September 9 - The Witnesses to the Incarnation

“John testified about Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.”’ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:15–16).

John brought in other witnesses to the truth about the divine, preexistent, incarnate Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. He first called on John the Baptist.

That John “cried out” speaks of the bold, public nature of his witness to Jesus; he was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’” (Matt. 3:3). He was the herald, proclaiming the arrival of the Messiah, and calling people to repent and prepare their hearts to receive Him. Acknowledging Jesus’ preeminence, John said of Him, “He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.” Jesus, the Expected (literally, “coming”) One (Luke 7:19–20) came after John in time; He was born six months later and began His public ministry after John began his. Yet, as John acknowledged, Jesus had “a higher rank than” he did, “for He existed before” him. This is a reference to Jesus’ eternal preexistence.

The apostle also points to the witness of all believers, who “have all received” the fullness of blessing from the one who is “full of grace and truth” (v. 14). You can add your voice to that testimony by faithfully living out and proclaiming the truth of the gospel.

Spend some time today reflecting on all you have received from Christ, how “grace upon grace” has been added, multiplied, and stacked one on top of another in your life—day after day, year after year. Celebrate His grace and goodness with the measure it has been poured out on you.

“Spend some time today reflecting on all you have received from Christ, how “grace upon grace” has been added, multiplied, and stacked one on top of another in your life—day after day, year after year. Celebrate His grace and goodness with the measure it has been poured out on you.”

Not only today, but every day!

(Thank you, Metmom.)

Some of my other favorite witnesses to the Incarnation can be found in St Paul, in his Letters to the Colossians and the Philippians and in the Letter to the Hebrews:

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)

Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-4)

Great verses.

I like the one in Colossians as it tells us that it’s Jesus’ power that holds everything together. But the *scientists*, knowing about those forces, just relabel them and call them gravitation, magnetism, strong molecular force, weak molecular force, etc.

Anything but acknowledging that Scripture was right and they are actually seeing the proof of God that they demand of Christians.

My daughter and I were just discussing this yesterday. There was an article a week or so ago with a scientist discussing a mysterious force that holds the smallest of particles together. Basically: It’s a mystery, we don’t yet know what it is.

Yet the obvious answer has been known for centuries. Amazing how such a highly educated scientist can be so clueless. I wish I saved that article now.

Wow, yes, so true. A childhood priest stated how so many of the highly educated are “educated idiots.”

A few weeks ago my mom went through endoscopy to confirm cancer diagnosis. I was on the phone with the doctor, very prideful by his comments. He was explaining what he was going to do; at the end of the conversation I prayed a short prayer of success for him and my mom, in Jesus’ Name. He actually audibly scoffed, I could hear it over the phone. Thankfully God was ultimately in control.

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