December 29, 2015

“Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.” 2 John 1:7 – 11

“Jesus…was in fact and in truth, and in the most exact and literal sense of the words, “the G-d by whom all things were made.” …He was not merely a man so good as to be “like G-d”—He was G-d…for whatever reason G-d chose to make man as he is—limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine.”   (Dorothy Sayers [1893 – 1957], Creed or Chaos?, “For All The Saints” volume III, p. 156)

“He was not merely a man so good to be “like G-d”… As Lutherans, we believe that Christ is both human and divine, both a man and G-d, not “like” G-d, but the incarnate G-d. We have just spent Christmas Day gazing on the splendor of the baby born in a manger, and now the Christmas season continues as we focus on the fact that Christ was born to human parents, came in the manner of every human, and they will partake in the rituals expected of new parents. And yet he is not just human, he is also fully divine. He could have come in a divine manner, but this would eventually mar his ministry, for we would not be able to claim our union with Christ if he were not “one of us”, and thus his humanity would be swallowed up in his divinity. As Origen of Alexandria writes, “So did the Son of G-d divest Himself of His equality with the Father and show us the way to the knowledge of Him who is made the express image of His person; so that we, who are unable to look upon the splendor of the shining of the greatness of His G-dhead, yet may behold His brightness…”

I have said before that if Jesus was only divine, only appearing to be human, then the events of his birth, life and crucifixion lose their power. If he only appears to be one of us, then he does not truly understand my suffering, my loss, my despair, and my hurt. But if he is fully human as well as fully divine, then he understands, fully, my hurts and my fears. Jesus is my Savior who was not “Like” G-d, he is not “Like” me – Jesus is both – and that brings me hope and comfort to live each and every day in his light.

Pastor Dave