Did God Become A Man?

God Became Man: Jesus Christ CAN GOD BECOME A MAN? God certainly can do anything He wants to do. God has no limitations on His abilities.   The Qur'_n even affirms this (Sura 2:106; 3:165; 57:2).   God is all-powerful and there is nothing He is incapable of doing, as long as His character of perfect holiness and righteousness is not compromised. (For example, God cannot sin; that would be incompatible with His character). [] Mark 10:27 - with God all things are possible [] Mark 14:36 - Father, all things are possible unto    thee. [] Romans 11:36 - For of Him, and through Him,    and to Him, are all things. JESUS PROPHESIED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT The Old Testament prophets spoke of the coming Messiah as God who would come down among His people. [] Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a [C]hild is born, unto    us a [S]on is given: and the government shall be    upon [H]is shoulder: and [H]is name shall be    called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God [] Isaiah 7:14 - Behold, a virgin shall conceive,    and bear a [S]on, and shall call [H]is name    Immanuel (God with us - Matthew 1:23). Even in the fall in the garden, Jesus is prophesied as the seed of the woman who would bruise the head of the serpent (Satan): [] Genesis 3:15 - I will put enmity between thee    and the woman, and between thy seed and    her seed; it shall bruise thy head,    and thou shalt bruise his heel. King Solomon prophesied about God's Son, Jesus: [] Proverbs 30:4 - Who hath ascended up into    heaven, or descended?    who hath gathered the wind in [H]is fist?    who hath bound the waters in a garment?    who hath established all the ends of the    earth?    what is [H]is name, and what is [H]is [S]on's    name, if thou canst tell?

Prophet Isaiah spoke of one who would announce Jesus as God, fulfilled by John the Baptist: [] Isaiah 40:3 - The voice of him that crieth in the    wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD,    make straight in the desert a highway for our    God. JESUS: "SON OF" GOD Christians are accused of believing that God had a physical relationship with Mary and thereby procreated a son in the literal sense.   For example, the Qur'_n asks how God can have a son when He has no wife (Sura 6:101; 72:3).   The Bible does not teach Jesus as God's son in the literal sense, nor do Christians believe this.   In assuming the title "Son of God" Jesus was claiming to be 'of the same nature as' God in every way. [] Luke 10:22 - All things are delivered    to me of my Father: and no man knoweth    who the Son is, but the Father; and who    the Father is, but the Son. [] John 10:30 - I and my Father are one. [] John 14:9-10 - he that hath seen me hath    seen the Father; ... Believest thou not that I am    in the Father, and the Father in me? Being of the same nature as God means that Jesus has and demonstrates the power and authority to: [] Be eternally preexistent - John 1:1-2; John    8:58; Hebrews 13:8 [] Reign supreme over everything, including all    creation - Colossians 1:15-20; John 1:3 [] Be worshipped - Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9;    John 20:28; Hebrews 1:5-9 [] Forgive sins - Matthew 9:2-6; Mark 2:5-12;    Acts 26:15-18 [] Give eternal life - John 3:16; 5:39-40; 10:27-    28; 20:30-31 WAS JESUS GOD? He claimed for Himself to be God [] John 8:58 - Before Abraham was, I AM.   (The    same name used by God to refer to Himself    in Exodus [3:14]). [] John 14:9 - He who has seen me has seen    the Father.

