The Mystery of Incarnation

This post is in honor of my pastor, Dr. Larry robertson, who loves words.


Carnations are beautiful flowers. You can find them in many shades of red, pink, white, yellow... But originally - before plant breeders worked with them - they were only found in biege and "flesh" colors. That's why they have the name "carnation" - referring to the flesh color of the flowers. It comes from the same Latin word from which we got the word "carnal" - which means "fleshly" and "carnivorous" - refering to animals and plants that eat flesh.



This is the same etymology (how's that for a really cool big word?) behind the word "incarnation" which means - well here - I'll just paste it in from Merriam-Webster

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/incarnation



1 a (1): the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form (2)capitalized : the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ



Here is one of my favorite passages about the incarnation of Jesus Christ.


Colossians 1: 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation; 16 because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. 19 Because all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him, 20 and to reconcile everything to Himself through Him by making peace through the blood of His cross -- whether things on earth or things in heaven.

We'll be singing these words Sunday morning when we sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"

Veiled in flesh the God-head see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel.