The incarnation (2) Its importance for the believer

"Nobody has ever seen God ; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath made him known." John 1:18

For Jews, as for many other humans, God is far away, dwelling in "the inaccessible light" (1 Tim 6:16). Believers, by faith, accept the declaration of the verse of the day ; for them Jesus really came to make them know God as a Father, loving and close.

Like the shepherds, they marvel at seeing the baby Jesus "lying in the manger" (Luke 2: 16). What's more fragile than a newborn, but what's more beautiful ?

Before beginning his ministry at the age of 30, our Lord exercised a manual profession : "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary ?" (Mark 6: 3). Practicing a trade is a great lesson in humanity. We meet many people, we learn to serve them, to respect their wishes.

During his ministry, Jesus surrounds himself with disciples who will follow him, observe him and listen to him. Throughout these three years, they discover in Jesus a master close to his own as well as to others. He watches over them and invites them to rest : "Come away ... and rest a little" (Mark 6. 31).

On the eve of his arrest, he knows that he will suffer a lot and that he is close to death "that he was going to perform in Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31). But Jesus is anxious to gather his disciples, to encourage them, to prepare them for his absence : "I have strongly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22. 15).

To accept to come to earth as a man is to accept also to die. During this saving death, he endures the consequences of our sins, suffering the righteousness of God for us. When he utters this cry on the cross : "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" (Mark 15:34), he becomes in a certain way a brother in our trials, when we have the feeling that God does not hear or respond.

These moments make us close to him and make him that "high priest [able] to sympathize with our weaknesses ... [having been tempted in all things in a similar way to us, except sin" (Heb.4: 15).

Source (Pleasing the Lord)