PAULA WISEMAN

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Posts that reference the Gospel of John

STT: Objects as Types

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Study Tip Tuesday Objects as Types title graphic

“For the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities.” – Hebrews 10:1a

In our exploration of biblical typology, we’ve examined how both people and events foreshadowed Christ. Today, we’ll complete our series by looking at how Old Testament institutions and objects served as types of Christ. These divinely designed elements of Israel’s worship and daily life provided tangible pictures of spiritual realities that would be fulfilled in Jesus.

The Purpose of Institutional Types

God established Israel’s religious institutions and sacred objects as teaching tools—physical representations of spiritual truths that would find their fulfillment in Christ. As Hebrews 8:5 explains, the priests served “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.”

Five Significant Institutions and Objects as Types of Christ

1. The Tabernacle/Temple – God’s Dwelling Place

The sacred sanctuary where God dwelt among His people foreshadowed Christ.

Typological Elements:

  • God’s presence dwelling among His people
  • The single entrance (John 10:9)
  • The bronze altar for sacrifice
  • The veil separating the Holy of Holies

The Greater Reality in Christ:
“The Word became flesh and dwelt [literally ‘tabernacled’] among us” (John 1:14). The tabernacle provided limited access to God’s presence; in Christ, God came to dwell directly among us.

2. The Sacrificial System – Atonement for Sin

The elaborate system of offerings pointed to Christ’s perfect sacrifice.

Typological Elements:

  • Unblemished animals required
  • Blood shed for atonement
  • Different offerings for various needs
  • Repeated sacrifices showing their insufficiency

The Greater Reality in Christ:
“We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Animal sacrifices needed constant repetition; Christ’s sacrifice was once for all.

3. The Priesthood – Mediation Between God and Man

The Levitical priesthood foreshadowed Christ’s perfect mediation.

Typological Elements:

  • Chosen by God to represent the people
  • Offered sacrifices for sins
  • Interceded on behalf of the people
  • Wore special garments signifying holiness

The Greater Reality in Christ:
“We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14). The Levitical priests were sinful men who died; Christ is the sinless, eternal High Priest.

4. The Ark of the Covenant – God’s Throne of Mercy

This sacred chest represented God’s presence and mercy.

Typological Elements:

  • Contained the law, manna, and Aaron’s rod
  • Covered by the mercy seat where blood was applied
  • Represented God’s throne among His people
  • Led the people through the wilderness

The Greater Reality in Christ:
Jesus perfectly embodied God’s law, provided heavenly bread, and demonstrated divine authority. Through Him, we find mercy at God’s throne: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16).

5. The Passover – Salvation Through Sacrifice

This annual feast commemorated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

Typological Elements:

  • Unblemished lamb selected
  • Blood applied for protection
  • Flesh eaten in a covenant meal
  • Celebrated as a memorial

The Greater Reality in Christ:
“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The Passover lamb saved from physical death in Egypt; Christ saves from eternal death.

When studying Old Testament institutions and objects:

  1. Consider their purpose – What spiritual reality did this institution or object represent?
  2. Look for New Testament fulfillment – How does the New Testament connect this to Christ?
  3. Note the limitations – How does Christ perfect and complete what was only partially represented?
  4. Apply the spiritual principle – What does this teach us about our relationship with God through Christ?

These divinely designed institutions weren’t merely religious rituals but prophetic pictures pointing to Christ. Understanding them enriches our appreciation of what we have in Jesus.

Which of these institutional types helps you understand an aspect of Christ’s work more clearly? How does seeing Christ as the fulfillment of these sacred institutions deepen your worship?

STT: Events as Types

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Study tip Tuesday Events as Types title graphic

“Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” – 1 Corinthians 10:11

Last week, we explored how people in the Old Testament foreshadowed Christ. This week, we’ll examine how specific events and historical moments also served as “types” pointing to Christ’s redemptive work. These divinely orchestrated events created patterns that would find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

What Makes an Event Typological?

When we identify an event as a type of Christ, we’re recognizing God’s intentional pattern-making throughout redemptive history. These events weren’t merely historical occurrences but divine object lessons preparing God’s people to understand Christ’s work when He came.

Five Significant Events as Types of Christ

1. The Exodus – Redemption from Bondage

The deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery foreshadowed Christ’s greater redemption.

