The Incarnation of God (Matthew 1:18-25)

Last Sunday was the fourth of our church’s five sermon series on doctrine and we covered
the incarnation of God, that is, the second person of the Trinity (Christ) becoming a human
person.

The incarnation of God, its meaning and good news for us has been clarified by the first
seven ecumenical (universal) councils of the church. The ecumenical councils state these
important truths:
• Jesus himself is God in the same sense that the Father is God;
• Even as Jesus is a fully divine person so is the Holy Spirit;
• Mary is the Mother of God;
• Jesus is fully divine and fully human (two natures);
• God died (death was undergone by the Son of God as “One of the Trinity suffered in
the flesh”); and
• Christ had both a divine and a human will.

The incarnation in the virgin birth tells us that Jesus’ birth is a divine initiative, God became
man, who is born not only to be within history but also above history. Christ took not only a
human body but also a human spirit, mind and soul like ours. Christ assumed not only
unfallen but fallen human nature. Christ had to completely share in our humanity. Had
Christ’s sharing in our humanity been in some way incomplete, then likewise, our salvation
would have been incomplete. Salvation is thus Christ sharing in our lives to save us. Even
today Christ is sharing in our lives, he walks and talks to us, leads and comforts us, picks
us up when we fall.

Jesus’ incarnation, crucifixion, death and resurrection tells us that his death on the cross is
victory. It is a victory of suffering love. Jesus when he was on earth loved us to the end
(John 13:1) and he completed what he came to do for us (John 19:30). It is the work of
suffering love, victory of love over hatred, and in the cross the paradox of love’s
omnipotence. Christ loves us yesterday, today and forever. Hallelujah and God bless.

Pastor Boo Teong Khoo