Title: THE CHRISTMAS—EASTER CONNECTION: INCARNATION

Focus: Christmas and Easter are connected by virtue of Jesus’ incarnation.

Function: To emphasize that Jesus’ birth makes possible Jesus’ death and resurrection, which in turn, make possible our death and resurrection unto eternal life.

Text: Hebrews 2:10-18

When we welcome a new born child into our families, we receive congratulations from family members and friends alike. And whenever we celebrate a birthday, we express our best wishes and say “Happy birthday!” On this first Sunday after Christmas, let me extend to all of us here a happy birthday: for unto us a child is born. His name is Jesus!

Perhaps you think that I’m a bit frivolous or weird for making these celebratory remarks. Yet, I do so in light of the Scriptures. That child in the manger of Bethlehem is part of the human family. This child called “Jesus” shares in our humanity. We do well to welcome him with open arms and a believing heart. After all, the writer of Hebrews makes clear that “…the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.” Surely, if Jesus sees us as his brothers and sisters—as part of the human family, shall we then ignore Jesus’ own birth and humanity? Of course, not! Jesus’ birth means that we are family. And Jesus’ birth has tremendous consequences for us.

Consider, for example, that our human nature is subject to death. We are the offspring of Adam. And as the children of Adam, we also share in Adam’s human nature. Ever since Adam fell into sin, and ever since death entered into the world because of Adam’s sin, we have been (and still are) subject to death. Death is a result of Adam’s (and our own) sins. Like yeast permeating its expanding qualities throughout a loaf of bread, so death and its power have permeated throughout our flesh, so that we all are mortal, subject to death.

All of this is in accord with God’s Word. When God forbade Adam to eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God said, “for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Adam’s disobedience, and our own inability to obey God’s law perfectly, have all led to our mortality. The apostle Paul makes clear that our mortality involves our whole being: body and soul. In Eph. 2 we learn that apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, we are spiritually “dead in sins and trespasses.” And in Romans 5:17 Paul reminds us “by the trespass of the one man (Adam), death reigned through that one man.”

So pervasive, so unyielding, so strong is the power or reign of death that we are all subject to the grave. And so oppressive is that power of death, that we (says the writer of Hebrews) “we were held in slavery by (our) fear of death.”

It is true: created in God’s image, Adam and all his offspring were created for eternal, indestructible life. But our sins have led to the corruption of our bodies, so much so that we all must turn to dust because of sin and death and the one who holds the power of death, that is, the devil. Death is the ultimate predicament of the human family.

I thank God for Christmas! Jesus’ birth means that we are family; he shares in our humanity. And thus he shares in our predicament of death. I am glad he does! For Jesus’ birth has a tremendous consequence all of creation and for us. In fact, it was because of the reign of death that Jesus has become part of the human family. Listen to the text: “For this reason (Jesus) had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”

Here we learn that the O.T. temple sacrifices point to the birth and work of Jesus Christ. The High Priest in the O.T. era would enter the Most Holy Place in the temple and offer a sacrifice on behalf of God’s people to atone for their sins. They did this over and over again. But their sacrifices could not take away the curse of death and the reign of sin. That’s why God prepared a body—that is, God sent his eternal Son, Jesus, into the world to take on our flesh and to present himself as the sacrificial Lamb that takes away our sins.

The child in the manger of Bethlehem is destined to end up on a cross at Golgotha. Christmas leads to Good Friday. But that’s not the whole story; Christmas goes beyond Good Friday and leads to Easter, to resurrection and ascension. Jesus shares in our humanity. And as a result, Jesus becomes subject to death.

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Consider now this awesome truth: by taking on our flesh, Jesus is able to destroy the power of death, which is held by the devil. A while ago, there were terrifying raging fires in the San Diego, CA area. Fuelled by Santa Ana winds, roaring tongues of fire consumed thousands of acres of dead brush and withered grass. Like a dragon completely out of control, so the raging fire threatened thousands and thousands of people and homes.

What on earth could possibly stop this fiery monster of death?

Firefighters killed this raging monster of fire by fire. Setting controlled counter-fires, which burned up the fuel that fed this raging, fiery monster of death, firefighters killed the fires. Fire killed the fires and through those counter-fires, the people and their property were saved.

