Why Did Jesus Need To Become Incarnate To Save Humanity

Why Did Jesus Take on a Human Nature?

Currently, the majority of the church’s attention on Jesus’ person is focused on His divinity, to the extent that features of His humanity are frequently disregarded. A lack of comprehension of such a vital aspect of His character might result as a result of this situation. Consequently, it is critical to comprehend why Jesus put on flesh and lived among us in the first place (John 1:14).

Jesus the God-man

Without a shadow of a doubt, the New Testament asserts that Jesus was entirely God (Mark 1:13, 2:17–11, 14:61–64; John 1:1–3, 8:58–59; 10:28–33; 17:1–5; Romans 9:5, 10:9, 13; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Philippians 2:5–11; Colossians 1:15–16, 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:1–3; 2 Peter 1:1). 1 However, it also reveals that Jesus was fully human: He was wrapped in ordinary infant clothing (Luke 2:7), grew in wisdom as a child (Luke 2:40, 52), was weary (John 4:6), was hungry (Matthew 4:4), was thirsty (John 19:28), was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1–11), was sorrowful (Matthew 26:38a), and even after His Resurrection, He (Luke 24:39).

2 As previously stated (Matthew 26:29, Luke 24:39–43, Acts 1:11, and 1 Timothy 2:5), Jesus will in reality be the God-man for all of eternity.

Why Was It Necessary for Jesus to Take on Humanity?

Jesus’ virgin birth is clearly taught in the opening chapters of the Gospels (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:26–31), which are the only ones to do so. According to Luke 1:35, the fact that He was to be termed holy shows that He was completely free from sin —something that no other human being could ever boast about (Psalm 51:5; 1 Kings 8:46). The reason for this is because sin entered the world through a man, Adam, and as a result, all humans have sinned by virtue of the fact that they are in him (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22).

  1. In our busy lives, it’s easy to forget that Jesus led a life of complete obedience to his Father.
  2. Nevertheless, in our preoccupation on Christ’s death, we frequently overlook the fact that Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father (John 8:29).
  3. If all Jesus had to do was die for us, He could have descended from heaven on Good Friday, gone directly to the Cross, risen from the dead, and ascended back into heaven.
  4. The fact that Jesus lived for nearly 33 years was not a coincidence.
  5. Jesus, known as the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), came to fulfill the role of the first Adam, who had failed miserably in fulfilling God’s rule.
  6. This was done in order for Jesus’ righteousness to be transmitted to people who put their trust in Him for the remission of their sins (John 3:16).

The blood of animals was used in the garden as an atonement for Adam’s transgression, but the blood of animals is ultimately insufficient to deal with sin (Hebrews 10:4), which is why Jesus, the Last Adam, offered himself as a sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 2:17, 9:11–14), as explained in the book of Hebrews.

Our compassionate High Priest (Hebrews 2:18, 4:15), Jesus, has been elevated to the position of mediator before the Father (Hebrews 4:15). (1 Timothy 2:5).

Did Jesus’ Humanity Require Sinfulness?

In his humanity, Jesus was susceptible to everything that people are prone to, such as fatigue, hunger, and temptation; however, does this imply that He was also subject to sin, as are all humans in general? The fact that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin and had a sinless conception demonstrates that sin is not required for human existence. It is critical to remember that simply being human does not automatically equate to being a sinner, since “sin is not an inherent component of human nature.” 5 We must keep in mind that God created Adam at the beginning of creation as blameless (Ecclesiastes 7:29) 6and with the ability to resist the temptation to sin.

  • Genesis 2:17).
  • Humans sin because “we are guilty as sinners in Adam,” which means that we are responsible for our actions.
  • When Jesus challenged His opponents to accuse Him of wrongdoing, He was confident in his ability to do so (John 8:46).
  • It’s important to remember that Jesus was a “lamb without blemish or mark” on the cross (1 Peter 1:19).
  • But, as a truly human being, how did Jesus avoid falling into sin?

8 In contrast, theologian Bruce Ware feels that the solution Scripture provides to us is this: Jesus did not sin because his divine nature dominated his human nature, preventing him from sin, but rather because he made full use of all of the resources made available to him during his human life.

