The incarnation of our Lord Jesus is the second great mystery of the Christian faith. It is a stunning confession: that the eternal God has become a man.
It stretches our minds. It stretches our language. Our words strain to contain the glory the incarnation pours into them.
I surveyed my particularly theological group of friends on Facebook for their favorite theological reflections on the mystery of the incarnation.
Here are the results.
Any of these quotations are worth our reflection. If you have your own favorites, please add them in the comments, and I’ll bring them into the post.
On the Incarnation
1. God’s Birth, God’s Death
We Christians should know that if God is not in the scale to give it weight, we, on our side, sink to the ground. I mean it this way: if it cannot be said that God died for us, but only a man, we are lost; but if God’s death and a dead God lie in the balance, His side goes down and ours goes up like a light and empty scale. Yet He can also readily go up again, or leap out of the scale! But He could not sit on the scale unless He became a man like us, so that it could be called God’s dying, God’s martyrdom, God’s blood, and God’s death. For God in His own nature cannot die; but now that God and man are united in one person, it is called God’s death when the man dies who is one substance or one person with God.
-Martin Luther, On the Councils and the Church, quoted in the Formula of Concord: Solid Declaration VIII:44
2. The Child in Whom is Salvation
Are you affrighted? Then come to him, lying in the lap of the fairest and sweetest maid. You will see how great is the divine goodness, which seeks above all else that you should not despair. Trust him! Trust him! Here is the Child in whom is salvation. To me there is no greater consolation given to mankind than this, that Christ became man, a child, a babe, playing in the lap and at the breasts of his most gracious mother. Who is there whom this sight would not comfort? Now is overcome the power of sin, death, hell, conscience, and guilt, if you come to judge this gurgling Babe and believe that he is come, not to judge you, but to save.
-Martin Luther, Martin Luther’s Christmas Book (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1948)
3. Jesus: Sufficient for the Task
Whence the Word of God came in His own person, that, as He was the Image of the Father, He might be able to create afresh the man after the image. But, again, it could not else have taken place had not death and corruption been done away. Whence He took, in natural fitness, a mortal body, that while death might in it be once for all done away, men made after His Image might once more be renewed. None other then was sufficient for this need, save the Image of the Father.
-Athanasius, On the Incarnation 13:7-9
4. God in Flesh, Like Fire in Iron
In what manner is the Deity in the flesh? Just as fire in iron, not by transition, but by impartation. For fire does not run out to the iron, but, remaining in its place, imparts to it its own peculiar power, which is not diminished by the impartation, and fills the entire mass that becomes partaker of it.
-Basil the Great, On the Holy Nativity of Christ
5. We Are Something New
“The Word introduced Himself into that which He was not, in order that the nature of man also might become what it was not, resplendent, by its union, with the grandeur of divine majesty, which has been raised beyond nature rather than that it has cast the unchangeable God beneath [its] nature.”
-Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Incarnation (11)
6. The Reason of His Appearing
We have, then, now stated in part, as far as it was possible, and as ourselves had been able to understand, the reason of His bodily appearing; (1) that it was in the power of none other to turn the corruptible to incorruption, except the Saviour Himself, (2) that had at the beginning also made all things out of nought and that none other could create anew the likeness of God’s image for men, save the Image of the Father; and (3) that none other could render the mortal immortal, save our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Very Life; and (4) that none other could teach men of the Father, and destroy the worship of idols, save the Word, that orders all things and is alone the true Only-begotten Son of the Father.
But since it was necessary also that the debt owing from all should be paid again: for, as I have already said, it was owing that all should die, for which special cause, indeed, He came among us: to this intent, after the proofs of His Godhead from His works, He next offered up His sacrifice also on behalf of all, yielding His Temple to death in the stead of all, in order firstly to make men quit and free of their old trespass, and further to show Himself more powerful even than death, displaying His own body incorruptible, as first-fruits of the resurrection of all.
And do not be surprised if we frequently repeat the same words on the same subject. For since we are speaking of the counsel of God, therefore we expound the same sense in more than one form, lest we should seem to be leaving anything out, and incur the charge of inadequate treatment: for it is better to submit to the blame of repetition than to leave out anything that ought to be set down.
The body, then, as sharing the same nature with all, for it was a human body, though by an unparalleled miracle it was formed of a virgin only, yet being mortal, was to die also, conformably to its peers. But by virtue of the union of the Word with it, it was no longer subject to corruption according to its own nature, but by reason of the Word that had come to dwell in it it was placed out of the reach of corruption.