Typological Elements:

  • Bondage in Egypt parallels slavery to sin
  • The Passover lamb’s blood provided protection
  • Passing through the Red Sea resembles baptism (1 Corinthians 10:1-2)
  • Journey to the Promised Land mirrors the Christian journey

The Greater Reality in Christ:
“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The Exodus provided physical deliverance for one nation; Christ provides spiritual deliverance for people from all nations.

2. The Bronze Serpent – Healing Through Faith

When poisonous serpents bit the Israelites in the wilderness, God provided a surprising remedy.

Typological Elements:

  • Moses lifted a bronze serpent on a pole
  • Those who looked at it in faith were healed
  • The cure required only a believing look

The Greater Reality in Christ:
Jesus explicitly connected this event to Himself: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The serpent brought physical healing; Christ brings eternal salvation.

3. Crossing the Jordan – Entering God’s Rest

Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land foreshadowed entering God’s spiritual rest.

Typological Elements:

  • Crossing through parted waters
  • Transition from wilderness wandering to inheritance
  • Twelve stones as memorial of God’s faithfulness
  • Joshua (Hebrew form of “Jesus”) leading the people

The Greater Reality in Christ:
“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:8-9). The Promised Land offered temporary physical rest; Christ offers eternal spiritual rest.

4. Manna in the Wilderness – Bread from Heaven

God’s provision of bread in the desert pointed to Christ as the true bread from heaven.

Typological Elements:

  • Supernatural origin (“bread from heaven”)
  • Daily provision for physical needs
  • Sustained the entire community
  • Required daily gathering (except Sabbath)

The Greater Reality in Christ:
Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life… I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:48, 51). Manna sustained physical life temporarily; Christ gives eternal life.

5. The Day of Atonement – Complete Forgiveness

The annual ritual for cleansing from sin foreshadowed Christ’s perfect atonement.

Typological Elements:

  • Sacrifice for the sins of the people
  • Blood brought into the Most Holy Place
  • The scapegoat carrying away sins
  • One day that addressed all sin

The Greater Reality in Christ:
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest… he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11-12). The Day of Atonement provided temporary covering; Christ provides permanent forgiveness.

When studying Old Testament events:

  1. Look for New Testament connections – Does any NT passage link this event to Christ?
  2. Identify the redemptive elements – How does this event reveal aspects of salvation?
  3. Note the limitations – How was this event insufficient, requiring a greater fulfillment?
  4. Recognize the pattern – What spiritual principle does this event illustrate?

These historical events weren’t just stories to remember but divinely designed patterns pointing to Christ’s perfect work. They created a spiritual vocabulary that would help God’s people understand the significance of what Jesus would accomplish.

Which of these Old Testament events helps you understand an aspect of Christ’s redemptive work more clearly? How does seeing these connections enhance your appreciation of God’s consistent plan throughout Scripture?

STT: Examples of Types

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Study Tip Tuesday Examples of Types title graphic

Through a rich tapestry of types and shadows—people, events, and institutions that prefigured Christ—God was already telling the story of redemption long before the manger in Bethlehem. These patterns aren’t just literary devices; they’re Spirit-woven previews of the gospel.

Recognizing these Christ-types helps us read the Bible as one unified narrative, where the Old Testament anticipates and the New Testament fulfills.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” – Luke 24:27

What Are Types and Shadows?

Remember, a “type” is a person, event, or institution in the Old Testament that prefigures something greater in the New Testament, particularly Christ. The “shadow” points to the “substance” that is Christ.

As Colossians 2:17 says regarding Old Testament practices: “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”

Three Key Examples of Christ-Types

1. Moses as a Type of Christ

Moses foreshadowed Christ as:

  • A deliverer who rescued his people from bondage
  • A mediator between God and the people
  • A prophet who spoke God’s words
  • A lawgiver who established God’s covenant

Jesus is the greater Moses, delivering us from sin’s bondage, mediating a better covenant, and fulfilling the law.

