Preparing for Advent – Why the Incarnation?

Greetings Dear Reader,

A long time ago a friend of mine used to tell this terrible joke about carnations.  It always made me laugh and I always think of it around Advent.  I think of it because of the word “incarnation” which comes up during Advent.  As I prepare for Advent I always think about the incarnation of Christ.

Why does this matter?  Why did God choose to do things this way?  The incarnation of Christ is a common jumping off point for people who abandon following Christ.  They reason away that Jesus is God in human form.   We get so caught up in all the trappings of the season that we forget to focus on the thing that it is about.  God chose to step into to time in the form of his creation.  He came to us with purpose.

I know that as I approach Advent I am very aware of this.  The why of it for me is very important.  There are three things that I consider as I move toward Advent and the celebration of the incarnation.  There is a great deal of theology wrapped up in this.  Much of it is for those already following Christ but the aspects of it that the whole world needs to see are simple.

God wishes to reveal himself to us. He chose to do so as one of us.  One could say it would be more convincing were God to be more obvious or dramatic.  People believe what they choose to believe.  God wishes for our relationship to be based on faith.  We struggle with faith.  God uses his incarnation to reveal his nature to us in a way that we can understand.  I think about this all the time and it enriches me.  I think about it especially at Advent.

God puts systems in place for his purposes.  The second thing I ponder about the Incarnation is our redemption or reclamation if you will.  God has made it clear that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.  God would rather die than live without us.  He is the one who journeys to us through the incarnation for the express purpose of dying for our sin.  This is at the heart of my love for Advent.  God is with us and will give all that he is to draw us back to a relationship with him.

The last one is logically simple.  Without the incarnation there can be no death, then therefore, no resurrection.  Advent gets us to the resurrection.  The resurrection is the cornerstone of our hope of redemption.  When I think of Advent I ponder the entire story not just the sweet bits.  I ponder the truth that we “say we love the baby and crucify the man.”  If there is no resurrection then our faith is useless. 

As I endeavor to follow Christ it is imperative that I see what the incarnation does for me.  It is vital that accept who he is on his terms not my own.  It is inherent in the following that I see that I follow God in the form of man in a way that I cannot truly comprehend.  Once again I am left with the rules God lays out for me.  I must have faith if I hope to follow.  So far that is not such a bad thing.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."