And so it was that two marvels came to pass at once, (1) that the death of all was accomplished in the Lord’s body, and (2) that death and corruption were wholly done away by reason of the Word that was united with it. For there was need of death, and death must needs be suffered on behalf of all, that the debt owing from all might be paid.
Whence, as I said before, the Word, since it was not possible for Him to die, as He was immortal, took to Himself a body such as could die, that He might offer it as His own in the stead of all, and as suffering, through His union with it, on behalf of all, Bring to nought Him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and might deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (see Hebrews 2:14-15).
-Athanasius, On the Incarnation (20:1-6)
7. Corrupt Nature Conquers Corruption
God the Word was made man for this reason, that that very nature which had sinned, fallen, and become corrupt should conquer the tyrant who had deceived it.
-John of Damascus
8. He Is My Lord
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord.
-Martin Luther, Luther’s Small Catechism
9. Everything For Us
For the gospel teaches that Christ was born for our benefit and that everything He did and suffered was for us. As the angel says here, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.” With these words, you can clearly see that He was born for all of us.
The angel doesn’t say, “A Savior was born,” but rather, “A Savior has been born to you.” In the same way, he doesn’t say, “I have good news,” but rather, “I bring you good news.” For you! “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” This joy is for everyone who has this kind of faith.
-Martin Luther, On Luke 2:10-11…
10. Glupping for Joy
The fifth item is joy which expresses itself in words. We like to talk and hear about what faith has received in the heart. Thus the shepherds chatter with one another happily and amicably concerning what they had heard and believed. They use many words as if they were chattering aimlessly. It is not enough for them to say, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see what has happened there.” No, they add to this and say: “which God has done and has made known to us.” Is it not superfluous talk when they say: “that has happened there, which God has done”? They could have said it briefly in this fashion: Therefore let us see the deed which God has done there. But the joy of the spirit flows over, as it were, with happy words, and yet there is not too much said, indeed, all too little; they are unable to say it as much as they really would like to, as Psalm 45[:1] reads: “My heart gulps forth a good word,” as if the psalmist wanted to say: I should like to say it right out, but I cannot. It is greater than I can express, so that my word is scarcely more than a gulp. This accounts for the expression found in Psalm 50 [35:28] and in several other places: “My tongue shall gulp forth your righteousness,” i.e., it will talk, sing, and speak while I jump for joy. And Psalm 119[:171] says: “My lips will gush forth your praise,” just as a boiling pot seethes and gushes.
-Martin Luther, Christmas Sermon on Luke 2:15-20 (LW 52:iii-40)
11. We Are Now Part of God’s Family
This is the great joy, of which the angel speaks, this is the consolation and the superabundant goodness of God, that man (if he has this faith) may boast of such treasure as that Mary is his real mother, Christ his brother, and God his father. For these things are, all of them, true and they come to pass, provided we believe them; this is the chief part and chief good in all the gospels, before one derives from them teaching concerning good works. Christ, above all things, must become ours and we his, before we undertake good works. That happens in no other way than through such faith; it teaches the right understanding of the gospels and it seizes hold on them in the right place. That makes for the right knowledge of Christ; from it the conscience becomes happy, free, and contented; from it grow love and praise of God, because it is he who has given us freely such superabundant goods in Christ. Then there follows a mind right willing to do, to refrain from doing, and to suffer everything that is pleasing to God, be it a matter of living or dying, as I have said many times.
-Martin Luther, Christmas Eve Sermon (LW 52)
12. The Swaddling Clothes of Scripture
Then he says: “This will be a sign for you: you will find the child wrapped up and laid in a manger” [Luke 2:12]. The cloths are nothing but Holy Scripture, in which Christian truth lies wrapped up. Here one finds faith described. For the entire Old Testament contains nothing but Christ as he is preached in the gospel….
…Thus we see that the law and the prophets, too, cannot be preached or recognized properly, unless we see Christ wrapped up in the Scriptures. It is true that it does not seem that Christ is in them. The Israelites, we know, do not see Christ in them. They are inconspicuous, unimportant cloths, simple words, and they seem to speak of unimportant external matters, so that of itself nothing striking is discernible, but the New Testament, the gospel, must explain, reveal, and illumine, as has been pointed out. First the gospel must be heard, and one must believe the appearance of the angel and his voice. Had the shepherds not heard from the angels that Christ was lying there, they might have looked at him a thousand and another thousand times and yet they would not have found out from that that the child was Christ.
