How could God not become a man?

D

docs Jun 15, 2015

I don't think we got into taboo territory in our Bible study Sat night but I said that the question in the minds of Jews during Christ's day was how could Yaweh become a man as they stumbled over Christ's divinity. We kicked that around a bit and mused and talked and someone said maybe the question should be how could God not become a man? It sort of stopped us short but if God the Father has always known the Son from eternity as the crucified Lamb and sion of God then God in Christ the Son had to become a man. Christ did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped even in eternity as even then He was willing to come to us and serve and not be served. They said that Jesus being a man had made Himself God when in fact God had made Himself a man. Yet He came as a different type of man being purely born of a virgin and the Holy Spirit. Yet He still became man and it sort of took on a mysterious devotional type of wonder Sat night as we discussed it. But it's intriguing that they accused Christ of being man and making Himself equal with God when in fact God had astonishingly and greatly humbled Himself and became a man. Help me here. What else can be said? This is a wondrous wonder. How could God not become a man? Will that stament fit within orthodoxy? And this God became a man and took up the towel to serve and not be served.

Blessings.

sermonindex Jun 16, 2015

The subject of the incarnation was discussed and prayed over for the first 300 years of the history of the Church. Many of the early heresies centred on this very issue and things coming forth from it. It is at the foundation of our faith. Great thoughts expressed.

The Nicene Creed was one of the fundamental statements agreed upon that verified and stood for the biblical belief of the early Church.

We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.

from: http://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/creeds/nicene-creed

Trust that helps.

S

SteveHale Jun 16, 2015

Tozer wrote " The testimony of faith is that no matter how things look in this fallen world, all God's acts are wrought in perfect wisdom. The incarnation of the Eternal Son in human flesh was one of God's mighty deeds, and we may be sure that this awsome deed was done with a perfection possible only to the Infinite."

S

Sree Jun 16, 2015

Well if God can create man in his own image then why is it not possible for God to come in the image of man?

When the Bible says man is created in the image of God, it means man has the capacity to have the nature of God. When I say my child is in my image, I mean she has the capacity to receive and respond to my love, capacity to display my nature etc. So it is possible for God to come as an uncorrupted man and put his divine nature in that form.

H

Heydave Jun 16, 2015

Hi david,

Nice thoughts. I was just reading again through Hebrews 1 and 2 and saw clearly how after establishing that Jesus is God and far above the angelic realm in ch 1, the writer then goes on in ch 2 to explain why God the Son had to become man. Or to put it your way, "how could He NOT become man"!

For example it says in Hebrew 2:17 "Therefore, in all things HE HAD to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."

Hebrews 2:14 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,"

....and in Hebrews 2:11 "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,"

Prise God for such a great salvation, in that as He shared our humanity and took on our sin, we share in His resurrection new creation life and righteousness!!

D

docs Jun 19, 2015

Thank you for the thoughtful and very edifying responses. And thank the good Lord above also that He one upped everyone's popular conceptions and expectations of Him and became a very man to walk among us!