December 17 - The God Man

"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" (John 1:14 NKJV)

The greatest miracle of Christmas is not the birth of Jesus, but the incarnation itself - that God became man. Jesus is completely God and completely man. Though all illustrations break down at some point with reference to God, when I was a youth pastor, I explained it to teenagers this way: Imagine you have a bottle of water (this represents "man"). You also have a powder packet that adds nutrients and flavor (this represents "God"). You open the powder packet and pour it into the water. It is still 100% water. It is still 100% powder package. However, something unique has happened.

In the incarnation of Jesus Christ, He did not reduce His Deity. He also did not become half man. I don't know how to fully comprehend the fact that He's 100% God and 100% man. So much God as if He were not man, and so much man as if He were not God.

Charles Spurgeon said it this way: "Infinite God, but also an infant." The same Jesus Who would calm the storms was also asleep on the boat because He was tired. The same Jesus Who could walk through walls as the resurrected Son of God was also cooking fish for His hungry disciples.

When we can't make sense of something like Who God is and our little minds cannot truly comprehend, that's when we set our Bible aside, bow our knees, and worship a God that we don't get to order around. He is God, and we are not.

Because Jesus is God, He has the power to save us. Because Jesus is man, He can represent us. Only the God-man could bridge the gap between holy God and sinful humanity. This is the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus.

Reflection Question: How does the reality of Jesus as both God and man impact your relationship with Him?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the mystery and miracle of the incarnation. Thank You that Your Son became human while remaining fully God. Help me marvel at this truth rather than trying to fully understand it. In Jesus' Name, amen.