From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
December 25 "Great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in
the flesh." 1 Timothy 3:16 A mystery indeed it is, a great, a deep, an unfathomable
mystery; for who can rightly understand how the divine Word, the eternal Son
of God, was made flesh, and dwelt among us? "Who shall declare his
generation?" (Isa. 53:8;) either that eternal generation whereby he is the
only-begotten Son of God, or the generation of his sacred humanity in the
womb of the Virgin, when the Holy Spirit came upon her, and the power of the
Highest overshadowed her? These are the things "which the angels desire to
look into;" which they cannot understand, but reverently adore. And well may
we imitate their adoring admiration, not attempting to understand, but
believe, love, and revere; for well has it been said, "Where reason fails,
with all her power--there faith believes, and love adores." Nor, if rightly taught and spiritually led, shall we find
this a barren, dry, or unprofitable subject. It is "the great mystery of
godliness;" therefore all godliness is contained in it, and flows out of it.
The whole of God's grace, mercy, and truth is laid up in, is revealed
through, is manifested by, the Son of his love; for "it pleased the Father
that in him should all fullness dwell;" and this as Immanuel, God with us.
Thus his sacred humanity, in union with his divine Person, is the channel of
communication through which all the love and mercy of God flow down to poor
guilty, miserable sinners, who believe in the name of the only-begotten Son
of God. If blessed, then, with faith in living exercise, we may
draw near and behold the great mystery of godliness. To tread by faith upon
this holy ground is to come "unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, who are written in
heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made
perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel" (Heb. 12:22-24);
for every blessing of the new covenant, if we are but favored with a living
faith in an incarnate God, is then experimentally as well as eternally ours.