The Incarnate Christ
Scripture Reading: John 1:1-18
Meditation
Every story starts somewhere. Either it opens with a fanciful,
“Once upon a time …”
Or it launches out with an adventurous,
“A long time ago …”
Or it looks back, reminisces, and recollects past events with a nostalgic,
“I remember when …”.
But what do you do when the story you’re about to tell has no beginning? It has no beginning because the one you’re telling the story about is eternal. He’s beyond time, before time, between times. His story is the never-beginning story but it’s also the never-ending story. Where do you begin when there is no beginning?
Such is the dilemma of the apostle John.
As he’s about to start his Gospel—the story of the Eternal Word, the Son of God, who wraps himself in human flesh—John writes a prologue. He tells a pre-story before he speaks of history. He describes the Eternal Word before that Word became flesh. Before he became Jesus.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
Mystified, John says,
“Before it all began the Word was there.”
“When it all began he was there.”
“After it began he was there.”
John’s pre-story takes place in eternity. It’s beyond the capacity of human reason and is filled with mystery. But the good news that John declares is that the Eternal Word doesn’t want to remain a mystery.
He wants to be known.
He wants to reveal himself. He wants to speak. He wants to move from pre-story to human history, unknown to known, invisible to visible, distant to near. He wants to become the Incarnate Christ. He wants to take on human flesh and be called “Jesus”.
“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Incarnate Christ pitches his tent on human soil. He walks among those he created. He dwells with them, speaks to them, listens to their cry, feels their pain, and he comes to their aid.
He is close—so close— always present.
And as the Incarnate Christ comes, he doesn’t come empty handed. His hands are full of grace and truth. He brings blessing after blessing after blessing—heavenly gifts for earthly grief.
“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known”.
The distinguishing characteristic of the incarnation is that the Incarnate Christ takes the initiative. The One and Only leaves the Father’s side and becomes the man called Jesus. As a man, he makes divinity touchable, approachable, and knowable.
The definitive challenge of the incarnation is not to comprehend how God did it or to understand why he did it. Instead, it involves living in the reality that he did it. The Incarnate Christ is still physically present. He hasn’t moved out of the neighborhood.
As Grace he forgives.
As Truth he reveals.
As the One and Only, he’s still the only one who reveals the Father.
Prayer
Father,
The mystery of your divinity is that before time began, eternity existed. Before humanity there was solely Trinity. And before the world’s drama took the stage, there was only one story: the story of your Son, the Word. He had no beginning, no end; he was, is, and will forever remain as “Always.”
Because he was the Word, he couldn’t remain mute. He wouldn’t remain hushed or silent. He had to speak. From eternity he said,
“Let there be …”.
He fashioned everything from nothing.
He created time and then he entered it. The Eternal Word spoke to his creation. He used its language and heard its cry. He took on human flesh. He became incarnate. Eternity wrapped itself in time. “Always” became “every day” in every way. The Word became a man. He made divinity touchable, approachable, and knowable.
During this day, I want to be reminded that the Incarnate Christ has come near to me.
Though he may be unseen to my eyes, assure me that he is present, physically, by my side. I want to ask him, with great confidence and boldness, for the fullness of his grace and truth. Above all, I desire to know him and—through him—to see you, Father.
It’s in his name I pray. Amen.
Reflection
What comfort is there in knowing that your God took on human flesh?
How has the Incarnate Christ “made his dwelling among you”? How is Jesus’ story living and active in you?
The Incarnate Christ is “full of grace and truth”. As Grace, how has he forgiven you? As Truth, what has he revealed to you? How have you received “one blessing after another”?
What does it mean that the One and Only is the only one that reveals the Father?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (John 1:1-18). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.