Here is what incarnation means: God the Son takes all of our broken humanity to Himself, embraces it, lives in it and with it, keeps faith with His Father through it all, even to death. And in His death, He takes our ruin to the grave. The cross is the death of twisted humanity, God’s judgment against sin in the flesh

It might seem an end: God tried the experiment of creating man; it failed; so He comes to clean up the sorry mess, and when it’s all over only God is left. Just like before creation: He wipes us out and He can enjoy an eternity of bliss without us. A happy, relieved return to the status quo ante .

But here’s the rest of what incarnation means: God the Son doesn’t shed our humanity to suffer our death; He suffers death in the flesh. He doesn’t condemn sin in the flesh by stripping away the flesh so He can keep a safe impassible distance. And God the Son doesn’t shed our humanity when He’s taken it to the grave.

He unites to our humanity as far the cross and grave, but then, having put the flesh to death, He triumphs over death and flesh and raises humanity up in the Spirit.