The Incarnation of the Son in Jesus of Nazareth
The incarnation refers to the moment when God's plan of redemption for man took on a human nature. This plan "became flesh" in Jesus of Nazareth. The term is most closely associated with the prologue in John 1:4.
This shows that God is one, but also triune, giving himself in the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as can be seen in the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. This sacred truth alludes to the very essence of the Deity, but its full knowledge is impossible, although what is revealed, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can understand. Iglesia Cristiana Fort Worth teach it and here we declare it.
Birth
The Bible does not tell us much about Jesus’ family and early life, but we do know that He was born in a town called Nazareth. He was the first of a new breed of human being—a Son of God who would bring redemption to this world and give eternal life to those who would accept Him.
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke each feature a story of Jesus’ birth. Each emphasizes different aspects of the story and omits others. It is important to remember that each of the Gospels was written by a Christian community and as such reflects some of the concerns and issues of the group that produced it.
Both of these Gospels contain a story of the virgin birth, but the detail and context differ from one another. In Matthew’s account the angel Gabriel visits a young woman named Mary, who is betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David, and announces that she will conceive a child and name him Jesus. The angel tells Mary that this child will be a Savior and that he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
According to the Gospels, Mary was very frightened at this announcement and was troubled in spirit (Luke 2:3). But in the end she obeyed, and the angel’s promise came to pass.
There is also an emphasis in this Gospel on how this miraculous birth fulfilled a prophecy of Isaiah. It was a sign to all peoples of the coming of the Lord. In fact, the Gospel of John also uses this as a major theme in its description of Jesus’ ministry.
In addition to these themes, there is the mention of the wise men from the East who bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus. It is important to understand that these are symbolic items, rather than actual gifts. The true gift that the wise men brought was their own wisdom and faith in Christ’s message and His work. In the same way, the “gift” of spiritual birth described in the New Testament refers to our adoption into God’s family by the power of His Spirit.
Life
The word incarnation is Latin for “carried into” or “into flesh.” This refers to the union of divinity with human nature in Jesus of Nazareth. It is the climax of God’s self-disclosure to mankind (cf. Heb. 1:1). The incarnation fulfills the Old Testament symbolism of God dwelling with his people in the tabernacle and temple. It is also the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, including that he would be despised and rejected (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53).
In his earthly ministry, Jesus was both teacher and healer. His miracles demonstrated his power over the physical world: he raised the dead, walked on water, calmed storms, and cast out evil spirits. His teaching style was varied: he used parables and allegories, appealed to precedent in scripture, quoted from the Old Testament, taught forthrightly with authority, and candidly corrected error. He also employed irony and sarcasm.
Those who knew him best affirmed that he was the Messiah, the promised Deliverer. Despite being a son of Mary, he was not a slave but a freeman (John 8:36; Matthew 20:28). The gospels recount that he had many spiritual gifts and ministered in all the ways of the Spirit (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
It is important to remember that Jesus was fully human—an innocent man who suffered from physical and emotional pain as well as temptations, hunger, and exhaustion. He also grew spiritually and intellectually, and became more and more empathetic to others. This is a key reason why the crucifixion of Jesus was so shocking and disturbing to those who witnessed it and to all who read or heard about it.
The incarnation was the most significant event in the history of mankind, and it has shaped the world we live in. It re-established the covenant between God and humanity and opened the door to the heavenly kingdom. It is the supreme event of the divine revelation to man, and it is recorded in detail in the New Testament canon of Scripture. God spoke in the past through prophets, but now he speaks in fullness and finality in his only-begotten Son (Heb. 1:1; 2:14).
Death
The biblical story of the incarnation tells us that Jesus Christ was both human and divine, a single individual who is both God the Son and man the Son. As a man, Jesus of Nazareth worked as a carpenter and fished on the Sea of Galilee. He was not well-known to the movers and shakers of society. He was unpopular with religious leaders. In one sense he was the fulfillment of the ritual scapegoat, the goat that was led to the wilderness on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:7-22).
But as God the Son, he had preexisted and stood in relation to his Father with full authority, power, and privilege. He had a plan for his people. That plan involved his sacrificing himself. It also included the resurrection, which is a sign of his divinity.
In the Old Testament, God made a promise to Isaiah that his miraculous virgin-born son would come from heaven and establish a new kingdom (Isaiah 7:16-17). Matthew’s application of this prophecy to Jesus of Nazareth, a man born of a virgin and possessing a royal lineage, is a divinely inspired affirmation of the incarnation.
Jesus’ use of the title Son of man is another indication that he was considered to be God in human flesh. The term “son of man” is used some eighty times in the Bible. It has a variety of meanings, but it is most often regarded as a messianic title. In the Gospels, Jesus used it to describe himself a number of times.
The Synoptics record that two days before Passover the chief priests, scribes, and elders met in the house of Caiaphas the high priest to finalize their plot to arrest and kill Jesus (Matthew 26:2-5; Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-53). Satan entered into Judas, who covenanted with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Then the disciples took him to Annas, who was the former high priest (AD 7-15) and father-in-law to the current high priest, Joseph ben Caiaphas (AD 18-36). Annas interrogated Jesus and mistreated him. He then sent him to Caiaphas.
Resurrection
The Gospels are filled with stories of Jesus’ ministry, atoning sacrifice and Resurrection. He came to reveal God’s true character and purpose, including His great love for people. His perfect life, selfless death and triumphant resurrection were not an accident, but a divinely orchestrated plan to bring redemption to a broken world (Luke 19:10). The New Testament teaches that God’s ultimate goal is to save all of the lost through His Son, Jesus of Nazareth (John 3:16). The death and resurrection of Jesus are central to the Gospel message and a key to having a personal relationship with God.
The New Testament reveals that the preexistent Word became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 1:14, 14:16, 17). He was God’s Son, the one to whom all Scripture leads and who is both God and man (1 John 4:14). He is the only mediator between God and humankind (John 3:18). He is also the fulfillment of God’s law promises to Israel and a new covenant for all of the world (Jeremiah 31:31).
In the Gospels, the incarnation of the Son begins with Jesus entering Jerusalem in a triumphant procession at the beginning of Passover week. It was a time of great messianic fervor and expectation. The Gospels record that multitudes praised him and cried, “Hosanna!” (Matthew 21:9). It was a sign that He is the Messiah.
This event is the first of many signs and miracles that will follow. The Gospels record a number of healings, including the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44). The anointing of Jesus on the night before Passover (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50) is another. This is a clear fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa. 7:16-17), which arose in response to the news of Lazarus’s death and resurrection.
The Gospels present a different picture of what happened on that resurrection morning, but the result is the same: hundreds of witnesses saw for themselves that the risen Jesus was alive in a tangible body of flesh and bones. The resurrected Christ opened Scripture, walked among the disciples and helped them understand what had just taken place.
The incarnation refers to the moment when God's plan of redemption for man took on a human nature. This plan "became flesh" in Jesus of Nazareth. The term is most closely associated with the prologue in John 1:4. This shows that God is one, but also triune, giving himself in the relationship of Father, Son…