To most moderns it seems extremely unlikely that an infinite, eternal God would suddenly become a particular human being in a specific time and place. Not only that -- it seems unbelievable that He would come to "an obscure, primitive nation, on a planet now known to be a relatively insignificant piece of matter revolving about one star among billions in an inconceivably vast and impersonal universe."
But Scripture describes anything but an impersonal universe. It pictures a Creator who custom-made this planet for human habitation (Genesis, chapter 1) for His own children who were made in His own image so they could relate to Him (verse 26). He formed the first man with His own hands and got close enough to kiss him as He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Gen. 2:7).
But would God lower Himself to become a man, a creature made from dust? Most Jews say no. They expect Messiah to be a human king of the line of David, not God in human flesh.
Are there any intimations that the Creator of a vast universe would become a particular human being at a particular point in time in an obscure nation on an obscure planet in an obscure solar system? He managed to come to this world as a human being many times in the prescientific age before we humans knew how vast the universe was and how infinitely great God is! He took on human flesh and appeared as a man to His friend Abraham. On one occasion Abraham looked up and saw three men standing by (see Gen. 18). The text indicates that one was the LORD and the other two were angels. They took on physical bodies, sweating in the heat, getting their feet dusty, and working up a thirst. Abraham refreshed them and set before them an unkosher dinner of veal, bread, curds, and milk, which they ate. Afterward the LORD walked with Abraham down the dusty road toward Sodom, professing to be on a mission to investigate for Himself whether conditions there were as bad as He had heard. He let Abraham bargain with Him about the fate of the city. Almighty God condescended to come down to earth as a man and dialog with his friend Abraham!
On another occasion God became a man and wrestled with Jacob in hand-to-hand, muscle to muscle, contact (Gen. 32:22-32). His humanity was so weak (or He pulled His punches) that He was unable to overpower Jacob through hours of wrestling, but had to call on His miraculous powers to cripple him (v. 25). God limited Himself to be a loser!
When Jacob realized from the crippling touch that he was wrestling with a divine Person, he pleaded for a blessing (v. 26). In the conversation that followed, the Stranger asked, "What is your name?" Jacob admitted to his name, which meant deceiver. Then the Stranger gave him a new name, Israel, because "you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome" (v. 28). Jacob"s assailant was God! Jacob, in turn, asked the Stranger, "What is your name?" The response, "Why do you ask my name?" sounds like the answer of a divine being (compare Judges 13:18). But in this case it may mean, "I just told you you were wrestling with God! And I have met you and talked with you many times before (Gen. 28:13-15; 31:3; 32:1). Why don"t you recognize me?" Jacob knew for sure who the Stranger was when He blessed him (28:29) probably as He had blessed him before (28:13-15). "I saw God face to face," was his conclusion (32:30). The prophet Hosea gives a similar description:
[blockquote]
In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
and in his manhood he strove with God.
He strove with the angel and prevailed,
he wept and sought his favor.
He met God at Bethel,
and there God spoke with him --
the LORD of hosts,
the LORD is his name (Hos. 12:4-5).
[/blockquote]
Jacob had wrestled with God Himself. For some mysterious reason God humbled Himself to engage in a wrestling match with Jacob.
God humbled Himself not only by becoming a human being. He lowered Himself even further to communicate with Moses by hiding in a thorn bush. A desert thorn bush hosted the presence of Almighty God (Exodus 3:1-3)! He made Himself lower than Moses in order to speak to him. At the same time He insisted upon His divinity: "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground" (v. 5). Was this descent into a lowly plant a foretaste of a future descent into the womb of a virgin?
God often spoke with Moses "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Ex. 33:11). He normally communicated with prophets in visions, but Moses "sees the form of the LORD" (Numbers 12:6-8; Deuteronomy 34:10). He must have appeared in human form on these occasions, because when Moses wanted to see His glory the LORD said, "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." So God put him in a cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand until He had passed by. "Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen" (Ex. 33:22-23). Moses saw God face to face in human form, just as Abraham and Jacob had done, but was allowed to see only His back in His glorified form.
