Read Time: 3 minutes

by AJ Canterbury

December never slows down. The older I get, the faster the days between Thanksgiving and December 25 go. I hate to see it draw to a close. The season of Advent (the four weeks prior to Christmas day), packed with so much anticipation, remains my favorite time of year. 

The characters of the Old Testament received the promise of the Messiah as early as Gen 3:15 and the anticipation of his arrival carries through to the Old Testament’s close in Malachi.  The Jews longed for his eventual arrival, and the liberation and peace he would bring.

Four hundred years of silence separated the writing of the Old and New Testaments, and during that silence, the Jewish people had to wonder if the promised Messiah would ever come. When would God rescue them from their oppression? When, at last, he did come, it was not as the conquering king they expected but as a helpless infant born in an animal stall.

The first Christmas story is familiar to both believers and unbelievers. Is it more than just a beautiful story we retell in Christmas pageants? Is it more than just a historical recounting of God’s redemptive work? Is their significance to Jesus’ birth for us today?

The Beauty of the Incarnation

It is appropriate that we, Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus near to the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the shortest, darkest day of the year. The moment God became a baby (the incarnation), the world was, also, at its darkest, lost in their rebellion to God. Out of that darkness, the Messiah, the light, dawned.

Light is the language the Apostle John used to describe the arrival of Jesus in his gospel. “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as the only Son from the father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1: 9,14).

The sovereign Creator lowered himself from heaven, clothed in human flesh, in order to contend with a problem we could not solve. In reality, it was a problem we did not know we wanted fixed. That humble beginning marks the time in history when heaven kissed earth and the redemption of God’s people started.

[The birth of Jesus] marks the time in history when heaven kissed earth and the redemption of God’s people started.

That story carries massive significance for my broken body, my broken heart, and my broken soul. Reflecting on the incarnation does me good, no matter where my disability, grief, or grumbling finds me. It offers an improved perspective, a turning of my eyes heavenward. By slowing down and considering the nativity story, I come away with comfort, confidence, hope, and a deeper understanding of God‘s character.

Here is what I observe:

1. The Incarnation brings me comfort.

Jesus came to earth with a mission. He became a helpless baby in order to live a life, devoted to God, and vanquish Sin. From my corner, the Friedeich’s Ataxia, which ties me to the wheelchair, is my greatest adversary. Jesus targeted the true enemy and went to the source when he was born in that manger.

Sin is the insidious force that has bound my body and will. All the physical, emotional, and mental struggle I face results from Sin. The incarnation shows me that God knows precisely what separates me from him. His light drives out the darkness and ultimately delivers the crushing blow, not just bandaging his people up to set us back on the road.

2. The Incarnation strengthens my confidence.

 Jesus came uninvited to rescue mankind. The Jews wanted liberation from their physical oppressors, but, independent of God’s grace, no one was crying out for rescue them from their darkness. Jesus says, “And this is the judgment; the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be exposed” (Jn 3:19-20).

I certainly wasn’t looking for Jesus when he found me. I, like the rest of humanity was completely satisfied to cling to my filth, unaware that it was the very rot destroying me. God initiated the coming of Jesus because he knew the deepest needs of his creation. He knows what I need (and what to do about it) even when I do not.

3. The Incarnation brings me hope.

It wasn’t an accident God sent Jesus when he did. God didn’t decide to send his Son because he figured he should finally do something about sin. It wasn’t a reactionary conclusion now that sin had gotten out of control. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…”  (Gal 4:4).

The Savior’s arrival was timely and intended. The world was at its darkest, and Jesus, the light the world, shone brighter than the Bethlehem star. God arrived on the scene at just the right time, not earlier or later than he determined, for the Lord knows how to rescue his own. At the right time, God will also rescue me from my trials; he will not fail to deliver and sustain me.

4. The Incarnation deepens my understanding of God’s character.

Both observation #2 and #3 highlight God’s faithfulness. He is both aware and trustworthy. The longer I traverse through life, the more weary I become from the struggle. I rely on the promises of God being true, even when I can’t descry their immediate coming.

At the incarnation, God made himself low and vulnerable. He depended on the care of a woman he had, himself, created. Jesus learned how to walk and talk, to grow, and to learn, all for the purpose of defeating sin and death. He gives of himself, abounds in love, and is a constant giver of grace. Nothing ever thwarts his plan (Job 42:2) and his light is never stamped out. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5).

Reflecting on the incarnation does me good, no matter where my disability, grief, or grumbling finds me. It offers an improved perspective, a turning of my eyes heavenward

Here’s your assignment.

I challenge you to carve out time this Christmas season to meditate on the incarnation of Christ. As I finish writing this blog, I am sheltered in my room, gazing at Christmas lights and sipping eggnog, while reflecting on his birth in the serenity. Read the Nativity accounts in Matt 1:18-2 and Luke 1-2:21 and find some space to consider the significance of the incarnation. 

Trusting that God will open your eyes to fresh insights as you encounter the familiar story. Wherever life finds you right now, I believe the exercise will bring your soul joy, peace, and comfort. Let me know what observations about the incarnation you discover.

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