2. The Passover Lamb as a Type of Christ

The Passover lamb pointed to Christ through:

  • Its unblemished condition
  • Its sacrificial death
  • Its blood providing protection
  • Its flesh providing nourishment

This connection is explicitly confirmed in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

3. The Tabernacle as a Type of Christ

The tabernacle foreshadowed Christ as:

  • God’s dwelling among His people
  • The place of sacrifice and atonement
  • The location where God met with humanity

John 1:14 confirms this connection: “The Word became flesh and dwelt [literally ‘tabernacled’] among us.”

Seeing Christ More Clearly

Typology isn’t just a clever interpretive tool—it’s a testimony to God’s intentionality. From Moses to the lamb to the tabernacle, each type whispers the name of Jesus long before His birth. These shadows stretch across centuries, converging in the radiant substance of Christ.

As we learn to recognize these patterns, we begin to see Scripture not as a collection of disconnected stories, but as one unfolding drama of redemption. The road to Emmaus becomes our road too—where Christ opens our eyes and hearts to the truth that He has been there all along.

STT: Types and Shadows

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Study Tip Tuesday Types and Shadows title graphic

Have you ever wondered how Jesus could show the disciples where He appears in the Old Testament? The Bible contains a beautiful system of “types and shadows” – people, events, and institutions that foreshadow Christ. Learning to recognize these patterns enriches your understanding of Scripture’s unity and deepens your appreciation of God’s redemptive plan.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” – Luke 24:27

What Are Types and Shadows?

A “type” is a person, event, or institution in the Old Testament that prefigures something greater in the New Testament, particularly Christ. These are like “non-verbal prophecy,” where God uses real people and situations throughout history to continually announce and paint pictures of His life on Earth.

Four Common Categories of Christ-Types

1. People as Types

Old Testament figures who foreshadow aspects of Christ’s person or work:

  • Adam – As the “first man,” Adam prefigures Christ, “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45)
  • Melchizedek – This priest-king foreshadows Christ’s dual role (Hebrews 7:1-3)
  • Moses – As deliverer and mediator, Moses points to Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15)
  • David – The shepherd-king anticipates the ultimate King (Ezekiel 34:23-24)

2. Events as Types

Historical events that picture Christ’s redemptive work:

  • The Exodus – Israel’s deliverance from slavery foreshadows our redemption from sin
  • The Bronze Serpent – Healing came by looking at the lifted serpent, pointing to Christ lifted up (John 3:14-15)
  • Crossing the Jordan – Entering the Promised Land pictures entering God’s rest through Christ

3. Institutions as Types

Old Testament institutions fulfilled in Christ:

  • The Tabernacle/Temple – God’s dwelling among His people, fulfilled in Christ who “tabernacled” among us (John 1:14)
  • The Sacrificial System – Animal sacrifices pointed to Christ’s perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1-14)
  • The Priesthood – Mediators between God and people, fulfilled in Christ our High Priest

4. Objects as Types

Physical items that symbolize aspects of Christ:

  • The Ark of the Covenant – God’s presence with His people
  • The Passover Lamb – Protection through applied blood (1 Corinthians 5:7)
  • Manna – Bread from heaven, pointing to Christ as the true bread (John 6:32-33)

Over the next few posts, we’ll learn more about types and shadows and how to recognize them.

The Scandal of the Witnesses

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The Scandal of the Witnesses title graphic

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'” – Luke 2:8-14

Last week, we explored how the incarnation itself—God becoming human—was profoundly scandalous, a stumbling block (σκανδαλίζω/skandalizō) to human expectations about divinity. Today, we turn to another scandal of the Christmas story: God’s choice of witnesses.

If you were orchestrating the most important birth in human history, who would you select as the first witnesses? Prominent religious leaders? Government officials? Respected scholars? People whose testimony would be widely believed and whose influence would spread the news effectively?

God chose shepherds.

This divine choice represents another stumbling block, another inversion of human expectations that reveals the upside-down values of God’s kingdom.

The Social Status of Shepherds

To appreciate the scandal of God’s choice, we need to understand the social position of shepherds in first-century Palestine. While we might have romanticized notions of shepherds from pastoral poetry or Sunday School illustrations, the reality was quite different:

1. They were ceremonially unclean

The nature of their work made it impossible for shepherds to observe ceremonial washing and purification rites. They couldn’t leave their flocks to participate in religious festivals. This relegated them to a perpetual state of ritual impurity.

