CHILD OF MAN, SON OF GOD

BY NATHELE GREEN

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6. 

This verse is a prophecy regarding the birth of Jesus Christ. In all of history there has never been a more important birth nor a more miraculous one. Jesus Christ was born of a human mother but was conceived by God. This fact is impossible for us to wrap our human understanding around and the love that prompted God to become human is also impossible for us mere mortals to fully understand. The child born in Bethlehem was human but the Son that was given that day was God. Jesus had two natures: He was fully human but also fully God. 

 

When Adam sinned all of creation fell. His sin made it impossible for us to commune or have fellowship with God. The only way to temporarily cover the breach was through a blood sacrifice. God never requires a human sacrifice, which is just one reason we can be sure that Jesus was much more than just a man. For many years animals were sacrificed but their blood could never be pure enough to take sin away.

 "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." Hebrews 10:4. 

From the very beginning God knew Adam would sin and that He would need to step into His creation and shed His pure blood, untainted by sin, and become our once for all sacrifice. 

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:11-14. 

The only way for our sin to be taken away was for God to become human and shed His own blood for our redemption.

 

Our Redeemer had to be God in order for His blood to not be tainted by sin, but He also had to be human in order to be our Kinsman. How could this be? 

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14. 

A human woman who was a virgin would give birth to Immanuel, which means "God with us". When the time was right, God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman named Mary. She had found favor with God and Gabriel told her that she would conceive and have a son. Mary couldn't understand how she could become pregnant even though she wasn't married and therefore was a virgin, so she asked. 

"Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" Luke 1:34. 

Mary is such a good example of how we should trust God even when our human understanding cannot grasp His ways. Mary didn't hesitate but simply asked how. With God all things are possible, and the answer was simple. 

"And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke1:35. 

Mary didn't argue or doubt. She knew that Gabriel was an angel from God and when her question was answered she submitted. 

"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." Luke 1:38. 

Can you imagine how many great things we could accomplish for the Lord if we would just submit. Because Mary was willing, prophecy was fulfilled. Because she was willing, Jesus would be born of a virgin and be fully human.

 

Jesus was also fully God. The Apostle John describes Jesus as the Word of God. 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 1:1-4.

Jesus' life didn't begin in Bethlehem, but He was in the beginning. He created all things and spoke them into existence. You can read the account in the book of Genesis. 

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14. 

He was God and had all the wonders of Heaven around Him, yet He chose to take on human form in order to shed His blood for our redemption. He is our example and we need to learn to be more like Him. 

"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." Philippians 2:5-8. 

Most of us have trouble with humility. It's hard to say "I'm sorry" or to ask for help to accomplish a task. These verses describe the greatest act of love and humility when Jesus chose to become human so He could die on the cross to purchase our salvation. This is perfect love.

 

Why did God become man? He had to in order to be our Kinsman Redeemer. This law of redemption is found in Leviticus and all of the book of Ruth is about the kinsman redeemer. 

"If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold." Leviticus 25:25. 

Adam sold Paradise and humanity to Satan. When he chose to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit a barrier came between God and humans called sin. All of creation fell and we have lived with sin, death, and separation from God ever since. That's where the kinsman redeemer comes in. When Jesus became human it was to redeem what Adam forfeited. 

"For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in  things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." Hebrews 2:16-18. 

Jesus chose to be our Kinsman Redeemer. Only a human could be a kinsman of fellow humans and only the pure blood of God can redeem us. If a human child hadn't been born on that night so long ago and if God hadn't given His only begotten Son there would have been no Kinsman Redeemer to redeem what Adam forfeited.

 

Much of the world will soon take time to celebrate the birth of the King of kings. Too often that all important event gets lost in the festivities of the day...friends and family visit, gifts are exchanged, and too much food is consumed. Take time during this busy time to remember Jesus. Think about the birth of the King, but also take time to ponder upon the deeper meaning of His birth. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. God gave us a gift, but like any gift it has to be accepted. If you have never repented of (changed your mind about) your sin then now is the time to do it. Repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness. Faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the only way to live eternally with Him. Accept His gift today.

 

Mary gave birth to a child but God gave the most precious and valuable gift ever given...His Son. Share that gift with others. Not on just one man-made date, but everyday.