Fifth Sunday after Trinity – Thursday

And the Word was made flesh. – John 1:14.

The Word, the eternal Word, has become flesh. The only-begotten Son of the Father became Mary’s Son.  God became Man.  This is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true Man, born of the Virgin Mary.  He is true Man. It was not a phantom body that people saw, nor did He only visibly display a human body temporarily, as when God would appear in human form to the saints of Old Testament times. No, He became a true Man. Very frequently He called Himself “the Son of Man” (John 3:14). The Holy Ghost, in Scripture, calls Him “the Man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5). He has a true human body. After His resurrection, He said to His disciples: “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39). He has a true human soul. In Gethsemane, He said: “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38).

He walked about and stood, He slept and waked, He hungered and thirsted, He grieved and He rejoiced, yea, He died and became alive again. On the Last Day He, the Son of Man, will “come in His glory” (Matthew 25:31). He was, He is, and He will remain a true Man. He, the Man Christ Jesus, who, however, also is God and the Lord of heaven, is “the last Adam” (I Corinthians 15:45), “the second Man” (I Corinthians 15:47), who restores all things that we lost in the first Adam, the first man: righteousness, life, and eternal salvation. Both according to His person and to His office, He is the “Mediator,” the only Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5). Firmly continue to believe Him to be such.

PRAYER – O great God, eternal Son of the eternal Father, I praise Thine incomprehensible compassion, which Thou hast shown in becoming true Man and our Mediator, in order that, as the second Adam of the human race, Thou might reconcile us unto God and give us righteousness and salvation.  Grant me grace to continue to believe that Thou becamest true Man to redeem the human race, and thus be assured that God is gracious to me and wilt give me eternal life. Amen.

Awake my soul to joyful lays,

and sing Thy great Redeemer’s praise;

He justly claims a song from me,

His lovingkindness, oh, how free!

—

He saw me ruined in the fall,

yet loved me, not withstanding all;

He saved me from my lost estate;

His lovingkindness, oh, how great!

(Hymn 340, st. 1-2; TLH)