It is perfectly natural for us to ask the question: “Why was God manifest in the flesh and dwell among us?” We seek for an answer to satisfy both mind and heart.
To Fulfill Scripture
In the first place, we find that the Advent of Jesus was in fulfilment of the eternal purpose of Jehovah: and that every detail of prophetic Scriptures was completely fulfilled. His virgin birth; His lineage of the House of David; the place of His birth; the home of His childhood–all came to pass as the prophets had foretold. In God’s due time, Mary travelled from the hill country of Galilee to Bethlehem Judea that Jesus might be born there at the time appointed.
To Come Near to Men
The Word was made flesh that God might come near to us in a visible and tangible manner. Made in the likeness of sinful flesh (but not sinful flesh), Emmanuel was seen by men. They heard His voice, were eyewitnesses of His majesty, and some became partakers of His works of grace. The saints of the old covenant realized the difference that existed between the created gods of the nations, which were visible, and the glory of the invisible Creator. They knew that He had spoken to their fathers and to the prophets. They were also conscious of His presence in the glory of the holy place, yet in a sense He was afar off in the heavens. But the advent of Christ brought God near to us in a manner which was wholly unknown before. Unfortunately only a comparatively small number of persons realized the blessed reality of that holy presence. The world knew Him not, and His own received Him not.
To Show Us What God Was Like
“He dwelt among us” that the righteousness and holiness of Jehovah might be perfectly revealed in actual life. The life of Jesus was far more than a mere human life, inasmuch as every phase of it was an absolute reproduction of deity within the compass of a human body. His life was that of the holy, harmless, and undefiled One, in whose hands was no violence, and on whose lips no guile. The holy God was revealed in His well beloved Son. His holiness is unparalleled.
To Declare God’s Love
Not only was the holiness of God revealed, His love was also rnade known. The life of Jesus made the love of God known in a way that was both unique, and unprecedented. No other life had wholly represented the character of God to men: human limitations and failures have beclouded the true vision of Jehovah’s lovingkindness. The best human characters stand out in contrast with the Divine. But the sinless, selfless life of Jesus was a perfect pattern of the life of God. “He that hath seen the Father” were no mere meaningless words, but rather expressions of the truth, which alas, was not understood even by His followers. Even now we fail to grasp their full import.
By taking a human form, our Lord was able to give to the world a concrete demonstration of the character of God. He has given us a more visible and conceivable knowledge of the invisible God than is afforded by the works of Creation; these reveal His glory, but Jesus revealed His love. He who spoke by the prophets, spoke more effectively in His Son (Heb. 1). “The only begotten of the Father, He hath declared Him.”
The Patience of God
Jesus lived His life on earth under the most trying circumstances, and there by was revealed the patience and forebearance of God to a degree which was impossible to human nature. Even Job, the most patient of men, eventually gave way to complaint. Moses, the meekest of men, yielded to temper. But our Lord was never ruffled by rebuke. He was always tender toward the erring. However weary He was, He was ready to forgo His rest that He might comfort the sorrowing souls around Him. He shewed “the kindness of God” to all who needed His help, in spite of their unworthiness and ingratitude. His knowledge of men did not prevent His love being lavished on those He knew to be unworthy of it, and who would wilfully reject the grace He sought to bestow upon them. He meekly bore their jeers at His claims, and their mocking of His grief.
Only “God in the flesh” could have endured the insults of the priests and elders in such silence as did our Lord.
He gladly fed the multitudes with bread, although He knew they cared not for the living bread from heaven. He continued to the end calling men to rest of soul while He knew that they loved darkness rather than light. Nothing but the love of God would have continued to seek and save such wilful, wayward souls. His love was wholly devoid of self-interest, so much so that no human example of love can adequately illustrate, or reveal it. His selfless love is far above our highest conceptions of affection and pity.
As the Sin-bearer
The Prince of Life took not upon Himself the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham in order that He might “bear our sins in His own body on the tree.” As the servant of Jehovah, He became “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” His was the only way of escape for this sin-cursed race, and in order that the world might be reconciled to God, His well-beloved Son appeared on earth in obedience to the eternal purpose of divine love.
The keynote of His life was “I delight to do Thy will, O God.” In the body that was prepared for Him, He fulfilled the will of His Father “even unto death.” Although His appearance “in the likness of sinful flesh” was often a barrier to faith, and men said of Him, “Is not this the son of Joseph?” yet thereby was the purpose of God fulfilled in His beloved Son. His poverty, and His humility of spirit were means by which the eternal counsel of Jehovah might come to pass.
In His suffering life, He revealed the patience of God toward a world of sinners, and in His suffering death He manifested the love of God for all mankind. Thus did God commend His love toward us, in that “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” By this most wonderful event of events the second Adam restored more abundantly that which was lost by the first Adam. The Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep, that they might have “the life more abundant” in Him.
To Make Us the Repositories of the Spirit
God Incarnate procured for us more than forgiveness of sin and deliverance from wrath. He brought also by His advent the subsequent blessings of Pentecost. By His death, His resurrection, and His ascension to the right hand of God, He has secured for us the gift of the Holy Ghost as the indwelling Comforter. Thereby the life of Jesus Himself may be manifested in our mortal flesh–“we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 5:10). The purpose of God in the Incarnation is that we who believe in His Son should also allow that life to be revealed again in our daily walk. Our bodies should be the temples through which His glory shines and we should be the trees of righteousness on which the fruit of the Spirit shall grow. Let us therefore yield ourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
To Bring Us at Last to Glory
Jesus became poor that we through His poverty might be made rich. The purpose of His sufferings will be wholly fulfilled when all His blood-bought ones are with Him in glory. Then shall He see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. Let us with holy gratitude seek “to follow His steps” until we “walk with Him in white.”