INCARNATION | Restored Dignity

INCARNATION | Restored Dignity

In a commonplace environment:
Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
Has Christmas become common?

Matthew 1:20-21 “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Luke 2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”

The Incarnation is: The quietest moment. The humblest arrival. The softest step of God onto earth.
Yet it is the most explosive, transformative, history-altering event ever to occur.

Bethlehem was the beachhead. The manger was the landing zone.
And love was the weapon. Heaven invaded earth in silence—
and humanity has never been the same.

“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”  
  C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)
“He became what we are that He might make us what He is.” Athanasius (On the Incarnation)

“In the Incarnation, God has bound Himself to man in an unbreakable fellowship.”
  Karl Barth (Church Dogmatics)

“God recapitulated in Himself the ancient formation of man, that he might kill sin, deprive death of its power and vivify man.” Irenaeus of Lyons (130–202 AD)

Recapitulated:— Christ sums up, repeats, and restores the whole human story in Himself.

Salvific Ontology:— the being of Christ that saves.
Because He is God and He became human, He unites God and humanity within Himself which heals humanity at the deepest level.

1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”

Tommy Miller:
“All creation is already being made new because the Creator has become creature without ceasing to be Creator—and He will never un-become what He has become for us. He is still flesh of our flesh, and therefore nothing in all creation is beyond His reach to heal.
Go live like people who belong to that new world—because you already do.”

The words saved, saviour, and salvation are rarely used to describe what happens after you die. 
These are words that describe the saving works of Christ in real time and space.

Save:— (sōzō - sode’-zo) In classical Greek, to rescue from danger, heal diseases, deliver from oppression, and make someone whole. 

Matthew 10:30 “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save (sōzō) me!’”

Mark 10:52 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ (sōzō) And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.”

Mark 5:25-34 “Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,  and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, ‘If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well (sōzō) .’
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched My clothes?’
But His disciples said to Him, ‘You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ‘And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well (sōzō). Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Leviticus 15:25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean.”

Law isolated her.

Anyone she touched became unclean. 
No gathering with friends. No being held or hugged
No sharing normal life. No marriage or family involvement
No participation in festivals, worship, or synagogue life

Shame was built into her condition:
She was not allowed to be seen She was taught to hide
She lived under constant embarrassment She was the problem, the danger, the contamination

“Daughter” Jesus restored dignity
Restored health and wholeness
Emotional rest “Peace”
Restored community 
Freedom from fear and shame
The end of condemnation - Future
Law “Stay away”. Jesus “Come near”