  1. He prayed to his Father; he placed his faith in the wisdom and rightness of his Father’s will and Word; and—perhaps most importantly—he relied on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to empower him to carry out the tasks that were assigned to him.
  2. Luke then devotes the remainder of the chapter to Jesus’ temptation by Satan (4:1–13).
  3. Genesis 3),” this is significant.
  4. Also noteworthy is the fact that Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit after His temptation and at the time when He began His ministry (Luke 4:14; see also Isaiah 11:1–3).
  5. Jesus was enabled by the Holy Spirit throughout his life and career (Acts 10:38).
  6. (Luke 4:4, 8, 12).
  7. As a result, while Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and was confronted with the temptation of abandoning His plan to go to the Cross 11(Luke 22:42), He stayed steadfast in his commitment to pray to the Father (Luke 22:42–44).
  8. It is important to remember that Jesus, in His humanity, was not a superhero, but rather a regular man.
  9. When it comes to Jesus, his humanity and god do not mingle directly with one another.

Since if they did, it would imply that Jesus’ humanity had genuinely evolved into super-humanity; and if it is super-humanity, it is not our humanity; and if it is not our humanity, He cannot be our substitute because He must be like us (Hebrews 2:14–17).

The Humanity of Jesus Is an Example for Believers

Jesus’ humanity serves as a model for Christians since it has to do with how we conduct ourselves in our daily lives (1 Peter 2:21). The Christian life should be modeled after the life of Jesus Christ (see John 13:34, 15:12). We are called to conduct our lives in the manner in which He lived His. According to John 15:18–20, just as Jesus was tempted, endured suffering, and faced hatred on the cross, so too will Christians face these things in this world. Scripture also warns us not to “love the world or the things of the world,” citing three things in particular: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

Temptation Genesis 3 Luke 4 1 John 2
Physical “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (3:1) “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” (4:3) Lust of the eyes (2:16)
Personal Gain “You will not surely die.” (3:4) “. lest you dash your foot against a stone.” (4:11) Lust of the flesh (2:16)
Power You will be like God (3:5) “All this authority I will give You. ” (4:5–6) Pride of life (2:16)

To entice Christians, Satan, who has complete control over the world according to 1 John 5:19, will utilize the wants of the world in the same manner that he used them on Eve and Jesus. However, the only way we can win this struggle with the world is to turn to the one who has already won the battle against the world: Jesus Christ (John 16:33). We may learn from Jesus’ life of obedience and fidelity when we are faced with temptation because we have the same resources that He did to fulfill His ministry: the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), prayer (Ephesians 6:18), and the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:19).

God’s Reasons for Incarnation

Chapter:(p.32) 2God’s Motives for Taking Human Form The Resurrection of God Incarnate is the source of this information.

Richard Swinburne (Contributor Webpage)

Oxford University Press is the publisher. DOI:10.1093/0199257469.003.0003 There are three possible explanations for why an omnipotent and fully good God would want to take on human form (to become human, as well as divine). The first is to atone for our misdeeds by offering a sacrifice. God has harmed all of humanity, and as a result, all of us are responsible for our actions. We must repent, apologize, and make atonement. We can repent and apologize, but we don’t have the time or the will to’make it up’ to God for what we’ve done.

The second purpose is to identify with our pain, and the third is to disclose to us moral and theological truths that we require in order to live our lives successfully.

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The Humanity of Christ

The Word became man and lived among us, and we saw his glory, which was like that of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). One of the most startling claims made by Christians is that the eternal Son of God became a human being. Without ceasing to be what he was, he transformed himself into what he was not, to paraphrase a popular theme among the early church fathers. 1 Alternatively, as theNicene Creed puts it, “He came down from heaven for us and for our redemption; he was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human.” This is the core truth of Christianity, but to many, it is a source of embarrassment.

Furthermore, the thought that only one individual in a certain time and place might possibly represent the ultimate revelation of the eternal and unchangeable God has scandalized modern thinking.

The reality of Christ’s humanity, on the other hand, is just as important for the gospel of salvation as the fact of Christ’s divinity.

Old Testament Anticipation

When it comes to revelation of the concepts of the Trinity and the Incarnation, the Old Testament does not provide the same level of clarity as the New Testament does. Types and shadows, rather than plain, direct teaching, serve to reveal the God-man to the people of Israel during the time of the Old Testament. The Old Testament, in the words of Presbyterian theologian B. B. Warfield, is like “a beautifully equipped but poorly lit bedroom.” 2 This can only be accomplished via the lens of the New Testament gospel, which allows readers of Scripture to return to the Old Testament and understand what was actually there all along, but was hidden until the advent of Christ.