By taking on our flesh, Jesus began a counter-fire that led to the death of death. By taking on our human nature, Jesus was able to submit to death. Like a fiery dragon, death swallowed up Jesus at the cross. The reign or power of death dragged Jesus into the tomb, into the realm of the dead—only to discover that Jesus’ power was stronger and able to absorb death itself.

The early Christian church would often picture the significance of Jesus’ incarnation by painting a word picture of Hades or the realm of the dead. All Adam’s offspring must face death; they end up in Hades, the realm of the dead. There, the power of death, personified by the devil, keeps all of humanity in prison, locked behind bars, unable to escape the grave, unable to rise from the dead, unable to escape the claws of death. Imprisoned in Hades, Adam’s sons and daughters (you and I included) were held captive. Who can save us from this body of death?

Jesus can! How? By taking on our flesh, by becoming part of our human family, Jesus is able to give the counter-punch that will knock out the devil and destroy his power of death and sin and evil. The child in the manger of Bethlehem is destined to end up on a cross at Golgotha. Christmas leads to Good Friday. And Good Friday leads to Easter--to resurrection and ascension.

And thus Jesus deals a deathblow to death by being conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and by assuming flesh and blood. Listen to the text: “Since the children have flesh and blood, (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” The birth of Jesus marks the beginning of the end of death. Jesus’ birth gives hope to a lost humanity; Jesus’ incarnation is God’s solution to our predicament of mortality and sin. The Son of God in the flesh is able to destroy the power of death, and He sets us free from the fear of death.

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So, consider then that Christ’s birth means that salvation has come to the world, including to creation itself. Hope—not despair—is our mantra! Life—not death—is our future! A new creation—not a dying planet doomed for destruction and annihilation—is our expectation.

Let me spell it out for you in the Scriptures. The Scriptures say that Jesus is the “first born from among the dead” (Col. 1:18). That is, when death swallowed up Jesus on Good Friday, the Spirit of God raised Jesus from the dead. The life of God entered the lifeless body of Jesus. The life of God gave new birth, new life, and indestructible life to Jesus’ body. That’s why Jesus could walk out of the tomb on Easter Sunday. That’s why Jesus is the first-born among the dead.

Of course, the next question is this: who are the others, the second newborn, the third, and so on who walk out of the tomb? They are all who put their faith and trust in Jesus. All who embrace him as the Christ, the Savior of the world, are the ones who experience new birth and who will gain resurrection from the dead when Christ comes again.

Elsewhere in Scriptures we learn that Jesus is the “first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firs-fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him” (I Cor. 15:20-23). You see? Christmas and Easter are connected by Jesus’ incarnation. Mary’s womb and the empty, open tomb, Bethlehem’s manger and Golgotha’s cross—they all point to salvation, to resurrection and ascension and new, eternal life.

So what must we do on this first Sunday after Christmas? First of all, I submit that we must learn to bow in worship before the Christ. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God in the flesh. In Jesus, we encounter God in the flesh. Through faith in Jesus, we are joined to God. God comes to us in Jesus; we come to God in Jesus. This is the mystery or wonder of Christmas. Embrace and bow before the mystery, the Son of God.

Secondly, we shall view our present mortality in light of Christmas and Easter. From the moment of our conception and birth, we fight the monster of death. When we are young, we tend to be strong and full of vigor of life; but as we grow older, or as we deal with life-threatening medical issues, we feel the vigor of life draining away slowly but surely, until we can no longer fight off the reaper of death. We are still mortal, subject to death today.

But we shall no longer fear death. For Jesus took on our flesh; he offered his body; he swallowed up death itself. And he rose from the dead. All who find themselves in Jesus—through faith in him—may now view their present mortality in light of Christmas and Easter.

Just before my friend and mentor, Bob Webber, died of pancreatic cancer in April of this year, he prepared his own funeral service and he wrote to his family and friends these powerful words: “I do not fear death; I fear the process of dying, but I do not fear death”

Why no fear of death? Well, Christ took on our flesh. He died, he arose, and he took our flesh with him in heaven as a guarantee that we, too, shall have eternal life, indestructible, living on the restored creation as full human beings with resurrection, glorified bodies. We shall view our present mortality in light of Christmas and Easter. We shall no longer fear death.

As we face a new year, and as we celebrate God’s work in Christ on this first Sunday after Christmas, we can summarize the good news today with this acclamation: “Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again.” Thank God for Christ’s incarnation!

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.