2. They were considered untrustworthy

Shepherds had such a reputation for dishonesty that they were not permitted to testify in court. Their word was considered unreliable. The Mishnah, a collection of Jewish oral traditions, listed shepherds among those whose occupations rendered them untrustworthy.

3. They were socially marginalized

Shepherds lived on the outskirts of society, both literally and figuratively. They spent most of their time in the fields, apart from community life. Their work was considered undesirable—necessary but not respected.

4. They were economically poor

Contrary to images of shepherds as independent operators, most were hired hands working for wealthy landowners. They received minimal compensation for difficult, dangerous work.

In short, shepherds occupied one of the lowest rungs on the social ladder. They were the overlooked, the marginalized, the disregarded. Their testimony would carry little weight in respectable society.

This makes God’s choice all the more striking. The first announcement of the Messiah’s birth—the news that would change human history—was entrusted to those whose word would be questioned or dismissed by the religious and social establishment.

The Divine Reversal

This choice of witnesses wasn’t accidental or merely practical. It represented a deliberate divine reversal of human value systems. Throughout Scripture, we see God consistently working through the unlikely, the overlooked, and the marginalized:

  • He chose Abraham and Sarah, an elderly childless couple, to become the parents of a great nation
  • He selected Moses, a fugitive with a speech impediment, to confront Pharaoh
  • He anointed David, the youngest son watching sheep, to become king
  • He called Amos, a herdsman and dresser of sycamore figs, to prophesy to Israel

The selection of shepherds as the first witnesses to Christ’s birth continues this pattern. It embodies what Mary had proclaimed in her Magnificat just months earlier:

“He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:52-53)

This divine reversal is σκανδαλίζω—scandalous, a stumbling block—to human systems that value power, wealth, education, and social standing. It suggests that God sees value where humans often don’t, and that His kingdom operates by different principles than our social hierarchies.

The Scandal of Divine Access

Beyond challenging social hierarchies, the choice of shepherds as witnesses reveals something profound about access to God. In the religious system of the time, access to God was mediated through a complex system of purification rituals, temple worship, and priestly intercession. One’s closeness to God was thought to correlate with one’s ritual purity and religious knowledge.

The shepherds, being ceremonially unclean and religiously untrained, should have been far from divine revelation according to this understanding. Yet they received direct divine communication through angels and were granted immediate access to the newborn Messiah.

This represents another scandal—the scandal of unmediated divine access. God bypassed the religious establishment entirely, bringing His message directly to those on the margins. This foreshadowed Jesus’ later ministry, where He consistently provided direct access to God for those whom the religious system excluded:

  • Tax collectors deemed too corrupt
  • Women considered inappropriate conversation partners for rabbis
  • Samaritans viewed as religious heretics
  • Lepers judged to be under divine punishment
  • Gentiles thought to be outside God’s covenant

The shepherds’ experience anticipated a new kind of relationship with God—one based not on ritual purity or religious credentials but on divine grace and human receptivity.

The Scandal of Unlikely Messengers

There’s yet another scandal in this story: not only were the shepherds unlikely recipients of divine revelation, but they became the first evangelists of the Christian message.

Luke tells us that after seeing the baby Jesus, “they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:17-18).

These men, whose testimony wasn’t even accepted in court, became God’s chosen messengers to announce the Messiah’s birth. Those deemed unreliable by society were entrusted with history’s most important news.

This pattern would continue throughout Jesus’ ministry and the early church:

  • Samaritan woman with a questionable reputation becomes an evangelist to her town (John 4)
  • Former demoniac proclaims Jesus throughout the Decapolis (Mark 5:18-20)
  • Uneducated fishermen become apostolic leaders (Acts 4:13)
  • Former persecutor becomes the greatest missionary (Acts 9)

The scandal is that God consistently chooses unlikely messengers—people whose credibility would be questioned by conventional standards. As Paul would later write, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

The Content of the Message

The scandal extends beyond who received the message to what they were told. The angelic announcement contained elements that would have been shocking to first-century Jewish expectations:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

  1. “Unto you” – The personal nature of this birth—that it was specifically for these marginalized shepherds—would have been surprising in a culture that expected the Messiah to come primarily for the religiously observant.
  2. “A Savior” – While Jews expected a Messiah, the term “Savior” (sōtēr) had particular resonance in the Roman world, where it was applied to the emperor. Using this title suggested a rival claim to the emperor’s authority.
  3. “Christ the Lord” – Combining “Christ” (Messiah) with “Lord” (kyrios, a term used for God in Greek translations of the Old Testament) made a bold claim about this baby’s identity that went beyond traditional Messianic expectations.

