The term “incarnate” refers to something that has taken on flesh or has become embodied in human form. When we say that Jesus was God incarnate, we mean that God took on human flesh and became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. This is a central doctrine in Christianity, that the eternal Son of God took on humanity in order to accomplish our salvation.
The Bible teaches that Jesus existed eternally as God (John 1:1), but at the appointed time He also took on human flesh (John 1:14). Philippians 2:5-8 describes this incredibly humbling act – though Jesus was God, He did not cling to His rights and privileges as God, but rather emptied Himself by taking on human likeness and the form of a servant. He was born as a man and lived His life on earth as a man – fully God yet also fully human.
Jesus had to be fully human in order to represent humanity and die in our place for our sins. Hebrews 2:17 explains that Jesus had to be made like His brethren in all things so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. As a man, Jesus could rightfully stand in our place and offer His life as an atoning sacrifice for sin. At the same time, only the divine Son of God could bear the full weight of God’s wrath against sin and offer a sacrifice sufficient to pay for the sins of the world.
The humanity and deity of Christ are both crucial doctrines to understand in order to grasp the meaning of the incarnation. Let’s explore each aspect more fully:
The Humanity of Jesus
There are many Scripture passages that stress the true humanity of Jesus:
- Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb and born as a baby (Luke 2:6-7)
- He grew up as a human boy, growing in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52)
- He experienced hunger, thirst, tiredness, and other human limitations (John 4:6-7, Matthew 8:24)
- He faced temptation, but did not sin (Hebrews 4:15)
- He experienced the full range of human emotions like compassion, sadness, anger, and distress (Mark 3:5, John 11:35)
- He died a physical, bodily death on the cross (Mark 15:37)
- After His resurrection, He still had a physical human body that could be touched (Luke 24:39, John 20:27)
Jesus was not some divine phantom or merely God pretending to be human. He was fully and truly human, the perfect representative for the human race. As a man, He could shed His blood and die for the sins of humanity.
The Deity of Jesus
At the same time, the Bible also affirms Christ’s divine nature as the Son of God:
- He existed eternally as God before taking on flesh (John 8:58, Colossians 1:17)
- He claimed divine titles like the Son of God and I AM (Mark 14:61-62, John 8:24)
- He received worship from His disciples as God (Matthew 14:33, John 20:28)
- He forgives sins, which only God can do (Mark 2:5-7)
- He performed miraculous signs and wonders over nature (Mark 4:39-41)
- He knew all things including people’s thoughts and hearts (John 2:24-25, Luke 5:22)
- He had authority over demons and commanded them (Mark 1:27)
- He resurrected Himself from the dead (John 2:19-21)
The Gospels portray a Jesus who could command the elements, walk on water, multiply food, and raise the dead – displays of power only proper of deity. Yet He was also praying to the Father, dependent on the Spirit, and worshiping in the Temple as a man. This profound mystery of the hypostatic union is that Jesus was both fully God and fully man at the same time.
Old Testament Foreshadowing
The Old Testament contains many hints and foreshadowings that God would someday take on human flesh:
- The Angel of the Lord as a Christophany (Genesis 16:7-13, 22:11-18, Exodus 3:2-6)
- God promises the Messiah would be born as the “seed of woman” (Genesis 3:15)
- Isaiah 9:6 prophesies the Messiah will be both God and man – “For to us a child is born…Mighty God”
- Isaiah 7:14 foretells the virgin birth – “God with us” (Matthew 1:23)
- The Messiah would be the Son of God (Psalm 2:7, Proverbs 30:4)
- He would be in the form of a man and called Immanuel (Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 1:23)
The clues were present that God would someday join Himself to humanity in the person of the Messiah. This mystery was revealed fully through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Why the Incarnation Was Necessary
Why was it necessary for Jesus to be the God-man – fully divine and fully human? We can point to at least 6 important reasons:
- To reveal God to us (John 1:18) – As the perfect image of God in human form, Jesus definitively reveals God’s nature and character to humanity.