Outside the city of Jericho Joshua saw a Man who identified himself as "the Commander-in-Chief of the army of the LORD" (Joshua 5:13-15). He commanded Joshua, as He had Moses, to take his sandals off his feet for he was standing on holy ground. He then gave Joshua detailed instructions on how to attack the city of Jericho. God appeared to Joshua as a soldier!
God took another amazing step to get close to His people. He commanded, "Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8). He went camping with Israel in a tent of animal skins like theirs. He wanted to be their next-door neighbor in the midst of their encampment. He got as close as His holiness could approach their sinfulness. He was willing to live inside the skins of goats and badgers, skins that covered up the glory of the divine presence within. Was the sanctuary a symbol of God entering human skin -- very common on the outside, but glorious with the beauty of His character within? The Apostle John thought so, for he said, "And the Word [God] became flesh and tented among us, full of grace and truth, and we beheld His glory" (John 1:13).
God"s glory is His character, one aspect of which is revealed in His astounding condescension to His creatures, even those in rebellion against Him. He lowered Himself to camp (Hebrew, shakan; Greek, skenoo) with them.
God permitted another humiliation -- He who formed a billion galaxies lowered Himself to the level of a tribal god. As the God of Israel, He was considered one among the gods of the surrounding tribes -- of the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and the others (though He repeatedly demonstrated His superiority). Even more than becoming the God of a single nation, He identified Himself as the God of individuals -- the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The God of Scripture let His creatures entertain Him, bargain with Him, wrestle with Him, camp with Him, and glimpse His form. That is because our God is not only transcendent, but immanent. He is not only far off, but near at hand. "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15).
But would Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, humble himself to be born of human flesh?
The prophet Isaiah predicted in so many words that God would be born in human flesh.
[blockquote]
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be upon his shoulder,
And his name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6).
[/blockquote]
According to this prophecy, Mighty God would be born as a child!
Rabbi Singer suggests that the idea of God being born as a man was introduced into Christianity to appeal to pagans whose gods were said to be born of virgins. But none of the Greek or Roman gods were motivated by self-sacrificing love such as impelled Jesus to become a man. It was, after all, a long way from the throne of heaven to the manger of Bethlehem. It was a bold plan for God to invade a hostile world as a helpless baby, to empty Himself of His glory and power and come disguised as a peasant so that nothing but the beauty of His character would draw us to Him.
There was a reason God became a man. This world is filled with unimaginable suffering. What better way could God deal with the injustice and suffering of humanity than to come down Himself and suffer with us? Our God was not content to sit on His throne while His creatures suffered. The ultimate answer to Auschwitz and the gulag and the killing fields is that God came down and suffered with us. "In all their affliction He was afflicted" (Isa. 63:9). It was this thought that sustained Betsy Ten Boom as she lay dying in the Ravensbruck death camp for her work of saving Jews. There she coined the immortal words, "There is no hell so deep but God is deeper still." God invaded hell to hold the hand of the lowliest sufferer.
No doubt about it -- the concept of God becoming a man is so unlikely that no one but God could have thought of it!
SHALOM
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
yes He did....however, lets' not forget some less discussed facts...
***NOT TO DIMINISH IN ANYWAY WHO HE WAS***
he only lived here for 33 years..so he never dealt with any Geriatric disorders....
He was never married...we all know what He missed there...uh-hemmn
He was never sick...never lost a child...never was an orphan....never made a mortgage/loan payment, or the worries that accompany those....
paid minimal taxes...well, the fish paid it... the list could go on, but why...
Jesus was here long enough to do what He had to do and no longer... not 1 day longer..THAT'S what he felt about "human life"... He WASN'T like you and I.. He WASN'T a "mere mortal"... His father was God,not some human...in fact, I hear Jesus slamming the flesh, more than appreciating it....
yes He did....however, lets' not forget some less discussed facts...
***NOT TO DIMINISH IN ANYWAY WHO HE WAS***
he only lived here for 33 years..so he never dealt with any Geriatric disorders....
