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Christ in the Flesh
by Dick Smith

Jesus said to them,
'I am the bread of life' . . . the Jews began to complain about him . . . 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph . . .' Jesus answered them, . . . 'No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.' . . . whoever believes has eternal life'
(John 6:35, 42, 44, 47 NRSV).

We know God only as He is revealed to us in Christ. That is, not a spiritual Christ, but an incarnate Christ. A Christ in the flesh. Even as we look forward in hope to not a disembodied future but rather an embodied one. As Regin Prenter points out in his book on Luther's concept of the Holy Spirit, Spiritus Creator, the forgiveness of sins always brings with it the hope of the resurrection of the body. As stated in the Apostles Creed: the two are back to back. It reads, "I believe in . . . the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body."

The incarnation was a stumbling block for many of the listeners of Jesus. Son of Joseph? Not spiritual enough. Just too material, too real, too earthy, too personal, too common.
But as if that were not bad enough then Jesus takes spirituality and turns it on its head. For humankind since the Garden of Eden has sought out spirituality on its own terms. That is, humankind seeking out God. The whole system is built on humankind rising up to meet God above. The more effort one puts forth the more spiritual one is. Jesus offends the entire human race by replacing that system. He asserts that God is the one who does the work. He performs the action. He reaches out to the human race and chooses. "No one can come to me UNLESS DRAWN by the Father . . ."

This means the death of the false ego. There is nothing left for us to do. It is already done. New life has begun because "whoever believes HAS eternal life." Believing is the work of God, not our work. It is not a theological idea or construct. NO, believing IS Christ himself really present in you as a redeeming reality. That is new life. "I have come that you may life in all its abundance!" (Jesus, Gospel of John 10:10).

Proclamation is the most revolutionary message in the world. It declares by means of the Law that you are a lost and condemned sinner, that Christ has died for the ungodly, therefore your sins are forgiven for Jesus sake. And where there is forgiveness there is Christ in you as your new life, bringing the hope of the resurrection of the body. Spirituality is rooted in Christ the incarnate one and Christ ALONE!

Rev. Dick Smith, serves Heart River Lutheran Church, bringing Christ to youth at the Youth Correctional Center in Mandan, North Dakota. You may write directly to Rev. Smith at dicksmith9@bis.midco.net

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