The Incarnation.

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In order to have clearly before us the great truth of the incarnation it will be well to quote the following Scriptures which refer in a direct way to this momentous truth.

"The Word became flesh" — John 1: 14.

"God was manifest in the flesh" — 1 Tim. 3: 16.

"Who subsisting in the form of God, . . . emptied Himself, taking a bondman's form, taking His place in the likeness of men; and having been found in figure as a man, humbled Himself." — Phil. 2: 5-8.

"Since therefore the children partake of blood and flesh, He also in like manner took part in the same." — Heb. 2: 14.

"Thou hast prepared Me a body." — Heb. 10: 5.

"Jesus Christ come in flesh." — 1 John 4: 3.

These passages clearly show that the truth of the incarnation consists in the great fact that a Divine Person — the Son — became flesh. took a bondman's form, took a place in the likeness of men, was found in figure as a man, partook of blood and flesh, and dwelt in the body prepared for Him.

What can exceed the wonder of the incarnation? "God manifest in the flesh." Manifestation supposes a previous existence but a hidden existence; and that the One hitherto hidden comes into manifestation. The One who in His own essential Being dwells "in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen or can see," becomes manifest in flesh — was seen of Angels, while the adoring hearts of his disciples could say "we have heard, we have seen with our eyes, we have looked upon, and our hands have handled the Word of life."

Moreover the way of the incarnation is as marvellous as the fact is wonderful. For we read "Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger" — the divine answer to the cry that went up from a human heart, "Oh that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down" (Isa. 64: 1-3). God has indeed come down, though not in such fashion as the Prophet desired — like melting fire and boiling water, to make the nations tremble at His presence — He has answered the cry, but in His own way and according to His own heart, a way, indeed, that stills our fears and captivates the heart that is touched by grace and love Divine. Truly has it been said, "nothing in human life makes us so much at home . . . as an infant in its cradle." God has drawn near to us at the lowest point of our weakness, and in the greatest depth of our poverty. He ignored the imperial city of Rome, He passed by the royal city of Jerusalem, and He chose Bethlehem, though "little among the thousands of Judah:" and even so He passed by such poor fare as the village inn could supply and chose the shelter of the oxen's stall. There in Bethlehem's stable the One "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting," was brought forth and cradled in a manger. The womb of the virgin, the manger of Bethlehem, the arms of Simeon, and the home of Nazareth mark the stages in this wondrous story of the Incarnate Son — God manifest in the flesh. What, we may ask, was the great purpose of the incarnation? The Scripture that so vividly presents the incarnation, speaks with equal clearness of the purpose of incarnation. Having declared the great fact that "The Word became flesh," the Apostle proceeds to tell us that the One who became incarnate "dwelt among us," and moreover that the One who dwelt among us is the Only-begotten Son, who declares the Father. Here surely we have a bright intimation of the two-fold purpose of incarnation. God dwelling in the midst of men, and God known by men.

If the first step of the fulfilment of this blessed purpose was taken on that great day when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the last step of the journey will be reached on that yet greater day when, in the new heavens and the new earth the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them. We know indeed that between the beginning and the end of this great journey there must of necessity come the Cross, and the great work of atonement. For man is fallen and guilty, and if God is to dwell with men, it must be with men made suited to God by the work of His own Son — a work which glorifies God and puts away the sin of man. The incarnation involves the Cross and leads to the glory. And when at last that glory is reached, God will dwell with infinite satisfaction in the midst of a people made infinitely happy in the knowledge of Himself.

Furthermore if the Scriptures unfold to us the wonder and purpose of the incarnation, they are equally careful in guarding the glory of the One who became incarnate. The incarnation has given fallen man the opportunity to express in word and deed the enmity of his heart against his God. The Lord Himself could say, "The reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon Me" (Ps. 69: 9). Such is the hatred of man towards God that he attacks every Person in the Godhead, but by reason of the incarnation the Person of the Son has ever been the special object of man's hostility. Men have seized upon the lowly grace of His Manhood to deny the glories of His Deity, and to call in question His moral perfection. The Scriptures have forestalled the wickedness of men by clearly revealing that the incarnation of the Son implies no change in His glorious Person, and communicates no taint from fallen humanity.

