Why did the eternal, omnipotent, sovereign creator of the universe bother to deal with human beings in the first place? “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” asks the psalmist, “and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” The clamorous answer resounds, “Thou hast made him…”(Psalm 8:4,5) He belongs to God.”Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so is the soul of the son mine:” (Ezekiel 18:4) His ownership is not based on His omnipotent power, nor on His creative ability. His ownership is rightly established upon His creative act.

Just and proper ownership is based on creation, bequest or purchase. Whoever makes a chair is its owner. If the creator gives it to someone else, the ownership changes. When someone buys it from its rightful owner, the right of ownership is exchanged by legal measure. Superior strength is not equivalent to the right of ownership. Superior strength and superior ability do not give someone a just and legal right to another person’s possessions.

The Bible begins in Genesis with the literal account of creation to establish God’s ownership of His creation. If the universe evolved independently, then God does not have the right of just ownership, He is simply usurping what is not legally His.

Why did God create man? He created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27) so that man could commune with Him, and only from the realm of relationship, to glorify and enjoy Him forever. Scripture always presents God from a perspective intensely close to man, as seen from the beginning. Genesis 3:8, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” The entrance of sin enacted God’s justice by demanding death (Ezek. 18:4). God’s merciful nature (Eph. 2:4) postponed immediate eternal retribution by graciously providing a covering, in Hebrew kafar, (Biblical words and their meanings, F. J. Pop, Buenos Aires, Editorial Escatos, 1972, pp. 303-307, Hebrew pronunciation in English“kofer“.) for their sin. He promised to provide the covering for sin through the woman’s seed, and established the response of faith as the means of appropriating that promise.

The temporary covering of the blood sacrifices did not pay the penalty for sin, but communicated faith in the promise that God would provide the atonement that covers and reconciles man in a place of personal relationship. Not all believed, and not all offered the prescribed sacrifice of faith. Faith in God’s promise to provide the ultimate sacrifice was the temporary kafar until the ultimate payment was made. Sinful man could still fulfill God’s purpose in creation by entering into fellowship through faith in the promise. “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” (Italics mine)(James 2:23).

God takes no pleasure in the distant man declaring His glory. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD; but the prayer of the upright is His delight. (Jesus said: “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name done many wonderful works? ²³ Then will I say unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.” But in contrast, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth them that are of a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) (Psalm 34:18).

God’s promise to save condemned sinful man can only be fulfilled if the just penalty for sin is paid. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) stands as the just standard to be met. The omnipotent and sovereign God is completely holy and righteous. He cannot look upon sin or leave His debt unpaid. Payment was demanded. “God hath set forth for propitiation (payment) through faith in His blood, to show forth His righteousness (completeness of His righteousness) for the remission (payment) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To show forth, I say, at this time His righteousness, that He might be (remain) righteous, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus (standard of faith).” (Romans 3:25-26)

The laws of legal substitution required a man to pay for man’s penalty. From Noah onward God emphasizes the measure of legal substitution, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God was man made. (Genesis 9:6) Understand that man is man and God is God. Righteous substitution means that God needed to come as man to save man. It says: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”. (II Corinthians 5:21)

By becoming man and dying for men, He satisfied the righteousness that demanded payment, and the just substitution that demanded equal payment. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” (1 Peter 3:18) “Wherefore, because the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise shared in the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” (Hebrews 2:14).

“Therefore when he came into the world, he said, Sacrifice and offering thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared me:” (Italics mine)(Hebrews 10:5) But full incarnation requires more than a mere human body. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) He was made (gi,nomai  ginomai from middle deponent, made Himself or received Himself) is a heavy concept. Philippians 2 breathes the essence of its meaning, “Who, being God Himself, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped: ⁷ but emptied Himself, (keno,w kenóo, to empty, aorist active verb He emptied Himself) and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8) A virgin conceived, and God was born through the normal biological process of human birth. He became flesh and dwelt among us, and we behold his glory.

Why go through all that instead of being instantly transformed into human flesh, dying quickly on the cross and continuing His function? John tells us some of the reasons in I John 1. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, of the Word of life”; the actual human senses of hearing and sight and smell and touch were used to communicate the essence and character of God to humans. God’s proximity to man in full human contact is amazing and necessary. Jesus ate and slept, sweated and shivered with cold. He put his hand on their shoulder and they felt the warmth of his breath as they crowded into the tiny fishing boat. “We have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was made manifest unto us” (I John 1:2). But further, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” The incarnation showed them what true communion was, and they in turn were able to share it accurately so that others could enter as well. Without human flesh, communion would not be full. Complete restoration to God produces the deep peace and joy of communion, so that man’s emptiness can be filled ,(plhraw, pleráō); literally made full with an idea of fullness.

