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While a student at the Moody Bible Institute my Christian service assignment one semester was to conduct a Bible class for a group of junior boys and girls in the south side of Chicago.  In those days I was totally inexperienced in teaching (especially children) and was somewhat nervous as I prepared (for the first time) to tell them the Christmas story.  How could I make them understand what really happened at Bethlehem?  What illustration could I use?  As it turned out I had little need to worry, for one of the little girls in that group offered one of the most precious and profound bottom line statements ever heard on planet earth regarding the incarnation.  With incredible simplicity she said: “At Bethlehem, Mary was God’s envelope, and Jesus was God’s letter!”

Exactly what happened at the Incarnation of Jesus Christ?

The great evangelist, D. L. Moody, often related the story of a young biologist who came across an especially large and active ant hill during his walk in a forest.  Delighted with his find, the biologist sat down on a nearby rock, and taking out pen and notebook, began writing down what he saw.  Soon, however, the entire ant hill was in an upheaval as the tiny creatures became aware of his presence.  Frustrated, the biologist walked away wishing he could in some manner communicate with them, assuring the little creatures of his interest and that no harm would be forthcoming.

He concluded, however, the only way this could happen would be to take upon himself the body of an ant and thus become part of their existence sharing his story in a way they could comprehend.

This is exactly what occurred at the Incarnation.  The infinite, holy, eternal, and sinless Son of God agreed to take upon himself a finite and fleshly body that he, the lofty Creator, might personally communicate with us, his lowly creatures.

God’s earth walk

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

In the latter part of 1971 an American astronaut named James Irwin wrote a book titled, Moon Walk which described how he had once left a beautiful and hospitable planet called Earth (on July 26, 1971), and by way of a special vehicle (Apollo 15), had, thirteen days later, touched down upon a dangerous and totally inhospitable planet known as the moon.

For three days he walked its rough surface and then returned home. If rightly understood, the incarnation could well be entitled, God’s Earth Walk, for it relates the amazing story of how Jesus Christ once left a beautiful and blessed place known as heaven, where He had constantly enjoyed being worshipped by all the angels (Heb. 1:6), and by way of a special vehicle (the body being prepared for Him in Mary’s womb), had touched down upon a sin loving and God hating planet called Earth. For the next thirty-three plus years He traveled its dusty roads, agreeing to eat our food, to drink our water, to breathe our air, to go to the cross and have His face covered with our spittle, and His ears filled with our curses in order to save us from our sins! THIS IS THE STORY AND GLORY OF THE INCARNATION!