The church has portrayed Jesus a type of spiritual super hero who came to rescue us from our sins. I believe this is a distorted view of what Christ came to do. The history of the incarnation and the struggle the early Church Fathers had regarding this issue seemed to divide them on how to describe the incarnation. Some believed Jesus’ divinity and humanity were separate and never affected the other. Others believed they worked together as if Jesus’ humanity was like Clark Kent and His divinity was that of a Superman. The way we view the incarnation has a great influence on how we approach youth ministry.
A proper view of the incarnation allows us to share that Jesus did not come to give us a gift, but to be there for us. The incarnation allows us to share with students the true hope Jesus offers. By God choosing to come in the flesh, we have a Savior who understands us. He will be there when we need Him.
If we act as if God is this great benefactor who does great things for us, we will have a skewed perspective of what God is trying to do in our lives. God is not just doing things for us; God Himself is for us.
Student ministry is the perfect arena in which to practice incarnational ministry. Jesus’ ministry gave us insight into how we should approach our culture with the message of renewal and restoration. All youth ministry is local. We need to ask ourselves, “How can I be an expert on the local youth culture?” As a student minister, I must bridge the gap between biblical culture and local youth culture. Jesus was great at this. He used common, everyday language and situations to communicate God’s love to the people He came into contact with. His message was presented differently depending on the individual with whom He was speaking. We must learn how to construct local theologies. We need to figure out how to best communicate the love of Christ to our culture.
The history of the incarnation plays a vital role in helping us understand who Jesus is. It helps us see that Jesus is more than just a Person to call on in times of trouble. He is God in the flesh. He is a Person who understands us. We truly can say Jesus “gets me.” He knows my thoughts, needs and dreams. He is not just a problem solver. When we understand the incarnation, then we can see the power of the cross revealed. We see a God who came in the flesh to show us how to live, how to die to our sins and how to be raised to walk in His righteousness. The incarnation transcends cultural boundaries. Students want to be understood. They are looking for a place to belong. They want someone to understand them and identify with their struggles. We can help them see the incarnate Christ is that Person. If we become an extension of Christ’s life, we can impact this generation in a mighty way. By investing our lives in students, just as Christ invested in the disciples, we will see much change.
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We must keep the big picture in mind. We have to put people before programs. We cannot underestimate the power of presence. Just being available and listening to students share the successes and failures in their lives, we will make a great impact. Remember, we are models of relational ministry.
We need to be real and authentic with our students and leaders. Jesus was able to do this very well. His disciples saw Him in His full glory on the Mount of Transfiguration and in His brokenness in the Garden of Gethsemane. Authenticity is really at the heart of the incarnation. When Jesus was baptized and the Father spoke His affirmation over His Son by saying “in whom I am well pleased,” we see who Jesus really was. His divine nature and human nature were transparent for all to see. All we have to do is look. His miracles testified to His deity while His sorrow and brokenness in the garden displayed His humanity.
Incarnational ministry is what every believer is called to do. We are the body of Christ. We are extensions of His saving grace. We must be willing to step outside of our comfort zones and dwell with those who need to experience the incarnate Christ.
