Lewis: the Incarnation incredible?

Tuesday, January 20, 2026
    Commemoration of Richard Rolle of Hampole, Writer, Hermit, Mystic, 1349
Meditation:
    And looking upon Jesus as he walked, [John] saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
    —John 1:36 (AV)
Quotation:
    If the [Incarnation] happened, it was the central event in the history of the Earth—the very thing that the whole story has been about. Since it happened only once, it is by Hume’s standards infinitely improbable. But then, the whole history of the Earth has also happened only once: is it therefore incredible? Hence the difficulty, which weighs upon Christian and atheist alike, of estimating the probability of the Incarnation. It is like asking whether the existence of nature herself is intrinsically probable. That is why it is easier to argue, on historical grounds, that the Incarnation actually occurred than to show, on philosophical grounds, the probability of its occurrence.
    ... C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), Miracles, New York: Macmillan, 1947, p. 174 (see the book)
    See also John 1:36; Mark 9:24; Luke 17:5-6; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 12:2; 1 John 4:9-10
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You have spoken; therefore, it is true. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    inst    Jonah    ; Ruth