  1. We are told in Genesis 3:15 that the “seed of the woman” will be the one who would eventually vanquish the demonic adversary of humans, which is known as the protoevangelium (the earliest proclamation of the gospel).
  2. The promise is narrowed even more to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 12:7; 13:15–16; 15:3, 5) before coming to an end with David’s descendants (Genesis 15:3).
  3. The New Testament weaves these threads together and indicates that Christ himself is the unique “seed” of Abraham, to whom the promises were made, as the Old Testament did (Gal 3:16).
  4. As a result of the partition of the Old Testament monarchy and the subsequent collapse of both Israel and Judah, the written prophets started to foresee a time when the dominion of God would be established once and for all.
  5. And, more importantly, how will these promises be fulfilled?
  6. First and foremost, it will imply the Lord’s return to Zion, where he will visit and shepherd his people (Isa 40:9–11).
  7. Because the Messiah and the Lord are so intimately associated, the activities of one become the actions of the other, and vice versa.
  8. “One like ason of man,” according to Daniel’s vision, also reveals that the coming Messiah will share in the exact authority and grandeur of God, whom Daniel refers to as “the Ancient of Days” (Dan 7:13–14).
  9. Country after nation rises up in fury against the Lord and his Anointed, and it is before the Son that the peoples must seek pardon and forgiveness (Psa 2).
  10. 45:6-7).

As a result, the Old Testament provides its readers with a picture of the coming kingdom that is the result of the collaborative efforts of both the Lord himself and his anointed Son, the human king.

New Testament Fulfillment

According to the New Testament, both threads of this prophetic hope—the return of the Lord himself and the arrival of the Messiah—are woven together in a single person, who is called the Messiah. 3 The New Testament portrays Jesus as being one with the God of Israel in a variety of ways: he possesses the traits of God; he performs the activities of God; he bears the names of God; and he receives the worship of God, among other things. But, with equal power, the New Testament portrays Jesus as authentically human; his human limits are not a fiction, and his humanity is not swallowed up by his deity as the Old Testament does.

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A single person, Christ has two natures: one that is equal and eternally shared with the Father, another that is assumed by him when he became incarnate; and the other, which is human, that is assumed by him when he became incarnate.

In no way does highlighting Christ’s divinity reduce his humanity, and in no way does highlighting Christ’s humanity detract from his deity.

The humanity that Christ adopted was complete: he assumed all that it is to be human, including the body, the soul, the mind, and the will, with the exception of sin.

