The Amazing Mystery of the Incarnation: How God Entered Our History
- Pr Enos Mwakalindile
- Jul 1
- 8 min read
A Study Guide on the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... we have seen his glory." — John 1:14
In a world filled with stories of distant gods, speaking in thunderous voices above the mountains of clouds, came a different story — a story of holy wonder. This is not the story of a hidden god, but of a God who came down. It is not the story of a distant temple, but of a tent pitched among men. In Jesus of Nazareth, the story of heaven walked the earth. That is why we embrace this story as the source of our hope — the Incarnation, the mystery of the Word made flesh, God himself walking in our dust, touching our lives, weeping our tears, carrying us in unfailing love.
But the question arises: Why? Why would God, the highest of all, choose to come and live among the dust of mankind? And what does this mean for me today?
📍 The Great Controversy: Can God Be Human?
In the history of religion, gods have often been depicted as distant beings, residing in the sky or in inaccessible temples. They do not touch the ground, they do not wear the dust of our lives. For example, the ancient Greeks depicted the god Zeus astride Mount Olympus, looking down on humanity like a movie theater audience. In some African traditional beliefs, gods are revered, but not to be touched—they are called upon only in times of great distress. In these cultures, gods do not share the pain of a widowed mother’s child, do not understand the sweat of a farmer, or the tears of a cancer patient. But the Christian narrative challenges this view—it claims that the true God came down to earth, took on human flesh, and lived a life as ordinary as ours. According to John 1:14, the Word—who is God—became flesh.
This posed a major challenge to the early teachings of the church:
Docetism claimed that Jesus did not have a real body. This is directly contradicted by 1 John 4:2-3 where the scriptures insist that every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Docetism denied the mystery of the Incarnation, thereby removing the reality of Jesus’ suffering and death which are the basis of our salvation.
Ebionism viewed Jesus as just an ordinary prophet. But Matthew 16:16-17 shows that Peter confessed Jesus to be "the Christ, the Son of the living God," and Jesus himself acknowledged this testimony as coming from the Heavenly Father. This teaching downgraded Jesus' identity, denying his divinity, which is confirmed by all the Gospels.
Arianism proposed that Jesus was not eternal. This is contradicted by John 1:1-3 where the Word was in the beginning, and without the Word nothing was made. Arianism undermined the foundation of Jesus’ divinity and brought about a distorted interpretation of his relationship with the Father, contrary to the evidence of Scripture and the understanding of the early church.
But the Church, through the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), stood up and said: Jesus is fully God and fully man — two natures in one person.
Reflect: Do you believe in Jesus as the true God who entered your real history?
🔥 Translation Challenge: The Incarnation is not a Side Event
Theologian NT Wright reminds us that the Gospel should not be seen as the story of the cross alone but as the process of God’s reign that begins with the incarnation of the Word. In John 1:14 we see that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us—not as a shadow but in reality. The incarnation is the announcement that the King has entered among his people, establishing the Kingdom of God not by the sword, but by the love of closeness and ordinary life. This teaches us that the work of salvation began before Calvary—it began in the soil of Bethlehem, in the smell of the animals and the breath of Mary in labor, in a life of humility, and was confirmed by the blood of the cross.
In the life of Jesus we see not just ordinary humanity, but true and exemplary humanity. He was not just a man in the flesh, but he lived as the man God intended him to be—a man who was to be the model of God’s love, obedience, and compassion on earth. When he was hungry (Matt. 4:2), he showed us that physical needs are not a weakness but a part of the blessed human condition. When he wept bitterly (John 11:35), he revealed the heart of God that is touched by human suffering, and he truly died (John 19:30) not in defeat, but in completing Israel’s story and reopening it with his ultimate obedience and sacrifice—fulfilling the Father’s will (Matt. 5:17; Philippians 2:8) as the Son of Man full of grace and truth.
😔 Does Jesus, who could feel hunger, cry in pain, and die for us — draw you closer to him more easily or push you away in surprise? When you see him weeping in the tomb, do you feel God's closeness or are you challenged to understand him in a new way?
❤️ Touching Love: The Incarnation as an Example of God's Mercy
Jesus was not just a doctrinal doctrine, but a direct revelation of the heart of God in action. In John 3:16 we are given a picture of God giving his most precious thing—his only Son—for a world filled with darkness. This love is not of words, but of action, reaching down into our state of weakness and pain. Therefore, every act of Jesus is an expression of that love—visible in his life, ministry, and cross.
Jesus is the eternal Word (John 1:1–3). He was not only at the beginning of all things, but he is the source of life, the light of all mankind. In Him we see not only a messenger from God, but God himself speaking the language of humanity.
It is the new Israel that fulfills the Covenant (Matt. 5:17). In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus became not only the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel, but also Israel itself, fully obedient to the Father’s will, not by nullifying them but by fully bringing them to life. He overcame where the history of God’s people had failed—and in his daily life, of prayer, trials, and the triumph of grace, he lived a life of obedience that brought him true victory as the representative of the new Israel, fulfilling God’s will in faithfulness and love.
