Monday, December 1, 2008

The Wonder of the Incarnation

The Apostle's Creed tells us that our God is "Maker of Heaven and Earth". This can be demonstrated with undeniable scientific precision by performing the intricate experiment of walking outside. God's glory is demonstrated in all He has made. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see God's creative, caring, and revealing hand. His fingerprints are everywhere! As Paul stated,

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." (Romans 1:20).

Yet we also see fallenness in creation. When sin entered God's good world, everything went askew. We are now alienated from our creator, our neighbor, ourselves, and even creation itself (Rom 8:21-22). That explains the homesickness in the center of our souls. As G.K. Chesterton said:

"For men are homesick in their homes,
And strangers under the sun,
And they lay on their heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is done."
(From "The House of Christmas")

But God has not abandoned his fallen creation. He send His Son on a rescue mission to reclaim creation and restore all that was lost in the fall. The wonder of the incarnation is that to reclaim creation, Christ became a part of creation. The Creator is created, the Maker is made! Truly we have no response to this overwhelming truth other than flat-out mind-bending awe and face-to-the-floor worship!

So take these words by Christopher Smart (1722-1771) and reclaim the wonder of Christmas:

Where is this stupendous stranger?
Prophets, shepherds, kings, advise.
Lead me to my Master's manger,
show me where my Savior lies.
O Most Mighty! O Most Holy!
Far beyond the seraph's thought:
art thou then so weak and lowly
as unheeded prophets taught?

O the magnitude of meekness!
Worth from worth immortal sprung;
O the strength of infant weakness,
if eternal is so young!
God all-bounteous, all-creative,
whom no ills from good dissuade,
is incarnate, and a native
of the very world he made.


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