  • He was given birth. Because Jesus’ conception occurred in the womb of Mary without the assistance of any genetic material from a father, the circumstances surrounding his conception were clearly miraculous. Nevertheless, the nature that was produced by God in the womb of the Virgin was unquestionably human
  • He shares in Mary’s humanity and so qualifies as a legitimate descendant of Abraham and David—indeed, as a legitimate descendant of Eve, who is considered the mother of all living beings. However, despite the fact that Jesus’ conception was miraculous, his birth was typical of a human being: Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7)
  • And, as he grew and developed, so did Jesus. Jesus went through the normal stages of human growth and development during his human existence. When the holy family returned to Nazareth, we are told that “the infant grew and developed into a strong man full with wisdom.” And God’s favor was upon him at the time” (Luke 2:40). During Jesus’ boyhood, the New Testament only mentions one event, which occurred in the temple, and during which his parents abandoned him in Jerusalem. Jesus grew in wisdom and height, and he gained favor with both God and man as a result of this episode, according to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:52). While it may seem impossible given the overwhelming New Testament proof for Christ’s divinity, Jesus matured intellectually, physically, spiritually, and relationally as a human being
  • He also faced the constraints of finiteness as a result of his human nature. Although the human nature that Jesus took in his incarnation was free of any taint of sin or corruption, it nonetheless exhibited all of the characteristics of typical human frailty and frailty. And, since he was living in a sinful world, Jesus willingly took on the infirmities that were common to our fallen humanity. The Bible says he was hungry (Matt 4:2), thirsty (John 4:7
  • 19:28), and exhausted (John 4:6), and he went through the entire gamut of typical, non-sinful human feelings (Matt 26:37
  • John 2:15
  • 11:35). Indeed, there are a few of clues in the Gospels to the fact that Jesus did not have omniscience in his human mind while he lived. He inquires as to who had touched him when the power to treat the woman with a bleeding condition was taken away from him (Mark 5:30). Even the Son of Man, he revealed to his followers, does not know when his return would take place or what time it will be (Mark 13:32). Some interpreters throughout the history of interpretation have attempted to downplay this teaching on the seeming limitations of Christ’s human understanding, contending instead that Jesus stated these things merely for the benefit of his disciples and not because he was actually lacking in knowledge. However, if we recall the Chalcedon idea of two natures, we will see that such an interpretation is superfluous. Throughout his divinity, the Son has complete awareness of all things, including the past, the present, and what is ahead. However, because of his humanity, his understanding was sometimes restricted in accordance with the will and purposes of God
  • He was tempted as a result of this. When we contemplate Jesus’ temptations, we may see another another aspect of his humanity in action. The New Testament makes it quite plain that Jesus was never guilty of any wrongdoing (Heb 4:15
  • 9:14
  • 1Pet 1:19). In addition, although theological scholars have discussed the subject of Christ’s impeccability—whether or not he could have sinned—it appears that the solution that is most compatible with the entirety of New Testament revelation is that Christ, in fact, could not have sinned. Because the person of Christ is divine, and because a divine person, by virtue of being intrinsically good, cannot sin, it appears that arguing for Christ’s impeccability is the wisest course of action. However, this perspective of Christ’s incapacity to sin does not negate the scriptural teaching that Christ, as a human being, was certainly tempted (Matt 4:1–11) and even “suffered” throughout his temptations (Luke 4:1–11). (Heb 2:18). Though there may be better and worse methods of reconciling these two seemingly conflicting features of New Testament teaching, it appears that holding them both, without striving to ease the tension by lessening either, is the wisest course of action
  • Jesus suffered, died, and was buried. The Gospel accounts of Christ’s passion, death, and burial emphasize his humanity as much as his divinity. God, in his divine essence, is incapable of death
  • He is immortal. However, because God the Son takes the form of a human being, he is capable of suffering and death as part of his atonement. Romans 8:3–4 explains that he took on the appearance of sinful flesh in order to condemn sin in his own body via death. Although he was without sin, he was legally considered to be one in order to pay the penalty for sin (2Cor 5:21)
  • He was elevated in the dignity of his humanity (2Cor 5:22). The resurrection of Jesus is also a human endeavor. He was resurrected in the identical body in which he died, except this time in a glorified and everlasting state of being. Consequently, Christ is the final Adam, the real human being who ushers in the era of resurrection, the first fruits of all humanity who will be raised on the last day (1Cor 15:45)
  • He continues to perform his kingly and priestly functions. Human history has a beginning and an end, but the Son’s incarnation has no beginning and no finish. He continues to rule as the exalted Son of God, sitting at the right side of the Father (Rom 1:4
  • Col 3:1). He also continues his priestly ministry of intercession in the celestial sanctuary (Hebrews 7:24–25)
  • He will return in the form of a human being when the time comes. When Jesus went to heaven, an angel appeared to the apostles and proclaimed that Christ would return in the same manner in which he had been lifted up into the heavens (Acts 1:11). Once again, as Jesus ascended into the clouds, he did not cast off his humanity like a robe. He continues to exist as a glorified human being, and on the last day, he will return personally and physically (Col 3:4).

Implications of Christ’s Humanity

To summarize, the Old Testament foresees a redeemer for fallen mankind who is both God and man, and this is what the New Testament confirms. It is unambiguously taught in the New Testament that Jesus Christ is this divine-human redeemer. His humanity shines through throughout the “entire course” of his devotion to orders. In the midst of all of Christ’s suffering and affliction (including conception and birth), his resurrection and ascension, as well as his continued priestly service and eventual return, he bears compelling witness to the fact that he is truly human.

  • Because of Christ’s humanity, he serves as a representation of fallen mankind.
  • As a result, Jesus is the final Adam, the real person in whom fallen humanity might be reconciled to God.
  • Because Jesus was born of a woman and born under the law, he was able to demonstrate obedience on behalf of people who were oppressed by the law (Gal 4:4–5).
  • This allowed him to “fulfill all righteousness” on his behalf (Matt 3:15).
  • He not only dies for sinners, but he also lives for them, so that his righteousness is made their own through faith in him (2Cor 5:21).
  • For the second time, in the words of Calvin, it is the “whole course” of Christ’s obedience that results in redemption for God’s people.
  • Christ submits to God not just via active obedience, but also through passive submission.
  • He dies in our place, on our behalf, and for our benefit, and he does it as a substitute.
  • You have been cured as a result of his wounds” (1Pet 2:24).
  • The fact that he is an actual human being makes it possible for him to do such a monumental atonement.

In the same way that ancient priests were “selected from among men” and “appointed to act on behalf of men in their relationship with God,” so too Christ was “made like his brothers in every respect, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest” on our behalf, according to the Bible (Heb 5:1; 2:17).

