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John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
I. DEFINITION OF DOCTRINE: God’s becoming human; the union of divinity
and humanity in Jesus of Nazareth. Incarnation is a Biblical idea, but not a
Biblical term.
A. As a Biblical teaching, incarnation refers to the affirmation that
God, in one of the modes of His existence as Trinity and without in any way
ceasing to be the one God, has revealed Himself to humanity for its
salvation by becoming human.
B. Jesus, the Man from Nazareth, is the incarnate Word or Son of God, the
focus of the God-human encounter.
C. As the God-Man, he mediates God to humans; as the Man-God, He
represents humans to God.
D. By faith-union with him, men and women, as adopted children of God,
participate in his filial relation to God as Father. (Finial
refers to the relationship of child or offspring to parent.)
II. HIS PRE-EXISTENCE AND ETERNITY
A. The pre-existence of Christ means his existence before the
incarnation. The Scripture teaches this very plainly. But more than that, it
teaches also that he has existed from all eternity. In our study of the
Trinity we noted that the distinctions in the Godhead are eternal. The
following passages clearly set forth the pre-existence and eternity of God
the Son:
1. John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.
2. John 6:38 – I am come down from heaven.
3. John 17:5 – And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own
self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
B. There is a movement which teaches that Christ has his beginning in the
womb of Mary, as we have our beginning in the womb of our mother.
1. This doctrine is a heresy.
2. Jesus Christ was with God before he came to this earth, as is
clearly revealed in the above scriptures.
III. HIS INCARNATION. This same pre-existent, eternal Son became flesh,
took upon him a human body, and dwelt among men, finally giving himself as a
sacrifice for sinners.
A. THE FACT OF THE INCARNATION.
1. John 1: 14 – And the Word became flesh.
2. Philippians 2:6,7 – Who, being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
3. Hebrews 10:5 – Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he
saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou
prepared me:
B. THE NECESSITY OF THE INCARNATION. It was necessary that he endure
bodily suffering if he was to suffer as man's substitute.
1. Matthew 10:28 – The final suffering of sinners in hell will be a
suffering of both body and soul. Therefore, since Jesus was to suffer in
the place of sinners, it was necessary that he have a body in which to
suffer.
2. Hebrews 4:15 – It was necessary that he have a body that he might
be …in all points tempted like as we are… so that he, as a high
priest can be …touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
3. Hebrews 2.18 – The angel Gabriel cannot sympathize with us when we
are tempted, because he has never known temptation in the flesh. But
Christ can sympathize with us. In that he himself hath suffered being
tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
4. It was necessary that he have a "probation" (trial) in the
flesh, and render perfect obedience to the law, in order that there should
be wrought out a righteousness that could be imputed to us.
a. The righteousness imputed to us through faith is not righteousness
as the personal attribute of God, but it is the righteousness wrought
out by Christ in his earthly life.
b. This is indicated because the righteousness imputed to us is
described as being by or though faith in Christ.
1.) Romans 3:21, 22 – But now the righteousness of God without
the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto
all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
2.) Philippians 3:9 – And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
5. The incarnation was also necessary to his ministry of teaching, his
selecting the twelve apostles and founding the church, and his setting for
us an example of perfect obedience to the will of God.
6. These things are things which God saw could be best accomplished by
one in the flesh. Therefore the incarnate Christ was sent to accomplish
them.
C. The doctrine of the virgin birth is the physical accomplishment of God
coming to the earth in the form of a human.
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