Daily Devotional
"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil."
Hebrews 2:14
There is something important we must understand about the Incarnation: this was a real incarnation. Jesus took on real flesh and blood. If Herod’s soldiers had slashed the baby with swords, He would have bled and died. That is what being truly incarnate means.
Jesus was genuinely vulnerable. As a baby, He could have been killed. And yet God protected Him. Why? Because Jesus had to die, but not yet. Not as an infant, not at the hands of Herod’s soldiers. He had to die as a grown man on a cross to bear your sin and my sin. God’s timing is never accidental.
The Son of God became man to ensure that humanity, God’s image-bearer, would not be erased from the divine vision due to our mortal weakness and our constant propensity to use our will to attempt to gain autonomy from God. Since the Garden, we have been trying to be our own gods. And God knew that in and of ourselves, we could never find our way back to Him. He had to come. He had to send His Son. He had to take on our flesh and blood to restore the relationship we had broken.
This is why Christmas is not just celebration; it is confession. The Incarnation is a confession that we as Christians make: we are not worthy, we are not capable of saving ourselves. And that is why God came in flesh and blood for us. The King of kings started His earthly life on the run, as a refugee, genuinely at risk. He identified with our vulnerability so He could become our Savior.
Today's Challenge
Why is it significant to you that Jesus was genuinely vulnerable, not merely appearing to be human? How does His true incarnation affect your confidence in Him as a sympathetic Savior who understands your weakness?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I am amazed that You, the eternal Son of God, took on real flesh and blood. You made Yourself genuinely vulnerable. You could have been hurt, could have been killed as an infant, yet You came anyway. You identified with my weakness, my mortality, my vulnerability. Thank You for not staying safe in heaven but entering into the danger and brokenness of this world to save me. I confess that I could never have saved myself. I needed You to come. Help me never to take the Incarnation for granted. In Your name, Amen.