The message itself challenged both religious and political power structures, making it as scandalous as the messengers who carried it.

The Shepherds’ Response

What’s remarkable about the shepherds is their response to this scandalous divine choice. Despite their social conditioning that would have told them they were unworthy of such revelation, they:

  1. Believed the message – They didn’t dismiss the angelic appearance as hallucination or question why they would be chosen.
  2. Acted immediately – “They went with haste” to find the baby, not delaying or second-guessing their experience.
  3. Shared what they had seen – They became witnesses, spreading the news despite their lack of social standing.
  4. Returned glorifying God – They continued their humble work, but with a new perspective, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.”

Their response models how we might respond to God’s scandalous grace in our own lives—with simple faith, immediate action, willing testimony, and transformed perspective as we return to our daily responsibilities.

The Scandal Continues

The pattern established in the shepherds’ story—God choosing unlikely witnesses—wasn’t limited to the Christmas event but became characteristic of Jesus’ entire ministry and the early church:

  • Jesus selected fishermen, tax collectors, and political zealots as His inner circle
  • Women were the first witnesses to His resurrection, despite their testimony being devalued in that culture
  • The gospel spread first among the poor and slaves before reaching the wealthy and powerful
  • Paul boasted that “not many were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth” among the early believers (1 Corinthians 1:26)

This consistent pattern suggests that God’s choice of shepherds wasn’t incidental but intentional—a revelation of how His kingdom operates.

Living with the Scandal Today

This aspect of the Christmas story challenges us in several ways:

1. It questions our criteria for credibility

Who do we consider reliable witnesses today? Whose voices do we value and whose do we dismiss? The shepherds’ story suggests we should be cautious about dismissing testimony based on social status, education, or conventional credibility markers.

2. It challenges our social hierarchies

If God deliberately chose those at the bottom of the social ladder as His first witnesses, what does that suggest about how we should structure our communities and churches? Perhaps our leadership and influence should not mirror worldly status systems.

3. It offers hope to the marginalized

For those who feel overlooked or undervalued by society, the shepherds’ story offers profound encouragement. God sees those whom society ignores and often chooses them for special purposes in His kingdom.

4. It invites us to examine our own response

Like the shepherds, we face a choice when confronted with God’s unexpected work: Will we believe despite our sense of unworthiness? Will we act immediately? Will we share what we’ve experienced? Will we return to our daily lives transformed?

The Upside-Down Kingdom

The scandal of the shepherds reveals a fundamental truth about God’s kingdom: it operates by different values than human kingdoms. As Jesus would later teach:

“The last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:16)
“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 20:26)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

These aren’t just nice spiritual sayings; they represent the actual operating principles of God’s kingdom. The choice of shepherds as the first witnesses wasn’t an anomaly but a manifestation of these kingdom values.

This Christmas, perhaps we need to let ourselves be scandalized anew by God’s choice of witnesses. Perhaps we need to question our own value systems and ask whether they align with the kingdom revealed in the manger—a kingdom where shepherds receive angelic revelations, where the marginalized get front-row seats to divine action, and where those deemed unreliable by society become God’s chosen messengers.

For in this divine scandal lies an invitation—an invitation to see the world and each other through God’s eyes rather than through the distorting lens of human status systems. An invitation to value what God values and to recognize His work in unexpected places and through unexpected people.

Next week, we’ll explore our final Christmas scandal: “The Scandal of Extravagant Gifts”—examining the Magi’s lavish offerings and what they reveal about the nature of true giving in God’s kingdom.

The Scandal of the Incarnation

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The Scandal of the Incarnation title graphic

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

The Greek word σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō) appears frequently in the New Testament. It’s where we get our English word “scandalize,” and it literally refers to a trap or stumbling block—something that trips people up or causes them to fall. When the Bible uses this term, it often points to something that offends people’s sensibilities so deeply that it becomes an obstacle to faith.

