The Genius of Christianity
The genius of Christianity lies in its unique blend of historical events and personal relationship with God through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Selwyn Hughes emphasizes the profound truth of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, highlighting the historical reality of God coming to earth in human form. Christianity is not merely a set of principles or teachings but is rooted in concrete events and happenings, with the Incarnation being a central aspect of the gospel. To be a true Christian is to accept the reality of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection as described in the Scriptures. The essence of the Christian faith lies in the fact that 'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.'
Text
"... The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (v. 14)
For reading & meditation:
Isaiah 7:13-17
Some religions, such as Hinduism, claim that their gods incarnate themselves, but those so-called incarnations are rooted in fantasy, not in fact. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is not just a great idea - it really happened. There were eyewitnesses and a written record. The genius of Christianity is that it is not just a religion of influences, values and principles. It is a religion of happenings, of events, of plain but wonderful historical occurrences. The Incarnation belongs to the very marrow of the gospel; therefore, we can assert that God in the Person of His Son came to earth at a certain hour in history, lived and died among us, and afterwards rose from the dead. Those who say, "I admire the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount, I applaud the work and teachings of Christ and follow His principles in my daily life, but I cannot believe the historical part of it, that God took a body and became man," cannot really claim to be Christians. If they do not believe Christ's statements concerning Himself and the reason why He came into this world, then though they may be many splendid things they are not disciples of Christ. To be a Christian means first and foremost accepting the great fact of the Incarnation - that Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, was born at Bethlehem in the way the Scriptures describe. Of this be certain - the Christian faith carries certain facts at its heart, and the greatest of them is this: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
O Father, I pray that nothing will ever diminish the wondrous truth of Your Incarnation in my soul. For without that You would be a distant deity, vague and unapproachable. In Jesus You have come close to me. And how! I shall be eternally grateful. Amen
Sermon Outline
- The Genius of Christianity
- The Incarnation is a Central Gospel Truth
- Accepting the Incarnation is Essential to Being a Christian
- The Incarnation is a Historical Fact
- Eyewitnesses and Written Record
- God Came to Earth in the Person of Jesus Christ
- Jesus Lived, Died, and Rose from the Dead
Key Quotes
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” — Selwyn Hughes
“The genius of Christianity is that it is not just a religion of influences, values and principles. It is a religion of happenings, of events, of plain but wonderful historical occurrences.” — Selwyn Hughes
Application Points
- Accepting the Incarnation is essential to being a Christian, as it makes God a personal and approachable deity.
- The Incarnation is a central fact of the Christian faith, and it's crucial to acknowledge and embrace it in our lives.
- Christianity is a religion of historical events, not just principles and values, and this sets it apart from other world religions.