December 23 – God Incarnate
And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16
God Incarnate (December 23)
Around Christmastime, I have always heard this phrase, “God Incarnate”, and I never really thought a lot about it. Singing it in Christmas carols. Listening to it in sermons.
However, this year, it has really come alive to me that Jesus is God. He sat on His throne in Heaven with all the rights, privileges, power, and authority that being God entails. What a wonderful place to be!
He left heaven to come to us
It was heaven and He was the King; yet, Jesus left His throne to be born as a baby in a stable of animals. He chose to live with temptations and pain and heartache. When He was King of all Heaven, he became lowly and humbled Himself, even to being put to death for sins that were not His.
The Mystery of Godliness
And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16
So many miracles are inherent in this act of love by Jesus. He loved us so much that He stepped into flesh – God incarnate.
The Spirit vindicated Him as He was baptized by John the Baptist. The Father spoke from heaven. The Spirit endorsed Him by coming down from Heaven like a dove and landing on Him.
Angels were in involved every step of the way, from before Jesus was born! Jesus is still preached throughout all nations. People all around the world in Him. He rose from the dead and was taken up in glory. What a miracle!
It all started with a baby
And it all started with Jesus taking on the form of a baby. God incarnate. In the flesh, experiencing all the highs and lows of life so that we can trust that He has been there and cares for us.
The phrase “God Incarnate” has so much more meaning for me this year. When I feel down or hurt or betrayed, Jesus has been there. I can lean into His strength. When I am happy and triumphant, He shares in my joy. Because He became God Incarnate, He us the best of friends. Always there. Can relate to everything. Loves beyond imagining.
December 23 Devotional Action Step:
Let’s lean into His strength and power today as we get closer to Christmas Day. The buildup to the main event can be exciting, nostalgic, and definitely exhausting. We can lean into the peace, joy, and strength of Jesus this season.
Keep coming back to Him in prayer as you feel yourself getting frustrated, overly tired, or irritable. Draw on the Prince of Peace to keep the right focus and attitude. He overcame all things so that we can be overcomers! Let’s have a truly joyful Christmas all the way through this year!
Prayer:
Dear God, remind me that I don’t have to do everything in my own strength. Jesus became God Incarnate for all of us. He has been there and can lend His strength to me. Help me to take advantage of that wonderful peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Access to the other posts in this series and the free printables for this December can be found at the Series Overview page. Come join me as I pursue the peace and joy on the Savior’s birth throughout the month of December!