Lessons from Christ’s Incarnation

Thomas Boston

1. Jesus Christ is the true Messiah promised to Adam as the seed of the woman, to Abraham as his seed. He is the Shiloh mentioned by Jacob on his deathbed; the Prophet that Moses spoke of, who was to be raised from among the children of Israel; the Son of David; and the Son to be born of a virgin.

2. Behold the wonderful love of God the Father, who was content to abase His dear Son, in order to bring about the salvation of sinners. How astonishing it is that He should send His only-begotten Son to assume our nature and bear that dreadful wrath and punishment that sinners deserve?

3. See here the wonderful love and astonishing condescension of the Son: born of a woman, in order that He might die in place of sinners. O how low He stooped and humbled Himself, in assuming human nature, with all its sinless infirmities, in being subject to His own law, exposed to all manner of injurious usage from wicked men, to the temptations of Satan, and at last suffering a shameful and ignominious death! What great love to sinners and what unparalleled condescension was here!

4. See here the cure of being conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity. Christ was born of a woman for sinners; He was born without sin for them, that the holiness of His nature might be imputed to them as a part of that righteousness which constitutes the condition of our justification before God. In Him is a complete righteousness for the guilt of sinners and a fountain for washing away their spiritual pollution.

5. Christ is consciously touched with all the infirmities that affect our frail nature, and has pity on His people under all their pressures and burdens. Hence the Apostle says, “In all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren; that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people: for in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb 2:17,18). How comforting it is to believers to consider that He who is their great High Priest in heaven is clothed with their nature, to qualify Him to have compassion on them in all their troubles and distresses.

6. Let this encourage sinners to come to Him, that they may be united to Him by faith, and so partake of the blessings that He has purchased. Come and enter into a marriage relation with Him. Sin shall not stop the match, if you are willing. He that could sanctify the Virgin’s substance, to make it a sinless piece of flesh, can easily sanctify you. And He that united human

¹Taken, with editing, from Boston’s Works, vol 1.

nature to His divine person can also unite you to Himself, so that you shall never be separated from Him.