1. REFLECTIONS on THE INCARNATION

2. HUMAN LONGING
1. DESIRE TO SEE GOD IN HUMAN FORM 2. JESUS’ ANSWER TO PHILIP SHOWS THAT THIS LONGING IS FULFILLED IN SEEING THE IMAGE OF GOD IN JESUS CHRIST!

3. HUMAN LONGING 3. PHILIP’S DESIRE IS NOT WRONG
IDOLATRY IS FULFILLING A RIGHT LONGING BY A WRONG METHOD
IDOLATRY IS NOT LIMITED TO WORSHIP OF IMAGES – ANYTHING THAT SUBSTITUTES GOD IS AN IDOL

4. DEFINITION OF INCARNATION
1. A DEITY EMBODIED IN THE FLESH 2. CHRISTIAN DEFINITION – THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD, THE SON, IN THE HUMAN PERSON OF JESUS, THE CHRIST 3. FROM LATIN, INCARNARE = MAKE FLESH

5. THREE ASPECTS TO BE ADDRESSED
THE NARRATIVAL REALITY
THE THEOLOGICAL NECESSITY
THE PHILOSOPHICAL POSSIBILITY

6. 1. The Narratival Reality

7. WHY IS THIS ASPECT IMPORTANT?
1. BECAUSE CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A SET OF PRINCIPLES BUT A NARRATIVE 2. WHEN WE PUT OUR FAITH IN CHRIST, OUR LITTLE STORIES BECOME PART OF GOD’S BIG STORY

8. WHY IS THIS ASPECT IMPORTANT?
3. HUMAN PROBLEM OF REBELLION CANNOT BE SOLVED BY GOOD PRIINCIPLES – GOD HAS TO ENTER THE HUMAN RACE 4. GOD CHOOSES A MAN CALLED ABRAHAM THROUGH HIM A KING CALLED DAVID AS THE ANCESTORS OF JESUS

9. WHY IS THIS ASPECT IMPORTANT?
5. THE FOLLOWING 12 HISTORIC PROPHETIC QUOTES ARE NOT SIMPLY TO BE APPRECIATED FOR THEIR PREDICTIVE ABILITY BUT AS PART OF THE GENIUS OF GOD IN PREPARING HUMAN HISTORY FOR THE ENTRY OF JESUS

10. The Narratival Reality
1. THE SEED OF THE WOMAN – Gen. 3:15 – fulfilled in Gal. 4:4
2. THE SEED OF ABRAHAM – Gen 12:1-3 – fulfilled in Matt.1:1
3. THE SON CALLED OUT OF EGYPT – Hosea 11:1 – quoted in Matt.2:15 – THE CHURCH IS THE SPIRITUAL ISRAEL TRANSFERRED FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT – Col.1:13

11. The Narratival Reality
4. THE KINGDOM OF DAVID – II Sam. 7:16 – fulfilled in Lk.1:69
5. DAVID’S SON, DAVID’S LORD – Ps.110:1 – referred to in Matt.22:41-44
6. THE SERVANT OF YAHWEH – Is – referred to in Rom.4:25

12. The Narratival Reality
7. THE ‘SON OF MAN’ – Dan.7:13 – referred to in Matt.26:63,64
8. ‘GOD WITH US’ – Is.7:14 – fulfilled in Matt.1:23
9. ‘MIGHTY GOD – CHILD WHO IS BORN’ – Is.9:6 – fulfilled in Lk.2:11 – HE IS LORD

13. The Narratival Reality
10. THE RESURRECTION OF THE SON OF GOD – Hos.6:1-3 – referred to in I Cor.15:4
11. THE GLORY OF THE SERVANT – Is.53: – referred to in Lk.24:26
12. ‘A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH’ – Is.65:17-25 – to be fulfilled in Rev.21,22

14. 2. The Theological Necessity

15. BECAUSE WE NEED TO RECOGNISE THAT RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE TRIUNE GOD AND SINFUL HUMANS CAN BE EFFECTED ONLY BY THE SACRIFICE OF A DIVINE-HUMAN BEING

16. JESUS HAD TO BE HUMAN
To identify with the human race by being tempted in all points ‘like we are’
To identify Himself with the solidarity of the human race
To completely obey the commandments of an awesomely holy God as a Man
To elevate the human race to fellowship with the Divine and exercise authority over all

17. JESUS HAD TO BE DIVINE In order to be sinless at birth
To be precious enough to redeem the whole of creation – qualitatively and quantitatively
To be able to encompass past, present and future humanity - temporally

18. TWO HERESIES
1. ARIANISM – Jesus was not fully divine, but almost divine 2. DOCETISM – Jesus appeared to be human but actually was only divine

19. 3. The Philosophical Possibility

20. BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE SURE THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH A MYSTERY AND NOT A CONTRADICTION WHEN WE PUT OUR FAITH IN THE INCARNATION

21. EMPIRICAL PREREQUISITES FOR THE INCARNATION
1. GOD HAS TO BE TRINITY
2. HUMANS HAVE TO BE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD
3. BOTH THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE STATED IN GEN.1

22. LOGIC OF THE INCARNATION
1. DIVINE – HUMAN COMMUNICATION 2. RELATIONSHIP OF SQUARE TO CUBE; NOT THAT OF SALT TO SUGAR

23. OBJECT
IMAGE
(1)
( 0 )
(2)
(1)
(3)
(2)

24. LOGIC OF THE INCARNATION
3. BORN OF WOMAN – SON OF GOD 4. THE INCARNATION OF JESUS IS PERMANENT - AS MEDIATOR – AS SUBORDINATE TO THE FATHER - AS BRIDEGROOM OF THE CHURCH

25. LOGIC OF THE INCARNATION
5. JESUS LIMITED ‘HIMSELF’ – THE LIMITATION WAS NOT IMPOSED BY SOMEONE ELSE 6. INCARNATIONS IN SOME MYTHOLOGIES INVOLVED ANIMALS OR ANGELS – JESUS CAN ONLY BECOME MAN WITHOUT CEASING TO BE GOD

26. IMPLICATIONS OF THE INCARNATION
1. CHRISTIAN MESSAGE IS TO BE INCARNATIONAL – THE MESSENGER IS THE MESSAGE 2. IT IS THIS EMBODIMENT THAT REVEALS THE NATURE OF CHRISTIAN TRUTH

27. IMPLICATIONS OF THE INCARNATION
3. DISCIPLESHIP-MAKING IS BY MODELLING – NOT TRANSFER OF INFORMATION 4. CROSS-BEARING IS FUNDAMENTAL TO EVANGELISM

28. IMPLICATIONS OF THE INCARNATION
5. THE INCARNATION TEACHES US THAT WE NEED TO MOVE OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE