“And evidently great is the mystery of godliness, which was manifested to the flesh, was justified in the spirit, appeared unto angels, hath been preached unto the gentiles, is believed in the world, is taken up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16
The season of advent and the ensuing Christmas celebration is a most important feast in the Liturgical Calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. This feast reminds us of a great mystery in our Christian faith – the INCARNATION. When the Eternal Word, the Son of God became flesh. The Scripture quoted above summarizes the entire mystery of the Incarnation. This mystery defies human interpretation but is the synthesis of the mystery of the Christian Religion. And indeed, the Pauline Christology acknowledges the great godliness of this mystery. In this essay I will attempt to explain or to say to give testimony of what I believe about the Incarnation and I submit entirely to the magisterium of the Church.
The Holy Scriptures provides us with a glimpse of God’s interaction and relationship with humankind. The book of Genesis gives us an idea of God’s plan for humankind and for the future. Although as ordinary human beings we can never fully grasp the plans of God but by his entire grace he has provided us with a glimpse of it. The Almighty has created Adam and Eve with pure innocence and it was His plan that they serve Him with love. The very love that animates the Holy Trinity would also animate the relationship between Adam and Eve and with God. But since the enemy of God, that old serpent is always oppose to God and out of envy seduced Adam and Eve into disobedience and because of this they committed what the theologians called, “original sin”. The diorama of Man’s fall is described by the mystic-venerable Mary of Agreda in this manner:
“But the happy state in which God hath created the parents of the human race lasted only a very short while. The envy of the serpent was immediately aroused against them, for satan was impatiently waiting their creation and no sooner were they created, than his hatred became active against them.” [p 35]
The subject of original sin has been the subjects of debates and disputes. But I found the simple illustration of the clouded mirror as the best example to illustrate this. A person can see through clearly when the mirror is clean but when the mirror is clouded a person can see only shapes and shadows. Hence when humankind was created in accordance with the image of God, They originally mirror the goodness of God. But original sin has clouded this image. For this reason St. Paul wrote: “Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, “unto uncleanness to dishonor their own bodies among themselves. …And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient…” [Romans 1:24, 28] by this it shows us that under this condition man is unable to save himself unless God intervenes through His grace. Grace means the unmerited favor from God. Thus, salvation and eternal life is not the product of Humankind's striving to be saved but by the Grace of God. This is the main reason why St. John in his gospel narrative said that if the Law came through Moses in the Old Testament, Grace came through Jesus Christ. The Law illustrates to us the righteousness and holiness of God. St. Paul said that not a single soul has achieve the holiness prescribed by the Gospel. The animal sacrifices in the Jewish Temple points to this weakness of humankind and their need for atonement. Yet these blood of lambs, goats and bullocks cannot cleanse humankind from sin. Because those who were sprinkled with these blood still commits sin. But they who by faith in Jesus Christ and is regenerated by Baptism is freed from sin and receives the pledged of salvation. Thus it was necessary for Christ to be incarnated in order to fulfill the requirements of the Holiness of God and to put the bridge that would connect God and Humankind together again. Do we ever wonder why our mind always conceived of evil things. And those that are not pleasing to God are the objects of our thoughts and actions? This is because of original sin. Under the state of innocence humans were always a tuned and conformed to the will of God. How different this situation would have been, had humans stayed in Paradise. In Paradise and under the State of Grace, Humankind were in full communion with God, their creator. For whatever is pure, holy, good, mercy, love and faith permeates their consciousness. Their desires and will is fully in accord with the will of God. But original sin had such a profound effect on humans that it severed their relationship with God, of which only the act of grace on the part of God through His Son (who is the tree of Life) would restoration be made possible. This the reason why St. Paul said that even creation itself groans until the children of God are manifest. Our defect affected not only us but creation itself. The land was cursed on account of Adam becasue of original sin.
The necessity of Incarnation is a complex theological subject to discuss. And i will not attempt to discuss it in a theological manner but will with the eyes of faith. The incarnation of the becoming flesh of the Son of God is necessary from the point of view of atonement. The concept of atonement has been discussed profoundly in the Old testament. The animal sacrifices in the temple prefigures the atonement to be made by Jesus Christ, who when he ascended the cross made himself the priest and victim at the same time. This is the reason why when he expired on the cross, the curtain of the temple was rent asunder, to show that He as the high Priest has already fulfilled the one sacrifice necessary to appease the justice and indignation of God against all sin. For God is a holy God. Under the state of condemnation humans cannot save themselves, they need a savior. And in order to do this the one who would render the sacrifice must be more than human and indeed must be divine. This too is the reason why we believe that Christ is Divine. The second person in the Holy Trinity, who lives and reign with the Father and the Holy Ghost from eternity to eternity. The incarnation is also a manifestation of God's love for humankind. His desire to live among them. For this reason the scriptures tell us that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life." For me this short verse from John 3:16 summarizes the reson and for the necessity of Christ's incarnation. This is indeed a mystery, a reality that defies human explanations. But for they that believe, explanations are not necessary. But for those who do not believe, no explanation would ever suffice. Hence, we need to pray for faith, for faith is a gift from God. No one can come to the Son unless the Father draws him or her near. This is also the reason why the celebration of Christmas should become more meaningful to us. This is not about Santas and Snowman, but much more deeper than than. Amid the secularization of Christmas and its ensuing commercialization, dont we think we need to retreat from all these and reflect inwardly? To realize the root of Christmas and why we celebrate Christmas? If we will take to heart the real meaning of Christmas I am sure that this commercialization of the season will vanish. For after all the greatest we could give to our friends are not material gifts, but an attitude of Love and care in the same manner that God showed his manifold love for us, through his Son Jesus Christ.
Romanian Icon Depicting the Nativity"This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the Church." [Ephesians 5:32]. Indeed it is a great mystery that the Son of God was manifest in the flesh and through this manifestation worked and accomplished the work of redemption. As the acclamation says: " Christ has died, is risen and will come again." By his birth, passion, death and resurrection he has accomplished for us everything necessary for our salvation. It is important for us to see the historicity and the eternal nature of this mystery. Sometimes it is difficult for us to fathom the universality , transcendence and eternal nature of our redemption. This is because as humans we are bound by time and space. And questions such as, "how about the Old testament people? will they be saved? How about those who have never known Christ but lived good lives?" This questions reflects our finiteness and our incapacity to grasp the eternity of God. This is the reason why even in scriptures, the Lord has to use finite words in order to portray eternity. For instance he says that he is the alpha and omega, using the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet in order to show that as a Divine person he has no beginning and end. This is difficult to comprehend, for this reason the Greeks of ancient times mocked the doctrine of the resurrection because for them it is unreasonable. The Jews mocked the crucifixion of the Lord because they could not comprehend why a King had to suffer such a horrible death. But we should thank the Lord because in his goodness he has given us a glimpse of what the eternal nature of His being. For at the time of Divine visitation God has chosen to revealed His wisdom to children and has confounded the learned and the wise of this world. Thus, the Son of God was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, lived and performed His ministry, was crucified by Pontius Pilate, was buried but on the thrid say rose again from death. Now He is seated at the right hand of the Father and will come again on the last day in order to judge the world in righteousness. Today, from a cosmic point of view, Christ continues to work the salvation of Humankind through the ministry and the sacraments of the Church and through her liturgies. For in the words and rites of the sacraments it is Christ who performs to apply the merits and grace of salvation by virtue of his passion and resurrection.
V. Faith in the Incarnation of Christ is Necessary for Salvation
Faith in the incarnation of Christ is necessary for salvation. This fact has been established by Scriptures when St. John said: "For many seducers are gone into the world , who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh : this is a seducer and an antichrist." [2 John 7]. This is the faith affirmed by the Church that Jesus Christ is both God and Man, One person with two nature. Christ is the manifestation of Gods love for humankind. By His human and divine nature he placed a bridged restored the relationship broken by Sin. Thus the Scriptures declared that: "For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus." [1 Timothy 2:5].
May this Christmas remind us of this great mystery and may this evoke a heart full of gratitude for what Christ has done for us. By believing in Christ, by identifying with Him and dying on the cross, may we be ressurected into the fullness of the Children of God. For we are brought into this world by hope, we are saved by hope and Christ is the fulfillment of our hope. Amen.
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