His life of sinless nature and absolute dependence on God demonstrates the expected impartation of a new nature to His followers, (II Corinthians 5:17) and the full provision for them also to participate in all that He did, (John 14:12) using the same resources available to each follower.

Perhaps the most difficult aspects of the incarnation to accept are the remaining ones. He came to communicate the essence of God to man by being man, but the broad and powerful reality of the incarnation is that it includes suffering and servitude. The full nature of God cannot be communicated to man without suffering. The suffering of the Messiah was not only physical, but complete. The affective aspects of mind, emotions and will were placed in the crucible, along with the human being components of His body soul and spirit. Each aspect suffered because Christ chose to embrace humanity to the fullest in order to destroy the power of death over humanity and to demonstrate the absolute victory of the new nature over all the power of the world, (II Corinthians 2:4) and of the flesh (Galatians 5:16) while completely destroying the power of the adversary. (I John 3:8).

A suffering Christ is pronounced throughout Scripture beginning in the Proto-evangelium of Genesis 3:15. The Seed “shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” The classic suffering servant passages of Isaiah are graphic in their description. He is called a Servant, and the Spirit is given to dwell in him; (Isaiah 42 vs John 1:33-34) He is humble and meek (Isaiah 42 2, Isaiah 50:4, Isaiah 53:7 vs Matt. 27:12) His suffering as a human being, being completely free from sin, uniquely qualifies Him as a propitiatory sacrifice and as a righteous judge of sinful human beings (Isaiah 43:3-4; 49:6; Isaiah 50:9-11; John 5:22, 27) Upon Him fell the iniquity of all human beings and He paid their penalty (Isaiah 53:6-11; I Peter 3:18, I John 2:2).

His full humanity made Him truly capable of human temptation and suffering. Adam and Eve also had no sin, but they were tempted and fell. Satan tempted Jesus ‘ mind with corrupt logic (Luke 4:3-13). He was emotionally taxed beyond measure when He “sweated as it were great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44) in His manifest agony, and when He cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) Submission of His own will was paramount in the garden when He prayed, “Yet not My will, but Thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42)

The incarnation completed His sacrifice when He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Peter 2:24), giving His body as a sacrifice for sin. In the same act He gave up His spirit when the sins of the world were laid upon Him, panting, “with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit:” (Luke 23:46) But Oh the joy that the incarnate act was sufficient and acceptable to the Father, for He did not “leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 16:10)

His chosen servitude (John 10:18) also extends to the attitude He demands of those who are in deep communion with Him. Most disciples will not die for the sake of the Gospel, servanthood also extends to daily life. “But emptied himself, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: being found in human form, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:7,8)

Servanthood implies obedience. To be the sufficient Savior, Christ was first the obedient servant. He cried in the garden, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39) He denied Himself, and demands the same of all who follow Him (Matthew 16:24). (Matthew 16:24) This self-sacrificing obedience of Christ was learned through suffering (Hebrews 5:8) and demanded that He might be the promised redeemer (Hebrews 10:5-9). (Hebrews 10:5-9) What condescension!

The Son of Man came, “not to be served, but to serve,” (Matthew 20:28) Remember His challenging instruction to the disciples culminating His three and a half years of education? John 13:4 “And He arose from supper, and took off His garments, and took a towel, and girded it about Him. 5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. 6 Then came he to Simon Peter: and Peter said unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Thou wilt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me….. Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 For if I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that as I have done for you, you also should do…. (John 13:4-17)

The incarnation, with all its aspects and inclusions, uniquely qualifies Christ to be first Savior, then mediator, intercessor, judge and ruler. “We have not an high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15) “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for all men. ¹⁰ For it was fitting for Him through whom are all things, and by whom are all things, that He should bring many sons to glory, to perfect by sufferings the captain of their salvation.” (Hebrews 2:9-10)

The resurrection was God’s public declaration that the sacrifice was complete and the scope sufficient (Ephesians 1:19-23, Romans 1:3-4) For all that the incarnation included, the Father “also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:” (Philippians 2:9) Now “he is risen, and is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34) He is worthy to judge the world because, “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” (Revelation 5:9-13) Although He has been eternally perfect in all His attributes, now, after the incarnate sacrifice His acts have qualified Him “to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” “For it behooved Him by whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect through sufferings the Captain of their salvation.” (Hebrews 2:10)