Nothing in Christian theology has been more σκανδαλίζω—more scandalous, more of a stumbling block—than the incarnation: the claim that the infinite, eternal God became a finite human baby.

Skandalizō means “to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall.” This is precisely what the incarnation did to human religious expectations. It placed before us a claim so outrageous, so contrary to conventional wisdom, that many have tripped over it throughout history.

A Scandal to Everyone

The incarnation wasn’t just shocking to one group—it scandalized virtually everyone who encountered it, though for different reasons:

A Scandal to the Jews

For faithful Jews, the idea that God would become human was blasphemous. Their understanding of God emphasized His transcendence and otherness. The first commandment prohibited making any image of God, yet Christianity claimed God had made Himself into a human image.

As Paul wrote, “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block [skandalon] to Jews” (1 Corinthians 1:23). The incarnation contradicted their expectations of a Messiah who would come in power and glory, not vulnerability and obscurity.

A Scandal to the Greeks

For Greek philosophers, the incarnation was equally offensive but for different reasons. Their worldview separated the spiritual realm (seen as good and pure) from the material world (seen as lesser or even corrupt). The idea that a perfect deity would willingly take on corrupt flesh seemed absurd.

As Paul continued in the same verse, Christ crucified was “folly to Gentiles.” The Greek word for “folly” (moria) gives us our word “moronic.” To the sophisticated Greek mind, the incarnation wasn’t just mistaken—it was intellectually embarrassing.

A Scandal to the Romans

For Romans, power and honor were supreme values. Their gods were projections of power, not embodiments of humility. A God who would voluntarily embrace weakness, limitation, and ultimately execution by Roman authorities was incomprehensible.

A Scandal Today

The incarnation remains scandalous in our time, though for somewhat different reasons:

  • To materialists, the idea of transcendent divinity entering physical reality is nonsensical
  • To individualists, the notion of God binding Himself to human community seems unnecessary
  • To those who value autonomy and self-sufficiency, a God who enters into messy human dependency appears weak
  • To those seeking spiritual escape from physical reality, God’s embrace of embodiment seems backward

The incarnation offends human sensibilities in every era because it contradicts our natural assumptions about both divinity and humanity.

The Scandal of Divine Humility

At its core, what makes the incarnation so scandalous is its radical divine humility. As Paul describes it:

“Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8)

This voluntary self-emptying (kenosis in Greek) represents a divine humility that contradicts nearly every human conception of greatness. We associate divinity with power, control, and immunity from suffering. The incarnation gives us a God who embraces weakness, vulnerability, and pain.

Consider what the incarnation meant for the eternal Word:

  • The one who created time subjected Himself to its limitations
  • The one who is omnipresent confined Himself to a single location
  • The one who is omniscient experienced human learning and growth
  • The one who is omnipotent took on human frailty and fatigue
  • The one who is perfectly holy entered a world of temptation and sin
  • The one who is self-existent became dependent on others for survival

This is not what we expect from divinity. It’s σκανδαλίζω—a stumbling block to our natural understanding.

The Scandal of Human Dignity

While the incarnation scandalously lowers our view of God (in terms of conventional expectations), it simultaneously elevates our view of humanity in ways equally shocking.

If God could become human without ceasing to be God, then:

  1. Human nature isn’t inherently corrupt
    Despite its fallenness, human nature must be capable of union with divinity.
  2. Embodiment isn’t a prison to escape
    If God willingly took on flesh, physical existence can’t be inherently evil or inferior.
  3. Ordinary life has extraordinary significance
    The mundane realities of human existence—eating, sleeping, working, relating—have been forever dignified by divine participation.
  4. No human is beyond divine reach
    If God could bridge the infinite gap between divinity and humanity, no human condition is too broken for His presence.

This elevation of human dignity was as scandalous in the ancient world as the lowering of divine dignity. It challenged hierarchical societies that saw most humans as disposable and contradicted philosophical systems that viewed embodiment as a regrettable condition.

The Scandal of Particularity

Another scandalous aspect of the incarnation is its particularity. God didn’t become a generic human or appear simultaneously in multiple forms. He became a specific man in a specific time, place, and culture:

  • A Jewish man (not Greek, Roman, or Egyptian)
  • In first-century Palestine (not ancient China or modern America)
  • Born to a working-class family (not to royalty or the religious elite)
  • In the context of Roman occupation (not during a time of national glory)

This particularity offends our sense that God should be universal and impartial. Why these people? Why this time and place? Why these circumstances?

