1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
The doctrine of the Incarnation presents us with all creation's greatest mystery; if possible, more astonishing than that of the Trinity. We can more easily understand that there should be three people in a total unity of subsistence, than that God should be manifested in the flesh. The analogy of the one meets us everywhere; turn we the eye within ourselves, or turn we it without upon the broad expanse of God's creation—from every point of observation, a trinity of existence bursts upon our view. But, of the greater mystery, we search in vain for anything approaching its mystery and magnificense. It was a thing so unheard of and so strange, so marvelous and so unique—that there was nothing in the sublime or the rude, in the bold or the tender, of nature's varied works, to prepare the mind for, or awaken the expectation of, a phenomenon so strange, so stupendous, and so mysterious. The mere possibility of such an event astonishes us, to our very cores. Yet with Jehovah all things are possible. "Is anything too hard for me?" is a question that resounds in mystery throughout the universe, to rebuke all who would question His ways.
Still; do we marvel at the fact itself. Its stupendousness amazes us—its condescension humbles us—its glory dazzles us—its tenderness beguiles us—its love overwhelms us. That the uncreated Son of God should become the incarnated Son of man—that the Eternal Word should be made flesh and dwell with amongst us—that He should assume a new title of Savior, redeemer entwined among the very letters that compose His own divine name, so revealing Himself as Jehovah-Jesus! Thereby compounding and intensifying His own magnificence, grandeur, and glory..
The mystical union of Christ and His lambs is also declared to be a part of this great mystery contained within the gospel of our risen, incarnate Lord. "This is a great mystery;" says the apostle, "but I speak concerning Christ and His church." That Christ and His people should be one—one as the head and the body—the vine and the branch—the foundation and the house—is indeed a wondrous truth. We cannot truly begin to understand how it is so; and yet the reality, and the graces flowing from this great truth, are far too real to dismiss as anything other than the miracle of the ages for us. Oh my friends, All that a believer is, as a living, eternal soul, he is from this vital union with Christ, the Living God. As the body without the soul is dead, so we would be totally lost without this union to Lord. Not only our life, but our fruitfulness, as well, is derived from this source. All the "beauties of holiness" that adorn his character, spring from the vital principle which our engrafting into Christ produces. We become skillful to fight, strong to overcome, patient to endure, meek to suffer, and wise to walk, as our lives become one with His: entwined by the grace of His sanctification. "Without me you can do nothing." Truly, my friends, without Him, I am nothing, yet; as He is my Lord, and as I am His; all that He is becomes mine, and all that I am becomes His. His glory mine, my humiliation His; His righteousness mine, my guilt His; His joy mine, my sorrow His. His riches, mine; and my poverty becomes His; He becomes my life, and in so doing, takes away my death. Our daily walk of faith, my friends, is but a continuous development of the wonders of this glorious truth. That in traveling to Him empty, we should return from Him full. That in going to him weak, we should come away from Him strong. That in giving Him our lives; we should gain an eternity of joy and gladness.
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