December 4, 2024

…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.  

John 1:14 and 18

One of the aspects of the incarnation that we should consider during the Advent season is the idea of double representation. Jesus is one person with two natures - so this week, we will consider the divine nature of Christ, and next week, we will address his human nature. Through the incarnation, God reveals his character to a sin-darkened world so we would be undeceived through Jesus’ life and ministry. Out of all the things that went wrong at the fall in Genesis 3, one of the hardest issues for us to shake is our misconception of God and his character. Genesis 2-3 narrates how the deception of the serpent in the garden not only culminated in Adam and Eve’s sin but also fundamentally twisted their view of God and themselves in a way that only God could restore. 
Just as Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves and hid from God out of fear - we also cover our shame with legalism, worldly success, and sometimes outright lies. The wrong sort of fear based on sin and self-preservation that drove Adam and Eve to hide from the God who created them (as if such a thing were possible!) also sometimes drives us away from fellowship and confession. What Adam and Eve lost, and what many of us are missing in our daily lives, is an enduring grasp of God in his goodness. Thankfully, God has bridged this gap by sending his Son so that we might receive him by faith as he has revealed himself in and through Jesus Christ. 

If you wish to be more and more undeceived this Advent - read through John 1:1-18 and filter your ideas about God through what God has shown us about himself in his word.