The Word Made Flesh

The Word Made Flesh

What is the most stupendous event of all human history? There are those who in answer would speak of the miracle of modern medicine which culminated in heart transplants. Others would speak in terms of man landing upon the moon. These are feats and facts that stagger the human imagination. But these are not the most outstanding events in the long history of the human race. In the age that is becoming accustomed to the miracle of the heart transplant and the awe inspiring, fantastic landing of man on the moon, there is a miracle that towers above all of these as the Matterhorn towers above the villages nestled at its base.

The most stupendous event of all time occurred amongst a people held in the rigors of slavery and in an obscure village of Judea. It was an event long heralded by prophets and longed for by many. It was an event so fraught with significance that is was announced by a choir of angels. The greatest miracle, the most stupendous event of all time was when God became man, when God wrapped Himself in the garments of our humanity and became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. Open heart surgery is of little consequence in relation to that mighty act wherein God laid bear His heart of love, light and life before men. The landing of man upon the moon fades into the background beside that time when God landed on planet earth. “In Jesus Christ who was born in a stable, lived the plain, tough life of His day, died on a Roman cross and was seen alive again by His disciples – God has come personally into our human life.

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

We stand before cross-crowned Calvary with dear dimmed eyes; we linger in the garden before the empty tomb of Joseph of Arimathea in questioning silence; but before the manger of Bethlehem we stand in reverent awe. Here the mystery of Divine grace staggers most the mind of man.

I often see the sticker attached to the bumper of a car: “Love American or leave it.” We find it hard to believe that anyone in their right mind would think for a moment of leaving the United States, giving up their citizenship and become partakers in a lesser way and standard of living. Yet is this not analogous to what the Son of God did when He left His Father’s home in glory and took up residence amongst men?

Dorothy Sayers in “The Greatest Drama Ever Staged” stares in bewilderment at people who assure her that Christianity leaves them cold, as being a dull affair that bores them. How can this most exciting, tremendous and amazing event of God becoming man “leave one cold?” how can such a demonstration of love Divine, all loves excelling be called a “dull and boring affair?”

The kingdom of man is between the Kingdom of God above us and the kingdom of animals beneath us. The quality if life in the Kingdom of Heaven is superior to that in the kingdom of men as the quality of life in the kingdom of men is superior to that in the kingdom of animals. Suppose that one should descend from the kingdom of men and become one with, of and for the kingdom of animals. Is this not similar to what God did when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This is the staggering and stupendous, the mysterious and miraculous fact of Christmas.

It is said that “familiarity breads indifference.” As once again we approach the manger to worship “Christ the new born King,” let us lay aside the garments of familiarity; shed the robe of indifference to the end that we may be gripped anew by the fact of Christmas: God has come to dwell amongst us.

It is this Christian fact that gave birth to the Christian faith. “The fact of the incarnation means that once for all God has cast his lot with humanity. Christianity invites men to believe that at a point in time when the condition of the world was desperate, when sin was steadily claiming the race for its own, when philosophy and religion had lost their savor – God in the person of His Son plunged into the thick of the battle.”

In Charles Dickens story of the French Revolution, the Tale of Two Cities the carts are moving towards the Guillotine carrying their loads of human flesh. In one cart is Sidney Carton a dissipated English layer who had wanted great gifts and quenched high possibilities in riotous living. He was taking the place of Charles Darnay not for any love of Darnay but for the sake of his wife and child. Riding in the cart with him is a French seamstress. She is shaking, shivering, trembling in fear. Carton reached out and clasped her hand in his and said: “Keep your eyes upon me, dear child, and mind no other object.” She replied, “I mind nothing while I hold your hand.” As they come to their end of their sad journey she looked into his face and thanked him saying: “But for you dear stranger, I would not be so composed, for I am naturally a poor little thing, faint of heart … I think you were sent to me by Heaven.” Here is the faith of Christmas: “Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel,” which being interpreted means: God with us

The Christmas faith speaks to us not only of the eternal presence of God with us but also of God’s activity on our behalf. “God has a Son enlisted too.” This enlistment on behalf of you and me is a total involvement. The enlistment which commenced in the manger was climaxed on the cross. “Unto you is born this day a Savior … God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.” He died that we might be forgiven. The Christmas faith that commenced at the manger, was climaxed at the cross is culminated at the empty tomb. Death could not hold its praise – He arose, with a mighty triumph over His foes. He broke the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free – free to walk in newness of life, free to become the man God intended him to be when he was first created in the image of God.

The faith of Christmas will be consummated in the new heavens and the new earth. This is the Christmas Hope: “The kingdom of this world shall become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, men will beat their swords into plow shares and spears into pruning hooks and shall learn war no more.” “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform this.” “Jesus shall reign.”

The Fact and the Faith of the first Christmas was filled with frustration, “There was no room for them in the inn. He was in the world, the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not.” Two thousand years have come and gone and still this frustration persists. The Fact of Christmas is generally accepted. Few doubt the birth of Jesus of Nazareth – the externals of Christmas, -- the carols, the decorations, the exchanging of cards and gifts – attest to the acceptance of the Fact. It is the Christmas faith, the Christ child Himself, who continues to be rejected, wars and rumors of wars, selfishness, bickering and all the other cancers of society bear testimony to this.

Let me ask you a pertinent, piercing, personal question: Have you any room for Jesus?

May the Fact and Faith of Christmas find Fulfillment as you humbly and sincerely pray:

O Holy child of Bethlehem, Descend to me, I pray;

Cast out my sin, and enter in, Be born in me today.

Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick

Whitfield Estates Presbyterian Church, Sarasota, Florida December 21, 1969