“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

His Way of Communicating

I went to see the movie “Arrival” when it was in the theaters. The premise is that aliens arrive on earth, staying within the confines of their space vehicle, and try to communicate with earthlings.

This seems an impossible task, given that their language is not a voice but symbols unknown on earth. Mankind is thus given the task of figuring out why the aliens have come, what they are saying, and what they want.

In the movie, there are many spiritual parallels about Christ coming to earth from heaven, remembering that He is outside of anything that we are familiar with. In short, God became a man. He entered our world in the midst of sin and suffering; the Divine related to us as fellow human beings. Though He never relinquished His divinity—He never stopped being God—yet He was also a man, experiencing passions and suffering temptation just as we have. This means He understood us in our humanness—yet, unlike us, He lived without sin.

Although all things in heaven and on earth and under the earth testify to the greatness and glory of God, He sent His Son to further communicate these things to us in a way that we could understand. And although His Word was testimony enough, He still sent the Son as a man to show us the Father.

All along, God wanted to make Himself known to us. He used all forms of communication available—priests, prophets, the Law, the written Word, the spoken Word, stars and planets, the created natural world, visions, dreams, and ultimately Jesus, to be sure we understood what He was saying.

Unlike the earthlings in the movie, we know why He came, we know what He said, and we know what He wants.

“Father, I know the movie is a pitiful example of Your divine communication with Your people. Nevertheless, we express our thanks that You came, that You communicated with us, that You WANTED us to know You, and so You manifested Yourself in the birth of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.”