Christmas Doctrines - Incarnation

John 1:14 ESV

14 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.

The ancients wrote the book chalcedonian confession about Jesus.

Explain creeds, and the usefulness of creeds (training, teaching, stopping error)

The Chalcedonian Creed was adopted at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 in Asia Minor as a response to certain heretical views concerning the nature of Christ. This Council of Chalcedon is the fourth of the seven ecumenical councils accepted by Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and many Protestant Christian churches. It is the first Council not recognized by any of the Oriental Orthodox churches.

The Chalcedonian Creed was written amid controversy between the western and eastern churches over the meaning of the incarnation the ecclesiastical influence of the Byzantine emperor, and the supremacy of the Roman Pope. The western churches readily accepted the creed, but some eastern churches did not. The adopted Creed specifically maintained the two distinct natures of Christ (divine and human) over against teaching of Eutyches -- that Christ had only one nature, a mixture of human and divine. Eutychianism is also known as monophysitism from monos (single) and physis (nature), which confuses both Christ’s true humanity and his true deity.

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THE CREED

Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

Sadly this is not the event that Saint Nick punched Arius this was a few hundred years later clarifying the

This is the most important miracle of them all

The incarnation is the central fact of history and of the church's confession: "great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: he was manifested in the flesh" first Timothy 3:16

The Trinity was all active in the incarnation.

So you see the Trinity at work in salvation in Eph. 1

The father prepared the body

Hebrews 10:5 ESV

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;

quoting Psalm 40:6

Psalm 40:6 ESV

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

The father ordained, formed, made fit and able Christ's human nature to undergo, suffer and fulfill that for which he was sent into the world. Thomas Brooks

The Holy Spirit was active in the Trinity Luke 1:35 Matthew 1:18, 20

Jesus was active in the incarnation by taking on human nature this is called the hypostatic union.

In Jesus there is a union of divine and human: he is very God a very God and very man of very man.

Incarnation and Salvation

When it comes to salvation His humanity is as important as his divinity.

Jesus had to be human so he might identify with us and be a payment for sin but he also had to be God so that he could forgive sin these realities needed to be joined but separate.

Jesus by claiming to forgive sins like you did in Matthew 9:6

Matthew 9:6 ESV

6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

demonstrated he was God if he was man that would have been a blasphemous statement

Nature of the Incarnation

In in this union the niche nature is preserved there's no mixture or confusion of the two natures the divine nature of possesses infinite knowledge power dominion and so on the human nature obeyed died rose again and so on.

But We have to be careful when we describe the natures because this is one person doing these things not two.

So When Jesus acts it is unity in himself.

Here is scriptural proof of him acting divine.

How Jesus describes his two natures Matthew 28:19 Revelations 1:8, 17; 22: 13 alpha and Omega

His preexistence is assumed John 1:1; 8:58 semicolon 17:5; 2nd Corinthians 8:9

He is the one who upholds all things John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17 semicolon Hebrews 1:3

He has Dominion overall things Matthew 11:27; Ephesians 1:20-22; Colossians 2:10

He is called by the name God John 1:1; 20 call in 28 semicolon Romans 9:5; Hebrews 1:8-9 semicolon 2nd Peter 1:1

His His humanity is recorded in Matthew 1 also Romans 1:3

The Bible records through John that Christians confessed Jesus is coming the flesh first John 4:2

The New testament writers go to great lengths to show that Jesus died on the cross We also read that he was able to eat Matthew 9:10 weep John 11:35 and thirst John 19:28

Application of incarnation

Because of the incarnation he can identify with us and our sufferings

Hebrews 1