As to the glory of His Person. Scripture is careful to show that the Incarnation involves no change in the Person, and no addition to the Person, of the One who became incarnate. He was ever the Son and remains the Son. There was indeed a great change in the "form" which He took, the "likeness" in which He was found and the nature of which He partook, but there was no change as to His Person; Nothing that in grace He became, could add to, or take from, what He was. There was no dual personality in the Son become incarnate. He can say, "I and the Father are one," He never said "I and the Son are one," for He was the Son, and the Manhood that He took conferred upon Him no fresh personality distinct from, or in conjunction with, the Person of the Son. The Person was one and to that nothing could be added by what He became. He comes forth from the Father, sent by the Father, having the very nature of the Father, but was born of a woman, and so partook of human nature, while ever remaining a Divine Person. We do not see two persons united in Christ, as some have falsely taught, but two natures in One Person, which are surely distinct though nevermore to be viewed as separate. He, by birth, partook of human nature while ever remaining a Divine Person; we, by grace, partake of the divine nature while ever remaining human persons.

Personality, whether human or divine, ever remains the same however much the conditions in which it may be found may vary. A well known servant of the Lord has said, speaking of Christ, "He could say 'I' as God — 'Before Abraham was I am.' And He could say 'I' as man — 'I will put my trust in him.' But these were not two 'I's,' the person was one — 'the Son'". Again referring to Scripture he says, "I read there of a Person — the Word, existing in eternity, Himself the Creator. I read of that same Person become flesh, a man on earth amongst men, a true, real, individual man, but the same blessed Person — God manifest in the flesh, the Son whom God sent in likeness of flesh of sin, God's Son, come of a woman. There is no thought of a change in the Person, the real 'I'. He is always the same, though His 'form' is changed, and the condition in which He has life. When 'He' took part in flesh and blood who was 'He'? Personal identity does not change, though form and condition may.

These are sound and sober words, and to them we may add the testimony of yet another, who, commenting on our Lord's words, "Before Abraham was I AM" very truly remarks, "I AM is the proper expression of His existence. While time rolls on 'I AM' remains unchanged, and when time has rolled away 'I AM' subsists the same." This too is a true testimony in accord with the Scripture which declares "THOU REMAINEST" and "THOU ART THE SAME." The same glorious Person whether in the bosom of the Father, the womb of the virgin, or the arms of Simeon; whether in the manger of Bethlehem, the garden of Gethsemane, or on the Cross of Calvary; whether before the foundation of the world, through the ages of time, or when the world shall be no more. "FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING THOU ART GOD."

Further let us note that though the Creator comes into His own creation, and draws nigh to His creature, yet in so doing He never ceases to be the Creator and Upholder of all things. The manner of the conception in the virgin's womb cuts off the entail with Adam — the created man. By Divine generation the Babe was formed and grew in the virgin's womb. It is not said that the body He took was "created," but that it was "prepared." Adam was created, the women was formed from Adam, and Christ was the "seed of the woman." and that by Divine generation. Thus we judge, with jealous care the unholy thought is excluded, that would speak of Christ as a "creature" because He became Man in His own creation.

As to His moral perfection. If the glory of the Person who has become incarnate is carefully maintained, so too His Person is jealously guarded from all taint of evil by reason of the incarnation. This is assured to us by the manner of the incarnation as recorded in the gospel of Luke. There we learn that Mary is told that "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest overshadow thee wherefore the Holy thing also which shall be born shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1: 35). One has said, "The Holy Ghost should come upon her, should act in "power upon this earthen vessel, without its own will, or the will of any man. Therefore 'that holy thing' which was born of Mary was called the Son of God. God acting upon Mary . . . was the divine source of His existence on the earth as Man." He was not man innocent, still less man fallen, He was Man holy. "The entail of transmitted sin is in Him cut off by His supernatural birth of a virgin mother."

Next Part The Manhood of Christ.

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