It is a tangible love , one that touches the leper, the sinner, and the abandoned. Jesus did not preach from afar, but sat at the same table with sinners, touched the outcast, and lifted up the broken. In these actions, we see the true face of God—not a God who is distant, but one who is close and who engages with the hands and lives of the weary.
Ellen White wrote: “The eternal Word became flesh to dwell among us...” (The Desire of Ages)
❓ Question: When you think of Jesus, do you see him as a Friend who touches your wounds, or as a protagonist in a past story that has no relevance to your life today? Does your faith recognize Christ as real in your own history — or is he still just an interesting but irrelevant teaching?
🚪 Called to Live the Incarnation: Ways of Life in Christ
Because Jesus became flesh and lived among us, his life teaches us that the gospel is not just a message to be spoken, but a truth to be lived in a way that touches others. Therefore, we too are called to carry the gospel with our bodies—to demonstrate love, justice, and compassion in action. Incarnation becomes the way of our daily lives: to live in a way that people can see the face of God through our actions. And as Jesus lived, so we must begin to live today.
Receive God's Love with Humility. Jesus did not come to earth in glory or with royal honors, but was born in a stable, humble himself even to the death on the cross.
This shows us that the path to God is not through pride but through a humble heart willing to accept what we do not deserve — His unconditional love.
Be an Ambassador of Love. Jesus walked among the despised, touched the lepers, and welcomed sinners to his table. So we too are invited to be the voices and hands of that love — not with empty words, but with lives of compassion, justice, and forgiveness that illuminate the darkness of this world.
Meditate on John 1:1–18 each week. This chapter teaches us that Jesus is the eternal Word, the light of the world, and our true hope. Meditating on these verses is like returning to the fountain of grace each week—reminding us of who we are, and who He is in our daily story.
🔥 “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” — John 20:21
❓ Fundamental Questions That Underlie All Theology
1. Did Jesus remain God even when he became a man?
Yes. “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9) Jesus never lost His divinity—but He made it manifest in unexpected ways: by kneeling, by bearing the burdens of the weak, and by obeying even to the cross. In His humble life, God Himself revealed Himself more clearly than in the lightning of Sinai or the sound of thunder; in Jesus, we see the glory of God shining through tears, sweat, and blood.
2. Why is it important for Jesus to be fully human?
“In all things he was made like his brethren.” (Hebrews 2:17) He could pray fervently as one who thirsts for Heaven, weep bitterly as one who is touched by human sorrow, and be tempted as one who needs daily grace—so that in every situation he would show that he fully understands, feels, and shares our human condition.
3. What is the meaning of God's love in the Incarnation?
“He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant...” (Philippians 2:6–8) God humbled himself to the dust of the earth, so that even the poorest, the most wounded by the world, might lift up his eyes and see God approaching him with love and compassion. In Jesus, full of grace and truth, we do not ascend by our own efforts but are lifted up by the love of God who comes down to meet us where we are.
🙌 Conclusion: God Is Not Far Away — He Is With Us
In a world filled with the noise of fear and doubt, Jesus emerges as the living Word—a gentle voice in the midst of chaos, a true light in the darkness of doubt. He comes not as a distant image, but as the Friend who lifts the broken, the Brother who shares your journey, and the Savior who carries your burden to the end.
“Walk today with joy knowing that God is not far away. In Christ, He has become a neighbor, a true friend, and a savior. Receive His boundless love, live in Him, and share Him with a world that waits to see His merciful face.”
📚 Annotated Bibliography
The Holy Bible – Swahili EditionUsed as the foundational source for all scriptural references, including passages such as John 1:1–14, Matthew 8:3, Luke 19:1–10, and Philippians 2:5–8. These texts illustrate the reality of the Incarnation and the love of Christ.
N.T. Wright, Simply Jesus (2011)Wright provides an in-depth exploration of Jesus' role as the Son of God who entered Israel’s historical narrative, framing the Incarnation as the dramatic arrival of God's kingdom on earth (see chapters 4–6).
N.T. Wright, How God Became King (2012)Particularly in the opening and concluding chapters, Wright explains how the Gospels portray Jesus not only as a spiritual savior but as the King who embodies God’s presence on earth.
Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the God of Israel (2008)A thorough theological examination of the divine identity of Jesus, affirming the understanding that Jesus shared in the glory of God before the foundation of the world.
Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (1898)A beloved devotional classic presenting the life of Jesus from a perspective filled with compassion and spiritual insight, emphasizing the Incarnation as a manifestation of God’s mercy toward humanity.
Council of Chalcedon, Definition of Faith (451 A.D.)The Church’s official doctrinal statement on the dual nature of Christ—divine and human in one person—developed in response to heresies such as Docetism and Arianism.
Leviticus 13–14 & Hebrews 2:17–18Old and New Testament texts addressing ritual impurity and the necessity for a merciful high priest who understands human weakness and can deal gently with it.
Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew (1995)Offers a fresh and personal portrayal of Jesus as fully human—one who did not shy away from the struggles of life but embraced the fullness of humanity.
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