a Christianity problem can often be said to have an incarnation problem. God became man.

Where we should find the most challenge is then asking, “If God would become man to save me, how then should I live?” Christ counted his deity and status as nothing to take the wrath of God to save sinners. He truly made an incredible sacrifice. In light of being saved by the one who gave up everything, how should we who follow him live? Packer says, “The Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor—spending and being spent—to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others—and not just their own friends—in whatever way there seems need” (63-64). The Christmas spirit Packer refers to is the Christian spirit and it doesn’t just occur during the holiday, but every day.

Christ poured himself out, so we pour ourselves out. Christ came not to be served, but to serve and so we serve. He held nothing back for us, so we hold nothing back for him. That God would become man truly changes everything.
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I’d love to hear your thoughts about Knowing God Chapter 5 on my Instagram post at @camlhyde