Christ not only provides us with the unconditional gift of salvation, but he also acts as our great model of virtue.

Christians are to emulate Christ in our obedience to God because he is the authentic man, the one who displays God-honoring, Spirit-filled human obedience that is unrivaled in the history of the world.

The words of Pilate at the crucifixion, “Behold the man,” are tragically true: in Christ, and particularly in his pain and death, we discover genuine humanity, and in him we find our mission, our purpose, and our destiny as his followers. “Behold the man,” Pilate says at the crucifixion.

Incarnation

It is a basic Christian teaching that God became flesh, that God acquired a human nature, and that God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and second member of the Triune Godhead (see Trinity). Christ was both fully God and truly man at the same time. As stated in the theology, thedivine and human natures of Jesusdo not exist apart from one another in a disconnected manner, but rather are united together in him in a personal oneness that has historically been referred to as the hypostatic union.

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As a result, the term “Incarnation” (from the Latincaro, “flesh”) can refer to either a specific moment in time when this union between God’s divine nature and the human nature of Jesus began to be active in the womb of the Virgin Mary or the permanent reality of that union as manifested in the person of Jesus.

(Seelogos.) At its core, the teaching of the Incarnation holds that Jesus of Nazareth is the preexistent Word who has been embodied in the man Jesus of Nazareth, who is described in the Gospel of John as being in close personal connection with the Father, whose words Jesus speaks when he preaches the gospel.

  1. Art Collection courtesy of Alamy More Information on This Subject may be found here.
  2. A number of letters in the New Testament, particularly the Letter to the Philippians, express belief in Christ’s preexistence.
  3. Following the early church’s response to numerous misinterpretations surrounding the subject of Jesus’ divinity and the link between the divine and human natures of Jesus, a more refinedtheology of the Incarnation was developed as a result of this response.
  4. The idea that he was “of the same substance as the Father” served as the foundation for this assertion.
  5. This was a significant step forward in the development of the theory of the Trinity.

Following Nicaea and Chalcedon, theology has worked out the implications of this definition, though there have been various tendencies emphasizing either the divinity or the humanity of Jesus throughout the history of Christian thought, at times within the parameters established by Nicaea and Chalcedon, at other times outside of these parameters.

Because of the Incarnation’s benefits for other people, both in terms of their redemption from sin and in terms of the realization of the potential goodness inherent in human action, it has been considered as a gift by theologians.

This perspective is supported by biblical and theological evidence. Those in charge of editing the Encyclopaedia Britannica Melissa Petruzzello was the author of the most recent revision and update to this article.

Athanasius on Christ

“He became what we are so that we may become what he is.” “He became what we are so that we might become what he is.” Incarnation of Christ, according to Athanasius (ca. 296-373). According to St. Athanasius, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Stephen Tomkins has modernized, shortened, and introduced the text, which was originally translated by Rev. A. Robertson. Dan Graves edited and polished this piece for publication on the web. Athanasius.

Introduction

The church was shaken in the fourth century, during the reign of Constantine, by a conflict that was sparked by Arius, a deacon of the powerful church of Alexandria in Egypt, and which he began. Following the teachings of the Bible, Arius rejected that Christ was completely and totally God, contending that only the Father was actually God and that the Son was the firstborn of creation. Athanasius was his arch-enemy — and also a deacon in the same church – yet they were on good terms. His major point of contention with Arius was salvation: we are saved because God himself became a human being and died a human death through the person of Jesus Christ.

Only the actual Word of God could accomplish this, as no other creature could.

Upon its recognition by the Council of Nicea as the genuine Gospel of Christ, his doctrine has been carried down through the generations.

The numerical paragraphs below allude to the numbered portions of the Incarnation of the Word, which are discussed further below.

Source Material

7)Repentance is ineffective against fallen nature: we have been corrupted and must be restored to the grace of God’s image, and no one other than God himself has the power to regenerate us. He was the only one who could reproduce everything, suffer for everything, and represent everything before the Father. Human nature was fully ruined and stripped of the grace that we had formerly enjoyed as children of God once transgression had gotten a foothold in our lives. Our repentance was no longer sufficient to restore this grace and provide us with the fresh start that we so desperately needed.