-Martin Luther, Christmas Eve Sermon (LW 52)
13. The Manger is the Christian Church
He lies in the manger. Look at this so that you may be certain that only Christ is to be preached in all the world. What else is the manger than the gathering of the Christian people in church to listen to the sermon? We are the animals that go with this manger. There Christ is placed before us, and with this food we are to feed our souls, that is, lead them to the sermon. He who goes to listen to a sermon, goes to this manger, but the sermons must deal with Christ. For not all mangers hold Christ and not all sermons teach the faith. Notice there was only one manger in Bethlehem in which this treasure lay, and it was, in addition, an unused, despised manger which at other times contained no fodder. Thus the preaching of the gospel is free of all other things; it has Christ and teaches only him.
-Martin Luther, Christmas Eve Sermon (LW 52)
14. Jesus Renders Us Fit for Glory
If our blessed Lord and Maker
Hated men, Would He then
Be of flesh partaker?
If He in our woe delighted,
Would He bear All the care
Of our race benighted?
He becomes the Lamb that taketh
Sin away And for aye
Full atonement maketh.
For our life His own He tenders
And our race, By His grace,
Meet for glory renders.
-Paul Gerhardt, “All My Heart This Night Rejoices” (TLH 77:5-6)
15. The Teacher becomes a Child
“The Teacher of children became Himself a Child among children, that He might instruct the unwise. The Bread of Heaven came down to earth to feed the hungry.”
– Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis 12
16. Deity and Humanity United
According to the second, the temporal, human birth Christ was also given the eternal dominion of God, yet temporarily and not from eternity. For the human nature of Christ was not from eternity as His divine nature was. It is computed that Jesus, Mary’s Son, is 1543 years old this year. But from the moment when deity and humanity were united in one Person, the Man, Mary’s Son, is and is called almighty, eternal God, who has eternal dominion, who has created all things and preserves them “through the communication of attributes” … because He is one Person with the Godhead and is also very God. Christ refers to this in Matthew 11: 27: “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father,” and in Matthew 28: 18: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” To which “Me”? “To Me, Jesus of Nazareth, Mary’s incarnate Son. I had this from My Father from eternity, before I became man, but when I became man, it was imparted to Me in time according to My human nature, and I kept it concealed until My resurrection and ascent into heaven, when it was to be manifested and glorified.” Thus St. Paul declares in Romans 1: 4, He was glorified, or “designated Son of God in power.” John speaks of this as being “glorified” in chapter 7: 39.
– Martin Luther, On the Last Words of David (LW 15: 293–94, quoted in FC.SD VIII:85)
17. Where to Begin Our Thinking about God
Take hold of God as Scripture instructs you (1 Cor. 1:21, 24): “Since in wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Therefore begin where Christ began — in the Virgin’s womb, in the manger, and at His mother’s breasts. For this purpose He came down, was born, lived among men, suffered, was crucified, and died, so that in every possible way He might present Himself to our sight. He wanted us to fix the gaze of our hearts upon Himself and thus to prevent us from clambering into heaven and speculating about the Divine Majesty.
-Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians 1535, (LW 26:29, on Galatians 1:3)
18. Mary the Mother of God
On account of this personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, did not bear a mere man. But as the angel Gabriel testifies, she bore a man who is truly the Son of the most high God (Luke 1:35). He showed His divine majesty even in His mother’s womb, because He was born of a virgin, without violating her virginity. Therefore, she is truly the mother of God and yet has remained a virgin.
-Formula of Concord, Article VIII: Person of Christ, 24
19. Kind Condescension
“But He comes in condescension to show loving-kindness upon us, and to visit us.”
-Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word
20. Brought together in the Body of Christ
“Therefore God sent down from Heaven His incorporeal Son to take flesh upon Him in the Virgin’s womb; and thus, equally as you, was He made man; to save lost man, and to collect His scattered members. For Christ, when He joined the manhood to His Person, united that which death by the separation of the body had dispersed.”
