Why did God need to become Man?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,705
113
#61
Agreed. I've never heard a single pastor preach on the below text, which clarifies your point altogether.

Isaiah 34:15-17 NIV - "The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate. 16 Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. 17 He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation."
What point of W.H.'s do you believe this clarifies? I will preach on this verse right now for you...

This is a beautiful picture of God's tender love and care for all His creation. This love is what led Him to voluntarily endure the Cross that all might have opportunity to commune with Him in Heaven for all eternity. None who follow the Lord shall lack any good thing in eternity. We will be gathered together as His glorious Bride on that wonderful day of His return, and we shall reign with Him for 1000 years and then forevermore be with Him. These current circumstances are very temporary. We shall possess the Kingdom and dwell there just as stated in this verse.
 

Journeyman

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2019
2,107
763
113
#63
8. So the reason why God had to become Man was to remove the sin barrier between God and mankind...

Thar's true, but what our Lord showed by his sacrifice, is that unless he was truly longsuffering toward sinners, we would be dead.

For our Savior to have

endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, Heb.12:3

Being nailed to a cross. Seriously?
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
12,478
4,112
113
#64
Christ did not strip Himself of His power, but He did lay aside His glory. Not a day went by when Jesus did not perform some miracle. And as John tells it, it would be impossible to record all the things which Christ did.

Christ said: But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you. (Luke 11:20)

interesting,

when one says Jesus " strip Himself of HIS Power," that is in the context of what is known as Kenosis. Because the Spirit of Christ is Eternal Jesus, the man was limited from willful submission. Jesus said He did nothing without the Father and the Holy Spirit.

You say Jesus laid aside HIS Glory? How Can God give up HIS Glory and still be GOD? Laid a side or strip kind of the same, you think?
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,685
1,920
113
#65
Isn't it? It always amazes me how people refuse that which is plainly written. Apologies to those who only use one or two translations and don't understand specific phrases that other translations offer.

[Phl 2:7 NLT] "Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form . . ."

There is a footnote after the phrase, "he gave up his divine priveleges" and it says this: "Greek he emptied himself."
 

JacobGilbert

Junior Member
Aug 21, 2014
28
3
3
#66
Its not really a question you can fully answer. There must be many reasons as to why he chose that way. One thing I know for sure is that it was the only way and the best way and the most efficient way to do it. The lord is prefect and he will only do something if it needs to be done and is the best and most efficient way to do it. So I trust his judgement and his way of doing things even if I don't fully understand it. As to what I believe why he did it? I would say that its because only a human could be a sacrifice for another human. To show it is possible to live a prefect life and that a human can do it there fore only a human can be saved because it was proven by Jesus. I could be wrong and more likely that is only one part to the question but I believe that is one main reason as to why.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
15,659
5,567
113
62
#67
I must admit I came to the thread late and haven't read all the posts so if I repeat a line of thought I apologize in advance.
The reason Jesus became a man isn't complicated: it's because He was representing men to God. He is called the second Adam. He was God's second representative for mankind. The first one was Adam himself.
So God made Jesus without a sin nature to duplicate the original estate. The first Adam failed. This brought wrath upon all mankind. The second Adam was successful and this provided all who believe to pass from that wrath into life everlasting.
Incidentally, the reason there is no salvation for the fallen angels is because they have no representative who became like them and died for them.
 

Saul-to-Paul

Junior Member
Jun 5, 2017
341
58
28
#68
Jesus walked on water and turned water into wine. Jesus knew the past and the future exactly. Obviously, Jesus was operating at a level far above our own. Jesus also emptied Himself and became one of us according to Philippians 2. Exactly how all this is understood is way above my pay grade.
Thanks for side stepping the question. 😂
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
5,769
2,256
113
#70
.
To be honest; none of this makes any sense to me whatsoever.

For example: the Bible says that Jesus was put on schedule to be crucified
even before the very first piece of the earth was created and assembled. In
other words; God saw well in advance that mankind would become so
degenerate that only the sacrifice of His own son could protect them from an
eternal fate in simmering brimstone; and even then, not all would be
rescued; which reminds me of a line from the movie AVATAR spoken by
Colonel Miles Quaritch, played by Stephen Lang, that goes like this:


"It is my job to keep you alive. I will not succeed . . not with all of you."

I cannot fathom why a supposedly intelligent God, a God of love no less,
would proceed to create a race of fragile beings knowing in advance that the
majority of them would end up lost in spite of His best efforts.


Matt 7:13-14 . . Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and
broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But
small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find
it.


Matt 22:14 . . For many are called, but few are chosen.
_
Because God loses nothing...God is omnipotent. All power comes from God and all power returns to God. Even when that power seems to be at odds with God...that's the paradox that is usually unfathomable.

I suggest a reading of "Knowledge of the Holy" by Tozer. (Should be free on epub or somewhere)

This was once required reading for seminary students. It discusses the attributes of God and how they function. It gets a little "stringy" at times but I tend to skip over those parts and get into the meat of his dissertation which is complicated enough.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
5,769
2,256
113
#71
The plan of Jesus crucifixion came when God said "Let there be light".
John 1 clearly says that God wasn't creating photons that day (Photons are the stuff light is made of) and Revelation confirms this.

Jesus was fully man because God wanted the full human experience. Things like surprises. You can't be surprised when you are omniscient.

God doesn't need us. Just a simple fact of life. But as Jesus He could have the experience of having to rely upon parents and a friend to support him when He needed physical comforts like food and water.

And as a fully Human, Jesus lived a sinless life...overcoming all sin and temptation. And because He sacrificed his life in such a way his sacrifice squarely meets the need of the universe for death for those who who have sinned and take advantage of it.

Our God, as Jesus became friends with his Apostles. He called them friends...just like what was said of Abraham. Not in a stiff diplomatic manner but in a very relaxed atmosphere of chit chat and fun banter.
God isn't one to say "Do as I say" but then can't do it himself. He did do it himself....

God now intimately knows our various struggles and frustrations....everything from traffic jams and idiot drivers to horrible laws and rules and unjust treatment by political and religious leaders...even losing a friend to an untimely death. Not because of our crying and whining about it...but because He, Himself went through it all himself.

It's about words and actions matching up. No incongruity with God. God is perfectly just.