  1. The Word of God, who created everything out of nothing at the beginning of time.
  2. He alone, as the Word of the Father and the most important of all, was capable of re-creating all, and he alone was worthy of suffering on behalf of everyone and serving as an ambassador on their behalf to the Father.
  3. A human body, born from the womb of a spotless virgin, in which he makes human flesh his own, is given to him by the Father in order for him to show himself, vanquish death, and restore life.
  4. In spite of this, Jesus was never far away from us, for no portion of creation has been emptied of his presence: he fills all things everywhere while maintaining in constant communication with his Father.
  5. 2.
  6. He saw that the punishment for our sin had firmly entrenched corruption in our lives, and that this could not be reversed until the law was fully implemented and executed.
  7. He witnessed the immense depravity of humanity, and how it had risen little by little until it had reached an unacceptable level of severity.
  8. Given all of this, he felt compassion for our species, and mercy for our frailty, and he reduced himself to our level of depravity.
  9. 3.
  10. He used a body similar to ours, taken from a clean and immaculate virgin who had never been in a relationship with a man.
  11. Having taken a body like ours, and because we were all under the sentence of death, he offered his body up to the Father in our place, so affording us a way out of our predicament.

(Because the Lord’s body was fully depleted of its strength, the law no longer had any influence over his fellow human beings.) … The Word took on a mortal form in order that everyone who were connected with him would inherit his immortality, because death was the only thing that could halt the pandemic.

1.

As a result, he assumed a mortal body in order that this body, having been joined to the Word who is above all, might be worthy to die in the place of all, and that this body, having been inhabited by that Word, might remain incorruptible, thereby preventing our own corruptibility from then on through the grace of the resurrection.

  • … 3.
  • Others hold the city in high respect, and its adversaries no longer attack it as a result of the king’s residency in a single home in the city.
  • 4.
  • As a result, the entire plot of the adversary against mankind has been foiled, and the corruption of death, which had previously defeated them, has been extinguished.
  • 10.Christ washes away our wreckage and, by his own teaching, gives an antidote to its effects.
  • This magnificent accomplishment was particularly well suited to God’s kindness.
  • Even more, God the Word of the all-good Father was adamant about not allowing human beings, his creation, to become corrupt.

… The third point explains why it was necessary for none other than God the Word himself to become incarnate: “For it was fitting that he, who is the source of all things and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect by suffering.” He is implying that the task of redeeming people from corruption belongs to none other than the Word of God, who had created them in the first place.

  1. 4.
  2. Through the sacrifice of his own body, he put an end to the law that was against us and opened the door for us to a new beginning in the hope of a future resurrection.
  3. “Because death came into the world through mankind, the resurrection of the dead also came into the world via humanity,” one of Christ’s followers explained.
  4. 13.Did God want for us, who were created to adore him, to remain silent while we offered that adoration to false gods?
  5. Because humans will never be able to do this, the Word himself must come to renew and abolish death in the human body.
  6. What was God to do in the face of humanity’s dehumanization and the fog of demonic deception that obscured the knowledge of the one and only real God?
  7. 2.

Than have left us as stupid animals would have been preferable to seeing those who had been trained to logic go to a life of brutes would have been preferable.

And, more importantly, why would we have needed to be introduced to the concept of God in the first place?

4.

5.

He would not allow his colonies to be taken over by other monarchs.

Sixth, how much more would God spare his own creatures, and prevent them from being led astray from him to serve worthless things – especially when such rebellion is the source of their downfall, and because it was a humiliation that they should perish when they had once been created in God’s image – 7.

What could be more important than to restore his image in the eyes of humanity, so that humans could once again be able to recognize him?

It was impossible to do using human means, because humans are merely copies of God’s image, and it was also impossible for angels to accomplish through human methods, because angels are not God’s images.

As a result, the Word of God took on human form in so that, as the image of the Father, he would be able to reconstruct humankind in that image.

Bible Verses

1 John 1:18-23 Philippians 2:5-11 is a passage of scripture. 1:15-20; Colossians 1:15-20 14:28 (John 14:28) John 17:1–5 (KJV)

Study Questions

  1. Why, according to Athanasius, is repentance from sin not sufficient in and of itself to bring us into right relationship with God
  2. What led the Word to take in human form? What was the result of this? According to Athanasius, the incarnation was necessary because only the Word could redeem mankind, and he could only do so by taking on the form of a human being. What is the reason behind this? What does Athanasius have to say about it
  3. What is the analogy between the incarnation and a King’s relations with a city (9, 10, 13) and why? What contribution does this image make to our knowledge of the situation? Exactly what scriptural foundation does Athanasius use to support his interpretation in this passage? Do these passages provide support to his position? What alternatives may he have chosen
  4. Consider whether or not you agree with Athanasius that only God incarnate has the ability to rescue humanity. Do you believe that his teaching just expounds and unpacks Scripture, or do you believe that it goes further?
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QuestionAnswer The humanity of Jesus is just as vital as the divinity of Jesus in terms of significance. Jesus was born as a human person, despite the fact that he was completely divine. To fathom the notion of Jesus’ humanity coexisting with His deity is a tough concept for the finite thinking of man to grasp. Nonetheless, the essence of Jesus—that he is both fully human and fully divine—is established in the Bible. There are people who deny these biblical realities and assert that Jesus was a man, but not God, and that they are correct (Ebionism).