Yet this scandal of particularity reveals something profound: God works through the concrete and specific, not just through universal principles. He enters real human history, not an idealized abstraction of humanity.

The Scandal of Intimacy

Perhaps most scandalous of all is what the incarnation reveals about God’s desire for intimacy with us. The Word became flesh not primarily to teach us or rule us, but to be with us—Immanuel, “God with us.”

This divine longing for closeness contradicts both religious and secular assumptions:

  • Religious systems often emphasize maintaining proper distance from the divine
  • Secular thought typically sees no divine interest in human affairs at all

The incarnation suggests instead that God desires such close communion with humanity that He was willing to become one of us to achieve it. This scandalous intimacy continues to challenge our comfortable distance from God.

Embracing the Scandal

How should we respond to this scandalous claim at the heart of our faith? Several possibilities present themselves:

1. We can reject the scandal

Many throughout history have tried to domesticate the incarnation by reinterpreting it. Some suggest Jesus only appeared to be human (Docetism). Others claim He was merely human and somehow adopted by God (Adoptionism). Still others propose He was a lesser divine being, not fully God (Arianism).

These reinterpretations attempt to remove the scandal by making the incarnation more palatable to human reason. But in doing so, they lose the revolutionary power of the original claim.

2. We can rationalize the scandal

Another approach tries to make the incarnation intellectually respectable through sophisticated theological explanations. While theological reflection is valuable, we must be careful not to explain away the shock value of God becoming human.

As Dorothy Sayers observed, “The dogma of the Incarnation is the most dramatic thing about Christianity, and indeed, the most dramatic thing that ever entered the mind of man; but if you tell people so, they stare at you in bewilderment.”

3. We can embrace the scandal

The most faithful response is to embrace the scandal—to let the incarnation challenge our assumptions about both God and humanity. This means:

  • Allowing ourselves to be shocked again by the claim that “the Word became flesh”
  • Recognizing how this contradicts our natural religious instincts
  • Letting this scandalous truth reshape our understanding of greatness, power, and love

When we embrace rather than evade the scandal, we discover its transformative power. The incarnation becomes not just a theological doctrine but a revolutionary paradigm that inverts our values and priorities.

Living the Scandal

If we truly embrace the scandal of the incarnation, it will transform how we live:

1. It changes how we view humility

If God Himself embraced humility, we can no longer see it as weakness but must recognize it as divine strength. As Jesus taught, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

2. It changes how we view vulnerability

The incarnation reveals a God willing to become vulnerable to rejection, suffering, and death. This divine vulnerability challenges our cultural worship of invulnerability and self-protection.

3. It changes how we view the ordinary

If God entered ordinary human existence—eating, sleeping, working with hands, experiencing family life—then these “mundane” aspects of life are infused with sacred potential.

4. It changes how we view suffering

The incarnation means God doesn’t observe human suffering from a safe distance but enters into it. This doesn’t explain suffering away, but it assures us we don’t suffer alone.

5. It changes how we view others

If God thought humanity worth becoming, we must see each person—regardless of status, ability, or circumstance—as worthy of profound dignity and respect.

The Ongoing Scandal

Two thousand years after the first Christmas, the incarnation remains as scandalous as ever. In a world that worships power, success, and self-sufficiency, the image of God as a vulnerable baby born to insignificant parents in difficult circumstances still challenges our fundamental assumptions.

This Christmas, rather than domesticating this scandal with sentimentality or familiarity, perhaps we should let it scandalize us anew. Perhaps we should allow ourselves to be shocked again by the outrageous claim that the infinite God became a finite baby, that the Creator entered His creation, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

For in this divine scandal lies our salvation. As Athanasius wrote in the fourth century, “He became what we are that we might become what He is.” The scandal of the incarnation is that God became human so that humans might share in divine life.

Next week, we’ll explore “The Scandal of the Witnesses”—examining why God chose to announce Christ’s birth first to shepherds, social outcasts whose testimony wasn’t even valid in court, rather than to religious leaders or people of influence.