Our sermon series through the Apostles’ Creed takes us to the virgin birth and the incarnation this Sunday. It’s like Christmas in July! Of course, “God with us” is not a seasonal sentiment. It is the promise of the gospel. James Dodds said it this way,
In being born, Jesus assumed the nature of humanity, and, in so doing, more than restored to man the likeness to God which our first parents lost, for themselves and their descendants, through the Fall. He thereby made it possible for God to dwell with man, and for man to rise into communion with God. Sin had effaced the Divine image, and no other than the Son of God could give back to men the power to reflect in their own lives the character of God. His possession of the human nature gives us confidence in approaching Him, by assuring us of His brotherhood and sympathy; while His possession of the Divine nature assures us that He can make His brotherhood and sympathy effectual.
– Exposition of the Apostles’ Creed, James Dodds
You can download the Incarnation poster from The Resurgence here.
I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship; husband to Jen; Dad to Katherine, Elias, Madeline, and Kilian. If you're in town you can probably find me in the local coffee house or running through the neighborhoods.
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Joe,
Have you checked out Douglas Farrow’s Ascension and Ecclesia: On the Significance of the Doctrine of Ascension? I’ve been reading it for my MA thesis at TEDS, and he makes a wonderful connection between the Incarnation and the Ascension while relating them both to ecclesial life. He also draws on these themes for eucharistic theology in the Reformed tradition and does a marvelous job treating the theme. It might be beneficial to you.
James
No, I haven’t. But thanks for the rec’! It sounds great. I’ll check it out.
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