For the Christian, what is the singular event that changed history or rather, reality itself? The event that made us who we are – believers in the Lord? One can argue that it is the Resurrection of Jesus. In fact, had the resurrection not taken place, Jesus would have just been one of the many Jewish reformers of his time, destined to be forgotten. The resurrection proved that Jesus was no ordinary man.
The New Testament was written in light of the Resurrection. The Resurrection was the key in re-interpreting everything written in the Old Testament and in deciphering the identity of Jesus. Who was this special person? And how special was he?
Only Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again. Reflection on his life, words and actions, sparked by the Resurrection, led the apostles and early church to declare that Jesus was both human and divine, i.e. God emptied himself to assume our human nature in the person of Jesus Christ through the Incarnation. It was precisely Jesus’ divine nature that enabled him to preach the way he did, heal the way he did, and rise the way he did. Seen from this angle, the Resurrection becomes the evidence and fruit of the Incarnation.
Understanding the Incarnation this way also helps us come to terms with the troubling question: did Jesus have to suffer such a cruel death in order to save us? In a fallen, sinful world, yes. As Jesus himself said, he was destined to be rejected, killed and then rise on the third day (Luke 9:22, Mark 8:31, Matthew 17:22-23), thereby proving his divinity and prompting belief in him.
This uniqueness – Jesus’ ability to hold in perfect union both human and divine natures –allows our communion with God (i.e. salvation) to take place. It is not so much being united with him or to him, as being united in him.
In a sense, we can confidently say that through the Incarnation, God has opened the way for man to be saved – and there is but one way, through Jesus! Being the only means by which the divine and human can co-exist in perfect harmony, Jesus proclaims emphatically, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
So, coming back to the original question: What is the singular event that changed history or rather, reality itself? Could it be the Incarnation instead? I invite you to ponder on its significance and pray that we will increasingly treasure and accept the longing of God to truly unite us in him.
Friar David Au OFM
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