God Became Man

God, in response to human sin, became a human being to redeem us. This accomplished certain things that could not be accomplished any other way.

It showed us what God is like (John 1:1-18; 14:9; Hebrews 1:3). It is easy for God to become an abstraction. He can become either an overly harsh abstraction or an overly indulgent abstraction. But in Jesus we see the character of God portrayed in ways we can understand. He reached out to the outcasts with a hand of help and forgiveness (Luke 7:36-50; 19:1-10; John 4:7-26). But he rebuked those who thought they had it all together (Matthew 23:1-12; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 12:16-21). He showed us what God is like.

Being God and man, He is the only mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). This is based on His being the One who saved us (Hebrews 2:12-16; Titus 3:5,6; Romans 3:23-26) by paying the whole price for our sin (1 Peter 2:19,20; Colossians 2:13,14; Romans 5:6-8). This was made possible because He is the Righteous One (1 Peter 1:18,19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:3,4) who was offered in the place of sinners (Romans 3:23; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6). But also He is God, who being God, could pay the full price for sin (Hebrews 2:9-11; 10:4-18; 2 Timothy 1:9,10). How many people could even the highest archangel die for? But Christ, being God, could taste death for us all. Therefore, He can offer salvation as a free gift to those who put their faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 4:4,5; Philippians 3:9).

As a result of this we respond in obedience out of love for Him (1 John 4:19; 2 Corinthians 5:14,15; Titus 2:11-14). We therefore have with Him a new kind of a relationship, in His being with us and transforming us (John 15:5; Matthew 28:20; 18:20). We are told that because of His becoming man, God understands us and meets us where we are (Hebrews 2:17,18; 4:14-16; 5:7-10). And based on that He intercedes for us (Romans 8:26,27; Hebrews 7:23-25; 1 John 2:1,2). Therefore, He becomes our example (Philippians 2:5-11; Ephesians 5:1,2; 2 Corinthians 8:9) and our goal (Romans 8:29,30; 1 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2). He shows us how we should live and what we will be like when we are fully transformed.

Therefore, God by becoming man revealed Himself to us and saved us, that we may imitate Him and ultimately become like Him. This is the story of our redemption from beginning to end. And it is rooted in the fact of God becoming man.