-St. Alexander of Alexandria, On the Soul and Body and the Passion of the Lord
21. We Find Jesus to Serve in Our Neighbor
There are many who think as follows. ‘Oh, if I had only been there how well I would have served the infant; I would have washed His crib and made His bed. Oh, if only I were as fortunate as the shepherds to see Him lying the manger,’ and the like. Yes, you would do that now since you know how great Christ is. But you would have done just as little for Him as did the citizens of Bethlehem in their day. Those are childish and foolish thoughts. Why don’t you do it now? You have Christ in your neighbor whom you shall serve with good works. What you do for your neighbor who is suffering and stuck in misery, you do for Christ Himself as He will say on the last day to the elect. ‘What you have done for these My poor brothers you have done for Me.’ That is why it is so annoying, yes, foolish to hears such childish thoughts.
-Martin Luther, Christmas Eve Sermon
22: That Life Might Die
The Word of the Father, by Whom all time was created, was made flesh and was born in time for us. He, without whose divine permission no day completes its course, wished to have one day set aside for His human birth. In the bosom of His Father, He existed before all the cycles of ages; born of an earthly mother, He entered upon the course of the years on this day.
The Maker of man became Man that He, Ruler of the stars, might be nourished at His mother’s breast;
that He, the Bread, might hunger;
that He, the Fountain, might thirst;
that He, the Light, might sleep;
that He, the Way, might be wearied by the journey;
that He, the Truth, might be accused by false witnesses;
that He, the Judge of the living and the dead, might be brought to trial by a mortal judge;
that He, Justice, might be condemned by the unjust;
that He, Discipline, might be scourged with whips;
that He, the Foundation, might be suspended upon a cross;
that Courage might be weakened;
that Healer might be wounded;
that Life might die.
To endure these and similar indignities for us, to free us, unworthy creatures, He who existed as the Son of God before all ages, without a beginning, deigned to become the Son of Man in these recent years. He did this although He who submitted to such great evils for our sake had done no evil and although we, who were the recipients of so much good at His hands, had done nothing to merit these benefits.
Begotten by the Father, He was not made by the Father. He was made Man in the mother whom He Himself had made, so that He might exist here for a while, sprung from her who could never and nowhere have existed except through His power.
–Augustine of Hippo, Sermons 191.1.
23. Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Of the Father’s love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.
Oh, that birth forever blessed
When the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bare the Savior of our race,
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.
O ye heights of heaven, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.
This is He whom Heaven-taught singers
Sang of old with one accord;
Whom the Scriptures of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the Long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.
Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore.
-Aurelius C. Prudentius, 413, translated by John. M. Neale, 1818-1866 and Henry W. Baker, 1821-1977 (TLH 98)
24. The Angels Now Honor Us as Equals
“The angels wish peace to mankind, because they whom before they had seen as weak and lowly, now that the Lord is born in human flesh, they honor as equals.”
-The Venerable Bede
25. To Unite us to God
Look not therefore upon Him Who was laid in the manger as a babe merely, but in our poverty see Him Who as God is rich, and in the measure of our humanity Him Who excels the inhabitants of heaven, and Who therefore is glorified even by the holy angels. And how noble was the hymn, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and among men good will!” For the angels and archangels, thrones and lordships, and high above them the Seraphim, preserving their settled order, are at peace with God: for never in any way do they transgress His good pleasure, but are firmly established in righteousness and holiness. But we, wretched beings, by having set up our own lusts in opposition to the will of our Lord, had put ourselves into the position of enemies to Him. But by Christ this has been done away: for He is our peace; for He has united us by Himself to God the Father, having taken away from the middle the cause of the enmity, even sin, and so justifies us by faith, and makes us holy and without blame, and calls near to Him those who were afar off.
-St. Cyril of Alexandria, Sermon on Luke 2
26. Total Humiliation is the Measure of His Goodness
What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infant’s bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness.
For this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh, He gives me His Spirit; and so He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; He gives me His Spirit that He may save me.
Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been in planted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels.
-St. John Chrysostom, Nativity Sermon
27. The Joy of the Virgin Birth
To Eve our mother a man gave birth, who himself had had no birth. How much more should Eve’s daughter be believed to have borne a Child without a man! The virgin earth, she bare that Adam that was head over the earth! The Virgin bare today the Adam that was Head over the Heavens. The staff of Aaron, it budded, and the dry wood yielded fruit! Its mystery is cleared up today, for the virgin womb a Child has borne!
– St. Ephraim the Syrian (Hymn 1, on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh)
28. You Are Safe
Softly from His lowly manger
Jesus calls
One and all,
“You are safe from danger.
Children, from the sins that grieve you
You are freed;
All you need
I will surely give you.”
-Paul Gerhardt, All My Heart Again Rejoices (LSB 360:5)
