Incarnation, according to the English language simply requires a spiritual or supernatural being to be embodied within a human. It can be said that someone is the Devil incarnate if in fact Satan were dwelling within him. It can also be a personification, of sorts, of a spiritual or supernatural being. Some relate this to Jesus; they claim that he was God the Father, but he changed himself to look like man. Jesus is in fact the incarnation of God into man, but due to the loose meaning of the word, it is necessary to clarify the nature of the incarnation. Jesus was 100% God and 100% man at the same time. It is necessary that he be all God and all man in order to be truly incarnate and still be a perfect man, which is required in order to free men from the penalty of sin.
Jesus is all God. John writes that the Word was both with God and that the Word was God and that Jesus (the word) was with God in the beginning and that through him (Jesus) all things were made (John 1.1,2). Not only did John understand that Jesus was God, but Jesus himself did. He said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14.9). Jesus was not saying that he is literally the Father, but that he is one in essence with the Father, that he is incarnate God. (The Father is non-carnate God existing apart from physical creation and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God which is God whom transcends physical and spiritual boundary). For many it is not enough that Jesus and those who follow Jesus believe that he is God, but Jesus demonstrated that he is God when he exhibited power over creation, a task which only God could do. This happened when Jesus calmed the winds after he walked on water (Matt. 14.22-36). This was by no means a magic trick, but took complete control over all creation in order to maintain tides and winds which are all interconnected throughout the entire world.
Jesus is all man. Jesus was able to be tempted by Satan (Matt. 4.1-11). It is not important to this argument that he withstood the temptation, although some would argue, that this is a supernatural withstanding and that if he were all man he would have gave in to it. This is easily rebuked through the teaching of Paul that God “will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Cor. 10.13). Jesus was able to withstand temptation, by design, and so can all other men; we simply choose not to. There are numerous accounts, as you go throughout the Gospels that should convict us on this matter, that Jesus is all man. