Author: Stephen Thomason

God Became a Man
Philippians 2:5-11
I. God Became One of Us!
A. A Bible description of God. I Tim 6:15-16 - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
1. God said, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live. - Ex 33:20.
2. God is so majestic, so above & beyond our understanding - we can’t even imagine what He is like!
B. But - God wants to have you as His companion - He wants to know you intimately.
1. God walked with Adam & Eve in the Garden (Gen 3:8-9).
2. Then - God became a man named Emmanuel, “God is with us” (Matt 1:23).
II. How Do You Know?
A. The Bible describes Lord Jesus as God.
1. Jesus is called “the image of God”. II Cor 4:4 - The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2. Jesus is completely God. Col 2:9 - For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form . . .
B. The Bible describes Lord Jesus as God with a physical body.
1. Jesus had to have a human body to be a sin offering. Rom 8:3 - For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.
2. Jesus had to die in a physical body to reconcile us to God. Col 1:22 - But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
C. He was described as the word of God.
1. The word was God. Jn 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2. The word became human & dwelt among us. Jn 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
3. And then Jn 1:18 calls Jesus:
a. In the KJV - No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
b. Here in the NIV - No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
c. In the Greek - μονογενὴς θεὸς = the Only Begotten God!
D. He was described as “coming in the flesh”.
1. I Jn 4:2-3 - This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
2. II Jn 7 - Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world.
3. If Jesus had been only a mere man there wouldn’t have been a reason to draw attention to His bodily existence.
III. Did God Just Wear a Human Body Like a Suite of Clothes?
A. No! He was a total human being experiencing everything in life you are experiencing. That’s one of the main messages in the Book of Hebrews!
1. Heb 2:18. Jesus suffered when He was tempted.
2. Heb 4:15. Jesus was tempted but didn’t sin.
3. Heb 5:2. Jesus had human weaknesses.
4. Heb 5:7. Jesus’ prayers were heard because of His submission.
5. Heb 5:8. Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered.
B. The Lord’s earthly life is the ultimate human success story!
1. He lived a sinless life with all the human weaknesses you have.
2. He demonstrated that the perfect sin free life is possible to live because He lived it.
3. That’s why God can justly condemn you! You really need God’s forgiveness!
IV. How Should Lord Jesus Being God Affect Your Life?
A. It should show you how God expects you to live.
1. Lord Jesus’ life demonstrated how He wants you to live.
2. But the Bible says you come short of God’s glory - His expectations for your life!
a. Rom 3:10-12 - There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.
b. Rom 3:23 - . . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . .
c. This is not saying you are incapable of living a sin free life with the Holy Spirit’s help, just that no one has been willing to!
d. To the degree you are willing, the Holy Spirit will help you live your life more victoriously than you could on your own.
3. When you fall, the Lord’s wonderful grace picks you up & forgives. I Jn 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
B. It should keep you away from the “Christian” cults.
1. Nearly every cult denies that Jesus was actually God in flesh.
2. When anybody offers to “study the Bible” with you in your home, ask them what they believe about who Jesus is.
3. If they don’t accept the deity of Christ you know they are a cult, not a Christian church.
C. It should give you a better understanding of the unleavened bread in the Lord’s Supper.
1. I Cor 11:23-24 - The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
2. The Lord wanted you to remember & proclaim His incarnation when you eat the unleavened bread.
a. Incarnation means the Lord taking on a human form when He came to earth from heaven.
b. The event of Christmas is the beginning of the gospel message - remember & proclaim it!
D. It should compel you to worship every Lord’s Day & adore the One who loved you enough to create you, to provide for you & to die for you!
Who’s the baby? He’s the Almighty Creator of the universe! He loves you so much He was willing to lower Himself to become like you so you could become like Him. He wants you to surrender yourself to Him as Lord so that He can mold you into His image!
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