The Message of John (Lesson 5)
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
–John 1:14
The eternal Word of God, the second person of the trinity, became human in the person of Jesus Christ.
This is what we mean by his incarnation.
Okay, so we’ve heard that word before. But what does it really mean? Hang tight for just a sec and let me explain.
The word "incarnation" comes from a Latin word, "incarnatio," which means "embodiment." The first part of the word, "in," means to connect or put something together. Carnatio comes from "carnis," which means "flesh" in Latin. For example, a carnivore is an animal that eats meat, which is the "flesh" of other animals. So, to incarnate something is literally "to make flesh" by giving something a body that previously did not possess one.
That may be more than you wanted to know about the meaning of incarnation. 🙂 Simply put, the incarnation means God "took on flesh," or became a human being.
As John writes in chapter 1, verse 14 of his gospel,
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
The incarnation of Jesus emphasizes both his deity and his humanity. As the Word, he is God. Then, in his incarnation, God became a human.
Therefore, in taking on a human body, Jesus became just like us. God in the flesh!
He was not just a spirit or an apparition. He was truly human, had a physical body, and lived among us.
Jesus experienced all the joys and sorrows that we experience. He even suffered and died.
His death is important because Jesus didn't only come to experience life as a human, he came to die in our place as our representative before the law of God.
As sinners, we deserve the penalty of death. But Jesus endured that penalty for us–as one of us. Now, because of his atoning blood, we may be forgiven of our sin and reconciled to God.
That is one reason why his humanity is so important. Jesus, as the embodiment of grace, is also the source of grace, which is a truth to believe and celebrate.
Discussion Questions
What does the word "incarnation" mean?
How does the incarnation of Jesus emphasize both his deity and his humanity?
Why is it important that Jesus became just like us in taking on a human body?
How does Jesus' atoning blood make it possible for us to be forgiven of our sin and reconciled to God?
What is the significance of Jesus as the embodiment of grace and the source of grace?
A Suggested Prayer
Dear Father in heaven,
We thank you for the incarnation of Jesus, the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us. Help us to believe that he became flesh to save us from our sins, that we may be reconciled to you as our God, without fear and with great joy.
In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.