And The Word Became Flesh

We believe God is one God in three persons, and that Jesus (the second person of the Trinity) took on an additional nature – a human nature - when he was born as a baby on Christmas Day. That Jesus became flesh, commonly called the incarnation, is a divine mystery. That Jesus is fully God and fully man is a foundational belief of the Christian faith, and is supported by five main biblical truths: (1) Jesus has two natures, divine and human, (2) Each nature is full and complete, (3) Each nature remains distinct and unmixed, (4) Jesus is only one person, and (5) things that are true of only one nature are nonetheless true of Jesus. Thus, Jesus is fully God and fully man, but without sin. That Jesus is fully divine is supported by the facts that Jesus: claimed to be God, was stated as God by New Testament writers and by God the Father, has all the attributes of God, and acted like God. That Jesus is fully man (but sinless) is apparent because he was born a baby, has a human body, mind, emotions, and will, and was tempted. The incarnation fulfilled prophecy. Jesus still has a human nature today, and will be a man forever. The incarnation is important because (1) only a man can die in our place to pay the penalty for our sins, (2) we need a God-man mediator, (3) we need a human role model (like us, but without flaws), (4) we want a savior we can relate to in a personal way, and (5) Jesus’ incarnation shows us what our future will be. By way of application, (1) Let our worship be filled with delight, wonder, and amazement that the God-man pursues us, (2) Let us take humble actions this Christmas season, like what Jesus did, and (3) Let us adore the God-man who took on flesh in order to die for us. | John 1:14a