Jesus Christ taking on flesh is one of those areas of His ministry to mankind that leaves us dumbfounded. In our relation to God, we can only grasp so much of Him, of Who He is, and of what He has done. It has been said before that there is no way for us to fully comprehend the mind of God. As a result, some areas concerning God are left as somewhat of a mystery to us. However, let us delve as much as we can into the mystery of His incarnation.
The mysterious Man
Some of the “how” questions that arise about God cannot be answered logically. How Jesus was both fully God and fully man in His incarnation cannot be comprehended logically. Neither can we understand God being three Persons in one God. The Trinity eludes our grasp at the point in which we realize that each person is fully God, not just a part of God.
It has also been said before that some of the facets of God will be left as a mystery to us and cannot be known because of two reasons. First, we are not God’s intellectual equal. What I mean is that we are not on the same plain concerning our knowledge.
God’s mind is immeasurably more vast, clear, holy, and knowledgeable. Therefore we cannot understand everything that God understands. Second, we can begin to understand like God if He reveals His mind to us. God gave us His Word, and we grow in our understanding of the mysteries of God through it. However, He has only revealed so much, and as a result we are left with mysteries still unsolved.
Delving into the why of the incarnation
Be that as it may, we have plenty of great resources at our disposal in regards to our knowledge of God. God has given us what we need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). He has shown us Who He is in some extraordinary ways and shared with us why He did a number of His awe-inspiring acts. At this point, an illustration can help us to gain clarity on the incarnation of Christ.
A man once sat gazing out of his window one summer afternoon. The sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. As this man looked out at his fields, he noticed one of these chirping birds lying on the ground. The bird was hurt and in need of help. The man loved birds. He would find himself at his window often looking at them. He would count them, notice their differences, notice their similarities; he would even give them names.
When he saw the bird hurting and in need, it moved his heart to action. He could not just sit by and watch; his love for them would not allow it. He knew that if he did not seek to help the bird, the bird would fall prey to another animal. The bird was defenseless and in need of help. The bird was hopeless and in need of rescue.
As a result, the man stepped outside and began to walk toward the bird. However, the bird was scared, and rather than seeing the man as someone trying to help, it feared the man and would hop away. Each time the bird hopped away, it got hurt worse and would find itself in a worse position than before. The man greatly wanted to help the bird but needed to use a different approach to do it.
At this point, the man began to act like a bird to try to draw the bird over to his barn. He knew the barn would be the best place for the bird to heal up and be safe. In the barn, the bird could find shelter, protection, and food. The farmer went to great heights to try to act like a bird. He would jump up and down and flap his arms and even tried chirping and whistling. He would jump toward his barn in this manner and spent a great amount of time in his attempts. He called out to the bird, “Here, birdie, birdie, birdie.” He did not care what others might think if they saw him. He desired with all his heart to rescue this hurting bird.
Unfortunately, his attempts never accomplished what his heart desired. It was at this point that another bird came flying by and flew into the barn. As he looked at the little helpless bird, he saw it begin to hop toward his barn until eventually it was safe inside. The farmer went and closed the door behind the bird. He then realized that in order to save the bird, he would have needed to become one himself.
Jesus takes on flesh
In John chapter 1 verse 14, we read of the way that Jesus Christ took on flesh and dwelt among us. He dwelt among us in the fullest extent of what that could mean for God. He was not only in our presence. He was not only in our homes. He took on flesh and became a man. He dwelt among us in the entirety of what that statement entails.
Jesus was so committed to embracing manhood that He has done it permanently. The Scriptures tell us that God is invisible and that we cannot see God. However, in heaven we will see Jesus because Jesus is both God and man. We will see Him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). We will dwell with Him again in the fullness of that expression (Rev. 21:3).
What that means for us
A great divide existed between God and man that the God-Man has bridged. He is our great mediator – He is both God and man. He is near us, not far off. He became a man and identified with our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15), He was familiar with grief (Is. 53:3), and He was reviled and experienced human suffering (1 Pet. 2:23).
Jesus has identified with frailties and humanity. Let this be comforting to you. He knows what it is like to be human through more than just knowledge of it but rather an experience of it. In this, Christ pours out His grace and sympathy (Heb. 4:15).
Final prayer
Father, I thank you for sending your Son Jesus to take on flesh. Jesus, thank You for embracing humanity and becoming like me. Help me to see Your great love for me in Your incarnation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.