“Why God Became Man” (Part Three)

The last three reasons for Christmas, the incarnation of God the Son, are also about salvation now and forever!

Be sure to see Monday and Tuesday blogs for the first four.  All of them tell us to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas every day of the year in our hearts, not just on Christmas Day with our traditions.

And the fifth reason is huge:

5. Salvation/Resurrection:  To defeat death for us. (I Corinthians 15:22, 23; Hebrews 2:14, 15)

This one is hard to feel.  Many people never give it a thought and so they fear death constantly.

And death has the largest stinger of all the ways earth and its pain attack us.

But the Son of God took on human flesh not only to live above sin with His life and pay the penalty for sin, but to defeat that penalty for sin, physical death and spiritual death, by physical resurrection from the grave.

The great phrase, “It is finished,” which reminds us of our justification possibility, is complemented by the wonderful phrase the angels and Christ’s friends would say: “He is risen!”

And when we understand this in its scriptural setting of explanation, we know that this death and resurrection count for us.  Because He lives, we too shall live.

Paul said so clearly, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Corinthians 15:20, 22, 23).  (“Those who sleep” are those who have died in their physical bodies.  In that sense their bodies are asleep, a euphemism for physical death.)

That very body that each of us will leave behind someday will be raised from the dead.  Buried mortal, it is raised immortal! Lived in as a perishable body, it will be raised an imperishable body.  Still a body, for sure, but never to be destroyed again.  Never to even have the possibility of dying or stopping the process of breath or life again.  What a gift from God!

Let’s remind ourselves that all of this is one of the staggering and wonderful features of the Christian faith.  Part of the package of salvation is that we know Christ and have forgiveness and righteousness and have Christ by His Spirit living in our lives; but the completion of it is resurrection from the dead to a glorified state to be in the presence of Jesus Christ forever and ever.

Again, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a joyful one, considering all the reasons that God did this for us, and all that salvation means!

Including the fact that we can say with Paul the theologian and apostle:

“Oh death, where is your sting?  Oh grave, where is your victory?

“But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”

(I Corinthians 15:57 ).

6. To be the mediator between God and man, “the man Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 2:5)

This is part of salvation and certainly tied with all of the reasons for the incarnation, but very important because we needed a go-between.  Job hinted at that thousands of years before: “If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more” (Job 9:33, 34).

Of course Job did not understand a true mediator would someday come!  But here is a preliminary hope, a kindergarten dream!  Later Job would realize he had an “advocate… on high.  My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God as a man pleads for his friend” (Job 16: 20, 21).

Somehow he even knew “my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25)!

This was pictured by all the work of the priests in the Old Testament.  Over and over again they represented God to man and man to God.  They offered the sacrifices.  You went to God through the priest.

And the priest was a human being.

Now Jesus Christ – “now” since Bethlehem or the incarnation – is our one mediator.  We go directly through Him who is the High Priest to be in touch with God the Father.  On a regular basis.

Obviously God is God, and to be God-man He must make a move, and that is the incarnation miracle.

7. Prediction/Culmination:  To fulfill the promise to David to rule over the whole earth.

(II Samuel 7:16)

David had been promised that one of his sons would rule forever.  It’s a very clear prophesy and agreement from God, an unconditional promise in the Old Testament.

And clearly that person is to be a human being.  There is no question that the descriptions about this king imply that He is of human origin.  (Not human origin alone, but a real human being.)

In fact, Isaiah prophesied that this child who would be born would be called names that could really only apply to God:  “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

But in connection with that Isaiah would add that His government would extend over the whole world.  There would be no end to its coverage (Isaiah 9:7)!

This is a human being presiding over a real government directing this entire planet we call earth.

So another reason that God became man – let’s celebrate this every Christmas and ever Sunday in some way – is so that the “Hallelujah Chorus” could be sung!  “And He shall reign forever, and ever, and ever, and ever”!

Let the praise be to God for this wonderful plan, and let the hope be ours.  It is our giant hope.  It is the promise fulfilled someday, when God will bring all peoples and all nations into submission under this one head, the King of Israel, the Messiah who was prophesied, who will reign over the entire earth.

Merry Christmas!

This is our great hope, at Christmas or any day of the year.

And all of these reasons, all expressions of God’s love and power directed to save us, call us to understand and appreciate the wondrous grace and love of our God.

Christmas reminds us to worship, to be grateful, to explain the real meaning to others.

May yours be joyful and meaningful!

All of us here at RBC Ministries wish you a most joyous Christmas season!

And a whole way of life that is changed by His coming!