He was never married...we all know what He missed there...uh-hemmn
He was never sick...never lost a child...never was an orphan....never made a mortgage/loan payment, or the worries that accompany those....
paid minimal taxes...well, the fish paid it... the list could go on, but why...
Jesus was here long enough to do what He had to do and no longer... not 1 day longer..THAT'S what he felt about "human life"... He WASN'T like you and I.. He WASN'T a "mere mortal"... His father was God,not some human...in fact, I hear Jesus slamming the flesh, more than appreciating it....
Rem1100,,, I am sure you haven't gone through some of the things, I've gone through, in factI know you haven't... So what does it matter? He came into this world for one purpose only,, to be a sacrifice, hang on the cross,, shed His blood, for YOU.
Remember the saying " don't look a gift horse in the mouth" if you don't know what it means, I suggest you find out.
yes He did....however, lets' not forget some less discussed facts...
***NOT TO DIMINISH IN ANYWAY WHO HE WAS***
he only lived here for 33 years..so he never dealt with any Geriatric disorders....
He was never married...we all know what He missed there...uh-hemmn
He was never sick...never lost a child...never was an orphan....never made a mortgage/loan payment, or the worries that accompany those....
paid minimal taxes...well, the fish paid it... the list could go on, but why...
Jesus was here long enough to do what He had to do and no longer... not 1 day longer..THAT'S what he felt about "human life"... He WASN'T like you and I.. He WASN'T a "mere mortal"... His father was God,not some human...in fact, I hear Jesus slamming the flesh, more than appreciating it....
__________________
Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
He WASN'T like you and I.. He WASN'T a "mere mortal"... His father was God,not some human
The biblical truth is that he was 100% human. On Calvary he suffered, bled, and died with all the pain and suffering that any other human would experience. While alive, he was tempted in all points as we, yet without sin.
His Father was The Holy Ghost that overshadowed Mary. For that which is concieved in her is of The Holy Ghost.
Yes, he was a man, and he also had a devine nature that dwelt within the man Christ Jesus. Call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. To wit, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus explained it this way, I am in the Father and the Father in me. I and my Father are one. When you have seen me, You have seen the Father.
The prophet said that thechild born, and the Son given would be called The Mighty God. Jesus even said that he was The Almighty in Rev 1:8
If he didn't know one's pain and suffering as a man with flesh and bones, he, as God knew all things or he would not be God.
No, God did not send his little boy to earth to suffer all that was required for man's redemption. God himself left the throne of glory, God himself took upon himself a fleshly body, God himself went to Calvary for your sins. When the Spirit of God that dwelt within the fleshly Body of Christ departed (an eternal Spirit cannot die) the forsaken body cried out, "My God, my God" why hast thou forsaken me?
And we would expect more from him??
yes He did....however, lets' not forget some less discussed facts...
***NOT TO DIMINISH IN ANYWAY WHO HE WAS***
he only lived here for 33 years..so he never dealt with any Geriatric disorders....
He was never married...we all know what He missed there...uh-hemmn
He was never sick...never lost a child...never was an orphan....never made a mortgage/loan payment, or the worries that accompany those....
paid minimal taxes...well, the fish paid it... the list could go on, but why...
Jesus was here long enough to do what He had to do and no longer... not 1 day longer..THAT'S what he felt about "human life"... He WASN'T like you and I.. He WASN'T a "mere mortal"... His father was God,not some human...in fact, I hear Jesus slamming the flesh, more than appreciating it....
Hmm, it sounds as if you a bit upset with Christ. Well, that certainly is your right. I would encourage you to view it fro a different angle. Why should God even bother to offer mankind grace? Do you deserve His time at all? Why would anyone with the power and majesty of God even give two hoots about you?
It doesnt amaze me that God created the heavens and the earth. It doesnt phase me to consider God creating life. What amazes me is that God would get off His throne, put on mortal skin, and come down here to walk with us. It amazes me that God loves mankind or more specifically...me. I know I dont deserve His grace, love, blessings, or patience. All I deserve is His justice.
WOULD GOD BECOME A MAN ?
