Christ Became Flesh

(Based solely on the King James Bible and Pauline doctrine)

The incarnation of Christ is one of the most glorious truths in all of Scripture. It reveals how the eternal Word, who is God, took upon Himself human flesh to redeem mankind. John 1 verse 14 declares, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” This single verse holds the great mystery of godliness: “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3 verse 16). The Son of God did not begin at Bethlehem. He existed from eternity, the Creator of all things, yet in the fulness of time, He entered His own creation in a body prepared by God, that He might die for the sins of the world.

1. The Eternal Word Became a Man

Before His incarnation, Christ existed eternally as the Word and as God Himself. John 1 verse 1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word did not come into existence; He always was. But in John 1 verse 14, the Word became flesh. This does not mean He ceased to be God but that He added humanity to His deity. In the person of Jesus Christ, God took on the form of His own creature while never ceasing to be fully divine. Colossians 2 verse 9 confirms this truth: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

2. The Purpose of Becoming Flesh

Christ became flesh to accomplish redemption through His death. Hebrews 10 verse 5 records His words, “A body hast thou prepared me.” The eternal Son could not die as God, for God is immortal. He therefore took a body of human flesh so that He could shed His blood for sinners. Paul teaches in Philippians 2 verses 6 through 8 that Christ, “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.” His taking of flesh was voluntary humility, not loss of deity. He came to serve, to suffer, and to die as man’s substitute.

3. The Humanity of Christ Was Real and Sinless

Jesus was not a phantom or mere appearance of a man. He was born of a woman, yet without sin. Galatians 4 verse 4 says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” His body was real, His emotions genuine, and His experiences human, but He was the sinless Son of God. Hebrews 4 verse 15 states, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” His humanity allowed Him to fully represent mankind, while His deity made His sacrifice of infinite value.

4. God Manifest in the Flesh

Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3 verse 16, “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.” This manifestation was not an angelic appearance or symbolic vision, but God Himself walking among men. Jesus was not a man who became God but God who became man. He was the visible image of the invisible God. Colossians 1 verse 15 says, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” The incarnation was the unveiling of God’s character, righteousness, and love in human form.

5. The Incarnation Was Not the Beginning of the Son

The birth of Christ in Bethlehem was the manifestation of the eternal Son, not the beginning of His existence. Micah 5 verse 2 foretold this when it said, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” The One born of Mary already existed from everlasting. The Son was sent, not created. God the Father sent forth His Son, not to become divine, but to become man so that divine redemption could be accomplished in flesh and blood.

6. The Word Made Flesh Revealed God’s Grace and Truth

When Christ became flesh, He revealed the very heart of God. John 1 verse 14 continues, “Full of grace and truth.” The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The incarnation did not reveal wrath, but grace. The Son of God came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Through His earthly ministry, men saw the compassion, patience, and truth of God perfectly displayed in the person of Christ. Paul later writes that this same grace is now revealed to all men through the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery.

7. The Word Became Flesh to Accomplish Death and Resurrection

The reason for Christ taking on flesh was to die. Philippians 2 verse 8 says He became “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Only in flesh could He bear our sins and shed His blood. The divine nature cannot die, but in His humanity He could taste death for every man. Hebrews 2 verse 9 states, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death.” His death was the payment for sin, and His resurrection proved His victory over death. The mystery revealed through Paul shows that this death, burial, and resurrection is now the gospel of our salvation (1 Corinthians 15 verses 1 through 4).

8. The Incarnation and the Mystery

The incarnation belongs to prophecy, but the purpose of His death revealed through Paul belongs to the mystery. Prophecy told that Christ would come in the flesh to be Israel’s Messiah and Redeemer. The mystery revealed that through that same death, God would reconcile both Jew and Gentile into one Body by the cross. The eternal Word becoming flesh made the cross possible; the revelation given to Paul made known what the cross accomplished for the Body of Christ. Without the incarnation, there could be no redemption; without the revelation of the mystery, we would not know the full purpose of that redemption.

9. The Glorified Christ Remains the God-Man Forever

When Christ rose from the dead, He did not cease to be man. He rose bodily, in glorified flesh. He ascended in that same body, now immortal and incorruptible. The man Christ Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, our Mediator. 1 Timothy 2 verse 5 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” The incarnation is eternal in effect; the Son of God who became man will never lay aside His humanity. In Him dwells the eternal union of God and man forever.

Conclusion

Christ becoming flesh is the central event of all history. It is the moment when the invisible God stepped into His own creation to save sinners. The eternal Son did not become less than God, but added humanity to His deity so that He could die for our sins, rise again, and become the Head of a new creation. The incarnation reveals both the humility and the glory of God, who loved the world enough to take its nature and bear its punishment. To understand the mystery of God manifest in the flesh is to see the perfect union of deity and humanity in one person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is now exalted far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.