Christmas and the Heart of God

Merry Christmas!

Today I a ponder the Incarnation I wonder what it was all about. Why did God take on human form?

We usually think the Incarnation was for our benefit. But I am very sympathetic to the notion that God needed the Incarnation, that prior to the Incarnation there was an empathic disjoint between God and humanity. I resonate with the idea that God, to be a good God, needed to walk in our shoes for a season. To experience pain, loss, hunger, fear, emotional desolation, torture and, finally, death itself.

I think there is biblical warrant for this view. Consider these two passages from the book of Hebrews:

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers...Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who
are being tempted.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

It seems clear to me in these passages that Jesus (and, thus, God himself) learned something during the Incarnation. Specifically, God learns empathy. The Incarnation allows a facet of God--The Son--to function as a more perfect--more empathic and compassionate--High Priest.

So I'm thankful today for the baby Jesus. Thankful for what that gift did to the hearts of humanity. And also thankful for what that gift did to the heart of God.