God Manifest In The Flesh

December 2014 — Grace & Truth Magazine


God Manifest In Flesh

Savage natives dashed about with war cries and waved their spears as David Livingstone (1813-1873), the great pioneer missionary in Africa, neared their shore. How could Livingstone make them understand that he came in peace and wished to do them good? He could not talk their language and they couldn’t understand his. Presently he thought of a plan and asked his wife for their little baby. With it in his arms he waded through the water from the boat to the shore and gained access to the natives who stood there silently and peacefully. They understood Livingstone, for the little baby in his arms was a sign to them that he came in peace.

This story reminds us of another who came down to us in peace in the form of a little baby. You remember when the Son of God was born into the world at Bethlehem, the angel of the Lord said: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Lk. 2:11-12 KJV). The baby Jesus is a sign that God came down to man in human form in love, to save his soul and reveal Himself in a way that mankind could understand.

Now we not only know about God through the work of His hand in creation, but we see the very heart and character of God told out in the Man Christ Jesus, His beloved Son. In Jesus – who was on earth a person just like ourselves, but without sin – “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). That is, God was shown forth in a human form which everybody could see and understand. All the loving, gracious words Jesus spoke and all the kind deeds he did for poor and needy people told out what God is and how He loves everybody.

Though Jesus is not here on earth today where we can see Him, we can read the Bible and from the four Gospels we can learn all about what He did on the earth. We see Him by faith just as real as those did who physically saw Him on earth. Most of all, we learn that He died for our sins that we might be saved and go to heaven!

By Raymond K. Campbell