Jesus Christ: The Mystery of the Incarnation and the Glory of His Lordship
Jesus represents the perfect meeting point between humanity and divinity. This mystery, celebrated in Scripture, winds its way through ancient prophecies to the apostolic witness, revealing the identity of the One who is, simultaneously, Son of Man and Son of God.
As believers, we are called to contemplate not only a historical event, but the irruption of eternity into time.
- The Prophetic Promise: Emmanuel and the King of Ages
Centuries before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah had already outlined the contours of this extraordinary event.
In chapter 7, verse 14 he predicted that a child would be born of a virgin, who was a son who would be given to us and who would be called “God is with us” (Emmanuel).
This is not just a label, but an ontological statement. As Michael Brown, an expert on Messianic prophecy, observes, “The name Emmanuel is not just a descriptive title, but a revelation of the very nature of the Messiah: He is the tangible presence of God among His people” (from “Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus,” Vol. 3).
This vision is further expanded in chapter 9 (v. 5), where Isaiah proclaims that the child, the son, would be a ruler who would carry the kingdom on his own shoulders, bestowed with titles reflecting his divine nature:
Miraculous Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.
John Walton, contextualizing prophecy in the ancient world, points out, “These titles are not only honorific, but define the role of the Messiah as the one who restores divine order in the cosmos, a function that belongs to Yahweh alone” (from “The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest”).
- The Paradox of the Incarnation: True Man and True God
Prophecy found fulfillment in a woman, Mary, in whom the Holy Spirit conceived Jesus and from whom he was born as an ordinary child, frail and subject to the laws of nature.
Yet, in Him dwelt bodily all the fullness of divinity. Therein lies the glorious paradox: Jesus is the Son of Man, born in time, but he is also the Eternal Father, existing before time.
He lived an authentic human life, experiencing weariness and pain, yet His every breath and miracle exuded divinity. Tim Mackie, co-founder of The BibleProject, effectively describes this reality: “The incarnation is not God ceasing to be God in order to become man, but God adding humanity to His divinity so that humanity can be healed from within” (from “The Identity of Jesus”).
Jesus came into the world as if he were not God, although every moment of his life was completely divine and supernatural. Michael Heiser, exploring the concept of the divine “pair,” states, “Jesus is the angel of the Lord appearing in human form, the second Yahweh manifesting in the visible realm to redeem the human family” (from “The Unseen Realm”).
- Triumph and Exaltation: Philippians 2 and the Final Victory
One of the densest and most celebratory passages in the New Testament is the hymn contained in Paul’s letter to the Philippians (2:10-11).
Paul outlines Jesus’ path: a journey of humiliation and obedience that culminates in victory over death. Because he fought beyond death and won, God raised him above every creature.
In this exaltation, every knee-whether of spirits, human beings, living or dead-must bend and every tongue must proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, that is, King Jesus is God! Derek Prince, regarding the spiritual authority of this name, writes: “The name of Jesus has authority in three realms: in heaven, on earth and under the earth. There is no demonic power that can resist the confession that the man Jesus is Lord of Lords” (from “They Shall Expel Demons”).
- A Supernatural Work for a New Creation
Jesus’ life was not a mere historical interlude. His conception was supernatural, His life a manifestation of power and His death the supreme act of love for the redemption of humanity. But it is in His resurrection that we see the beginning of the new creation.
N.T. Wright highlights how the resurrection is not just a return to life, but the launching of a new world: “The resurrection of Jesus is the moment when God’s new world was born in the midst of the old world. It is the guarantee that all creation will be renewed” (from “Surprised by Hope”).
This reality is not only external to us, but must become internal. Watchman Nee reminds us that the ultimate goal is our union with Him: “Christ came not only to be an example, but to be our life. He became man in order to dwell in man and manifest His glory through us” (from “The Normal Christian Life”).
Conclusion
Jesus, “God is with us,” is the child who is the Son, the eternal King who is the Most High, the Mighty God who walks among us.
In Him, eternity embraced time to bring God’s Kingdom back to earth and into the human heart.
Accepting this truth means being able to become children of God in recognizing that the man Jesus is the eternal King (Christ), is God (the Lord), the supreme authority to whom every being is subject.
Understanding incarnation is like observing a binary star:
two distinct natures orbiting each other in a union so perfect that it produces a unique and unquenchable light capable of guiding humanity through the darkness to the dawn of the new creation.
Maurizio Tiezzi