Both views of view are unbiblical and incorrect.

One such example is found in Galatians 4:4–5: God, however, sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we would be given the complete rights of sons when the time was fully ripe.” “Born under the law” might refer to just a male birth.

  1. Only human beings are born under the law, and only a human being has the ability to redeem other human beings who were also born under the same law as themselves.
  2. One perfect human being—Jesus Christ—could fully maintain and perfectly fulfill the law, so redeeming us from our sin and removing our guilt from us.
  3. Another reason why Jesus had to be entirely human was because God instituted the requirement of the shedding of blood for the remission of sins, which required Jesus to be fully human (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22).
  4. (Hebrews 10:4).
  5. This would have been impossible if He had not been a human being.
  6. The Bible says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we do have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet who did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
  7. The fact that Jesus was subjected to all of the same sorts of tribulations that we are is what allows Him to sympathize with us and provide us with assistance in our situations.
  8. These things could only be experienced by a human person, and only a human being could get a complete understanding of them via experience.
  9. Since Jesus has come in the flesh, He has the ability to empathize with our human frailties; His human blood has been spilt in our place; since He was both entirely God and totally Man, we may trust in Him completely.

These are unassailable biblical facts that can’t be argued against. Questions regarding Jesus Christ (return to top of page) When it comes to Jesus’ humanity, why is it so important?

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QuestionAnswer As vital as the divinity of Jesus is, his humanity is as significant. In addition to being fully divine, Jesus was born as a human being. To grasp the notion of Jesus’ humanity coexisting with His deity is a tough concept for the finite thinking of man to grasp. In spite of this, the essence of Jesus—that he is both fully human and fully divine—is established in Scripture. The Bible teaches that Jesus was a man, not God, however there are many who deny these biblical realities (Ebionism).

  • It is unbiblical and erroneous to have either of these points of view.
  • In Galatians 4:4–5, the apostle Paul outlines one such strategy.
  • ‘Born under the law’ could only apply to men.
  • Only human beings are born under the law, and only a human being has the ability to redeem other human beings who were also born under the same law as they are.
  • One perfect human being—Jesus Christ—could fully maintain and perfectly fulfill the law, so redeeming us from our sin and removing our guilt from our lives.
  • Jesus had to be totally human for a second reason, which is that God decreed that the shedding of blood for the remission of sins was a requirement (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22).
  • (Hebrews 10:4).
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This would have been impossible if He had not been human.

The Bible says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we do have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—and yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

The fact that Jesus was subjected to all of the same sorts of tribulations that we are is what allows Him to sympathize with us and provide us with assistance in our lives today.

These phenomena could only be experienced by a human person, and only a human being could completely comprehend them after having gone through them.

Since Jesus has come in the flesh, He is able to empathize with our human frailties; His human blood has been poured in our place; since He was both entirely God and totally Man, we may trust in Him completely.

These are unassailable biblical truths that can’t be argued away. to:Jesus Christ: Do You Have Any Questions? So, what exactly is the significance of Jesus’ humanity?

Did Jesus Diminish His Divine Power to Become Human?

Transcript of the audio On Friday, we came to the close of the week by discussing the physical beginnings of Jesus and how the “miraculous conception” occurred in a biological setting. In this session, we will consider the topic of which divine traits Christ had to relinquish in order to take on the humanity of the human race. Originally from Vienna, Austria’s capital, the inquiry comes from Matthew in Vienna. “Dear Pastor John, I want to express my gratitude for all of your efforts in ministry throughout the years.

