The early Church and many of the apostolic fathers referred to the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as the “incarnation.” This title stems from the Latin word incarnari, which means to be made flesh. These words are echoed in the Gospel of John, “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” (John 1:14).
Both Scripture and the Church place emphasis on the fact that Christ took on our human nature. This act of perfect humility and selfless love is the key to our redemption and the eternal gift of salvation. As St. Justin Martyr explains, “For next to God, we worship and love the Word who is from the unbegotten and ineffable God, since also He became man for our sakes, that becoming a partaker of our sufferings, He might also bring us healing” (Second Apology Chapter XIII).
When we look at the life of Jesus, we see the perfect example of what it means to live according to God’s will. Christ’s life is not only the means by which we are saved but also the model by which we are called to live. The Incarnation shows us that to be truly human is to live as Christ did—humbly, selflessly, and in perfect communion with God. As Christians, we are called to be imitators of Christ. As St. Paul writes, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29). By contemplating the incarnation, we can see the humble, loving, and selfless nature of our Lord. Thus, we must make an effort to strive to mimic these attributes of Christ, pushing ourselves to become more Christ-like daily.
When Christ entered the world, He did so not only to redeem humanity but to offer a pattern for how we should live. The power of the Incarnation can be seen through our personal transformations. As St. Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Holy Spirit, sent by Christ, works within us to renew our minds and help us to align ourselves with God’s will to become a new creation that resembles Christ—one of humility, purity, love, joy. As St. Augustine of Hippo explains, “We are then truly free when God orders our lives, that is, forms and creates us not as human beings— this he has already done—but as good people, which he is now doing by his grace, that we may indeed be new creatures in Christ Jesus.”
Lord, during this time of fasting and prayer, guide me so that I may be continually transformed and grow closer to the servant you intend me to be.
Sources:
- Bible, English Standard Version
- Catena Bible Commentary
- Second Apology, St. Justin Martyr