This means God with us. That is, the incarnate presence of God.
I once had a conversation with a non-believer who asked, “Are you saying God Almighty would stoop so low as to come to earth as a human?” Interestingly, the idea that God would die for humanity did not trouble him as much as the thought of God taking on human form in the first place. It was in that moment that I truly grasped just how great God is.
A weak person is often revealed by an inferiority complex, whether expressed through timidity or excessive pride. God, however, displayed His greatness in choosing the lowly form of man, fully aware that doing so did not diminish or alter His identity as God. (Php. 2:5-7, Jn. 1:14)
The thing many unbelievers don’t understand is that God is God, and His presenting Himself to us in a familiar form for a moment does not change that truth. The moment we begin to limit God by our imagination, understanding, and ideas, we fall into error. Because something sounds improbable does not mean it is. The sovereignty of God is not only in accepting what we cannot control, but also in accepting what is beyond our comprehension. God is not bound by our ideas of what is possible.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:8
My reason for starting this blog post in this way is to soften the minds of those who get defensive and insist that God could not have come to earth as a human, simply because they consider Him far too great for that. In reality, it is precisely because He is great that He could do something like that. His stooping was not a downgrade; it was a battle form He used to conquer. The cross is our symbol of victory, made possible only because God humbled Himself. In doing so, He showed us that true greatness is revealed in the depth of humility. (Php. 2:8-9)
This brings me to the question: why?
We know this great God did a great thing, but why did He do it, and what is it that makes it great? In answering why God did what He did, we arrive at the very reason why it was indeed a great thing to do.
When God was to be manifest in flesh, the angel told Mary to name Him “Jesus”. The name Jesus means is God saves or Yahweh is salvation. It was a clear vision of what He came to earth to do.
Matthew 1:21 says, “…for He shall save His people from their sins”. Before this, there had been no mention of salvation from sin. It was an impossible feat without Jesus. Sin was so great a taskmaster that only God could save humanity from it…and He did just that.
For sin to be atoned for, it required blood, but the blood of animals was insufficient. So God came to earth as a human. He lived a pure and blameless life and in the end, gave Himself up as the atonement for our sins. Our souls were held captive by the enemy, but through the shedding of His own blood, God redeemed us. (Heb. 9:12, 22, 1 Pet. 18-19, Tit. 2:14)
Have you ever tried to explain your struggles to someone, and you could just tell they didn’t understand—not because you’re not being clear enough or because of a language barrier, but simply because they caóuldn’t relate? It’s frustrating. Maybe even pointless.
As amazing as it is that God came to earth to save us, that wasn’t all He came for. He also came to earth to understand humanity. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that “we do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with us”. The word empathy means to understand and share in another’s burden.
By living as a human being, God, through Jesus, familiarised Himself with the burdens of men. He did this so that when we pray, it doesn’t feel like we are speaking to someone unrelatable. Having experienced the same things—trials and temptations, joys and comforts—He understands us and helps us in exactly the way we need.
Misrepresentation of God’s person plays a huge role in why many people backslide or don’t even accept salvation in the first place. As humanity multiplied, distance from God increased, and so did the misrepresentation of who He is. One of the reasons why God had to come to earth by Himself was to show us how to live.
The Bible is full of people who lived for God and were commended by Him. Yet, not one of them is perfect. Job was, perhaps, the closest thing we got to a model human, and even then, his flaws were evident. Without clear guidance, it is easy to mistake these flawed yet useful people as the yardstick.
Even today, many people use pastors, popes, or other believers as their mirror. However, no one is perfect enough to qualify for that role. And if we all copy imperfect people, we will soon lose sight of what is actually ideal for believers. That is why God came to show us what perfection looks like. (1 Pet. 2:21)
He lived perfectly and did everything perfectly, and then told us to look up to Him. So, if I feel wronged by a condemning sermon, I can easily look to the life of Jesus for guidance instead of getting offended by the faith itself. In the same vein, I don’t have to copy any believer’s lifestyle because the life of Jesus is the only blueprint I need. (Heb. 12:2)
One of the ways Jesus showed us to live was through love. Love (agape) was scarcely mentioned in the Old Testament, appearing only about 18 times, which is extremely low when compared to the roughly 259 appearances in the New Testament.
Jesus revealed to us an aspect of God that man had not fully known. He showed us that God is love, and then taught us to walk in it, living in the same way (Jn. 13:34-35). And this, ultimately, summarises everything that has been said here. God leaving the glory and splendour of His heavenly throne to live as a servant, to teach us His ways, and to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our salvation can only be explained by one word: love.
The birth of Christ—and the events that follow after—start and end with love. A love so great only God could give it.
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