Monday, December 10, 2012

The God in the Manger really is fully God


During Advent we’re staring into the manger and pondering the Incarnation – God became flesh in the person of Jesus. Against false teaching that said he was just an inspired prophet or a great moral teacher, the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) affirms Jesus Christ is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father…” Thankfully, the One in the manger is more than just a man. As God in flesh, Jesus has power and authority to save, redeem, and heal.

We closed worship by appropriating the first three of the Twelve Steps in a prayer of commitment: “Jesus Christ, I admit I am powerless over (addictions, habits, attitudes, hang-ups, bad relationships, loneliness, or fear) and that my life has become unmanageable. I trust that you alone can bring me sanity. I give you my will and my life. Thank you for your birth, life, death, and resurrection that make this possible.

Matthew 1:18-25 is our text for this coming weekend. That Jesus is truly God is only half of the profound mystery of the Incarnation. The other half of this mystery is that God really did become completely human. Jesus is not just some sort of zombie super-God-man. He is a real flesh and blood human person. Why does it matter? Come to worship this weekend and find out. And better yet, bring a friend with you!

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