[] John 10:30 - I and my Father are one. Others Called Him God [] John 20:28 - Thomas said to Him, "My    Lord and my God" [] Titus 2:13 - Looking for that blessed hope,    and the glorious appearing of the great God    and our Saviour Jesus Christ [] Luke 7:16 - "God hath visited [H]is people." God calls Him God [] Hebrews 1:8 - But to the Son He says:    "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" JESUS DEMONSTRATED HE WAS GOD He has power over spiritual forces [] Mark 1:23-27; Mark 5:1-13; Luke 9:37-42 He has power over natural forces [] Matthew 8:23-27; 14:22-33; Mark 4:35-    41; Luke 8:22-25 He has power over sickness and disease [] Matthew 8:1-3; 9:27-31; 11:2-5; 15:30-    31; John 9:1-11, 25 He has power over the death of others [] Matthew 9:23-25; 11:5; Luke 7:11-16;    John 11:30-45 He has power over His own death [] Matthew 17:9; 28:7; John 2:18-22; 10:17-    18 OTHERS RECOGNIZED JESUS AS GOD The Disciples said Jesus was God [] Matthew 16:16; Luke 9:20; John 1:1-2;    20:31 The Pharisees recognized Jesus as God [] Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21; John 5:18 Common people recognized Jesus as God [] Matthew 14:33; Luke 4:36; 9:43; Luke    17:15-18; John 3:2; 9:16-33; 11:27 Roman authorities recognized Jesus as God [] Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47 Demons recognized Jesus as God [] Mark [1]:27; Luke 4:34, 41

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR ME? Every man and woman is going to have to answer the question, "Who was Jesus, and what is the significance of Him for me?"   Either He is God or he is not.   Either He is the Saviour who can forgive us of our sins or he is not. The Bible, God's Word sent to man before Muh_mm_d received the Qur'_n, is very clear who Jesus is, and it says the following about Him: [] Philippians 2:5-11 - Let this mind    be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who,    being in the form of God, thought it not    robbery to be equal with God: But made himself    of no reputation, and took upon him the form of    a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:    And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled    himself, and became obedient unto death, even    the death of the cross.   Wherefore God also hath    highly exalted him, and given him a name which    is above every name: That at the name of Jesus    every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and    things in earth, and things under the earth;    And that every tongue should confess that Jesus    Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. A truly just God demands justice for wrongdoing.   Every person has become unholy in the sight of a perfectly holy and righteous God.   No matter how hard we try, we cannot become pure enough to enter into God's presence.   Yet that is His desire for us - to be in His presence forever.   That is why God became a man - Jesus - who lived without sin, so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for us.   Jesus said that any who come to Him will not be cast away.   Come to Jesus today, and experience complete forgiveness of sin.

WHY WOULD GOD BECOME A MAN? Imagine for a moment that you have a favorite lamb. You were present at the birth of this lamb.   You watched it grow.   You cared for it, gave it food when it was hungry, provided warmth when it was cold, protected it from predators that threatened its life. You came to be very close with this lamb.   Even though you know it cannot understand what you say, you share your most personal thoughts with it.   This lamb has become your best friend. Now imagine that one day you learn this lamb has become gravely ill.   It is close to death.   You weep at the thought of losing your best friend.   You want to do whatever you can to prevent this lamb from dying.   You ask the veterinarian, "What can I do to help?"   He tells you, "Your lamb needs a new liver; the one she has is not functioning properly, and she is being slowly poisoned by the toxins in her blood." To further complicate things, the veterinarian tells you that a suitable replacement liver cannot come from just any other lamb; it requires a very special liver - one that has never been polluted with any toxins of any kind.   You soon discover the hopelessness of the situation.   In desperation, you ask the doctor, "Where would we find such a liver?" The doctor tells you the only solution is for you yourself to become a lamb, to be born into this world perfectly pure, and then to sacrifice your liver for the lamb, in order to save its life. This was the choice God faced.   Man has become wicked and polluted, unholy in the sight of God. Mankind is slowly dying of this pollution, and with no solution, we would die apart from God, eternally separated from Him.   Yet, because He loves us so much, and because He desires an eternal relationship with us, He Himself became a man, a pure man, Jesus Christ, to free us from the pollution of sin.   The Bible says "he [God] hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin [Jesus]; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).   God had to become a man in order to become the sacrifice of a just God who requires that all unrighteousness be punished.   There was no other alternative; nobody else lived an unpolluted, righteous life except Jesus alone.   For this reason He was able to take our punishment for our unrighteousness, and He did so willingly because He loves us.