Incarnation and Reincarnation

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:10-14)

We refer to this as the incarnation. What is meant by the word incarnation? The root word is the Latin carnis, which is literally interpreted as "flesh," The "Word" that John speaks of here is "Logos" in the Greek. To philosophers of John's day, the Logos was the ultimate truth that dwelt with God, and even participated in the creation of the universe. We don't have time to discuss this concept fully here. John puts forth the thesis that Jesus was the embodiment of this Logos.

However, the early church fathers quickly seized on this statement of John and developed what we now call the doctrine of incarnation. This eventually evolved into the concept that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ. This led to the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, and later the Trinity. It is interesting to note that the first great heresy in the church, came in the form of Gnosticism, which did not deny Jesus' divinity, but his humanity. The doctrine of incarnation has been the subject of much debate and investigation by theologians down through the centuries.

One thing Christians agree on is that God's presence with mankind did not end with Jesus' death. The resurrection is the event that is the defining moment for Christianity. Paul says in the opening to his letter to the Romans that Jesus was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead. We believe that the transcendent Christ lives and dwells with God, and not only with God but also with us.

Throughout his epistles, Paul refers to the church as the "Body of Christ." No, the incarnation did not end with Jesus' ascension into heaven. The church is the reincarnation of Christ in the present age. He continues to dwell with each of us as members of that body. Think of it! Each of us, as a member of the Body of Christ, is part of the reincarnation of God in this world. It's a wonderful, yet sobering thought. Christmas is not something that happened once upon a time. It is something that happens continuously. Is it any wonder that the celebration of Christmas has survived the centuries? Once a year we celebrate Christ's birth as the incarnation. But more often than this, we celebrate his reincarnation in us. We do this through the sacraments. Jesus said when he shared the bread, "This is my body broken for you." When he shared the wine, he said, "This is my blood shed for you." When we partake of these symbols, we celebrate the mass; Christ's mass; Christmas.

Let us rejoice as we relive the Christmas story, not as ancient history, but as the living presence of God in our lives. Let us proclaim the good news even as the angels proclaimed his coming to the shepherds on that Judean hillside two thousand years ago.

Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

Prayer: Creator God, we are grateful that you did not create us and abandon us to the fates. You sent us Jesus, who became the embodiment of your Spirit. Through that Spirit, you created the church. As members of the body of Christ, we have become your adopted sons and daughters, and heirs of your kingdom. Thank you, most gracious God. In the name of our brother Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Copyright © Jay D Weaver - December 1, 2002

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