- To represent humanity before God (Romans 5:15-19) – As our High Priest and mediator, Jesus stands between God and man as one of us.
- To die in our place (1 Peter 2:24, 3:18) – Jesus had to be man to die for the sins of mankind, and God to pay our infinite penalty.
- To destroy the power of death and the devil (Hebrews 2:14-15) – Only the divine Son of God had power to break Satan’s hold and win victory over death.
- To sympathize as our brother (Hebrews 4:15-16) – Jesus can understand our weaknesses and help us when we’re tempted because He was made like us.
- To become the perfect mediator and high priest (Hebrews 7-10) – As both God and man, Jesus is the perfect mediator able to bring us into relationship with God.
The core doctrines of Christianity – including the atonement, salvation, and even the Trinity – rely on Jesus being fully God and fully man. His incarnation was totally necessary for our redemption and restoration.
The Significance of the Virgin Birth
It’s important to understand that Jesus’ conception was miraculous, with Mary conceiving Jesus while still a virgin (Luke 1:34-35). He did not have a human biological father, but was conceived in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. Why was the virgin birth necessary?
- It fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 that the Messiah would be conceived by a virgin.
- It marked Jesus as divine – since He did not have a human father, God must be His Father.
- It allowed Jesus to be fully human yet without inheriting original sin from Joseph or any human father (Hebrews 4:15).
- It connects Jesus with His mission to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21, 23).
The virgin birth emphasizes Christ’s humanity and His full inclusion in the human family, but also affirms His divine paternity as the Son of God. As the God-man conceived without human father, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice to bear our sins.
How the Two Natures Relate in Jesus
With Jesus being fully God and fully man, an important question is how these two natures relate together during His time on earth. Several key truths help explain their relationship:
- The two natures were united perfectly in one person, without separating the divine and human natures or co-mingling them.
- Each nature retained its own attributes – Jesus exhibited the limitations of humanity yet had the power and authority of God.
- Jesus sometimes operated in His human nature and sometimes in His divine nature.
- The unified person of Christ is shown best when attributes of both natures are displayed, like Christ’s miracles and the transfiguration (John 2:1-11, Matthew 17:1-8).
- Having the attributes of both natures, Jesus could act as the mediator between God and man.
The Council of Chalcedon in AD 451 declared that the two natures are united perfectly without separation or division in the one person of Christ. He is both truly God and truly man at the same time, yet the natures are not mixed together.
Objections and Controversies Related to the Incarnation
Throughout history, there have been several objections raised and controversies fought over the doctrine of the incarnation:
- Docetism – This view denied Jesus’ true humanity and claimed He just appeared to be human. The early church recognized Docetism as a heresy.
- Arianism – This doctrine, declared heretical at the Council of Nicea in AD 325, denied the full deity of Christ and claimed He was a created lesser God.
- Nestorianism – Nestorius effectively split Jesus into two separate persons – one human and one divine. This was rejected at the Council of Chalcedon.
- Monophysitism – This view held that Jesus’ divine nature absorbed or eliminated His human nature. The Council of Chalcedon affirmed that Jesus has two distinct natures.
- Kenotic theories – These proposals argue that Jesus “emptied” Himself of divine attributes while on earth. Most church fathers viewed this as inaccurate.
Throughout history, the mainstream Christian church has consistently upheld the Biblical doctrine that Jesus Christ existed as true God and true man united in one person, without separating or confusing the two natures.
Jesus Christ – God in Human Flesh
The incarnation is one of the most profound miracles and mysteries in all of history. Jesus was not half-God and half-man. Rather, He was fully divine and fully human at the same time. The God of the universe humbled Himself by taking on human flesh, walking among us, and dying on a cross in our place. Then He rose victorious from the grave, defeating sin and death forever. This awe-inspiring manifestation of Immanuel, “God with us”, demonstrates God’s infinite love and the lengths He went for our redemption.