  • I was looking through the materials on Desiring God’s website and came upon an asermonthat you had presented back in 1981.
  • It helps us comprehend what Paul was getting at when he stated, “Even though he was in the form of God, he did not see equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6–7; emphasis added).
  • When asked about God’s qualities, you said, ‘They were his potentially, and therefore he was God; yet he renounced their use completely, and thus he was man.’ My question is, how do you interpret Philippians 2:6–8 and Luke 2:52 in light of your new understanding?
  • After all, I’m delighted this issue was posed and that my old sermon was quoted because the first thing I would answer is that I would talk today with more precision and care than the language I used in those previous sermons.
  • After the incarnation of the eternal divine Son, we must be careful not to convey the idea that the divine nature of Christ is constrained in the same way as the human nature of Christ is constrained in.
  • In the case of Christ, I would not wish to suggest that he in his divine nature emptied himself of any fundamental divine quality.

Very God and Very Man

When Jesus states in Matthew 24:36 that not even the Son knows the exact moment of Jesus’ return, I interpret him to be implying that the Son — Jesus Christ, when examined in his human nature — functions within a certain range of possibilities and limitations. The divine nature, on the other hand, is different. Now, I realize it sounds unusual; I understand that sounds strange. Because the union of two natures in a single person, one divine and one human, is beyond our comprehension and will continue to be beyond our comprehension for the rest of time, it is weird.

And we may anticipate that it will sound weird.

Allow me to read the passages aloud so that we can all see what is being said.

Paul writes in Philippians 2:6–7, ” Consequently, in verse six, you have the preexistent Christ before his incarnation in the form of God, which is defined as equality with God in the next line.

I believe that, in the same way that the phrase “form of God” in verse six does not imply that God is “less than God” because of the phrase “equality with God,” the phrases “form of a servant” and “likeness of man” in verse seven do not imply that humans are “less than other humans,” but rather that they are “equal with all other humans.” That is a genuine aspect of human nature.

It all comes down to the fact that Christ is both both God and completely human.

Emptied Himself

In the space between the two words, there comes the well-known phrase “he emptied himself.” What exactly does this mean? To me, this does not imply that Christ, in the fullness of his divine character, became less than completely divine. In other words, he did not deprive himself of the presence of God. I don’t believe that is what Paul intended because he states the exact opposite in Colossians 2:9, which leads me to believe otherwise. “For in him” — in Christ — “the whole fullness of god resides physically,” Jesus explained in his sermon.

  • He’s not just not empty, he’s overflowing with it.
  • Consequently, I do not believe that he has stripped himself of anything that forms the essence of divinity.
  • “Father, honor me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world began,” Jesus prays.
  • “The totality of heavenly brightness would have engulfed sinners and blinded everyone,” says the author of the book.
  • In contrast, there were other elements of his grandeur that he had chosen to ignore or put aside.
  • I believe this would include at least the privileges of deity that stand between the divine Christ and the disgrace and degradation, suffering, and death that he would experience on the cross.
  • On our behalf, Jesus descended from such lofty heights to such ignominious lowliness.

Glory in Our Midst

This well-known phrase “he emptied himself” is sandwiched between the two assertions. I’m not sure what it means, but it sounds promising. To me, this does not imply that Christ, in the fullness of his divine character, became less than completely divine. That is, Jesus did not deify himself in the traditional sense, as some have suggested. It’s one of the reasons I don’t think that’s what Paul was getting at since he states the exact opposite in Colossians 2:9. According to him, “For in him” (that is, in Jesus Christ), “the entire fullness of god resides physically.” Some people speculate that the wordfullness was used to mean something like “He didn’t empty himself of that.” He isn’t completely devoid of substance.

  • The divinity is in plenty in him.
  • He has not emptied himself of any of the attributes that define the divine nature, in my opinion.
  • Father, honor me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world was created,” Jesus prays.
  • In the presence of the totality of heavenly splendor, sinners would have been burnt and everyone would have been blinded.” In other words, the incarnate Christ in John’s gospel possesses a divine essence and is thus entirely God.
  • “Father, restore to me the glory I had with you before the foundation of the world,” he prays.

In Philippians 2:5–8, the author is making a point. On our sake, he went from such lofty heights to such ignominious lows. As we help others, we should have this frame of mind in mind. –

The Savior We Need

One thing I would say about Luke 2:52, which was referenced in the question and states that “Jesus gained in knowledge and height and in favor with both God and man” is that Jesus was, in his human nature, totally man. That’s the only thing I would say about that verse. As a result, he went through the phases of childhood like all other humans, but he did it without committing any fault. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and mankind, the man” — the human — “Christ Jesus.” “There is one God,” Paul continues.

He was a complete man in terms of his human character.

“Christ was entirely God because of his divine essence.

No other book emphasizes the humanity of Christ for the sake of his sympathy with our flaws more than the book of Hebrews: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, but without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

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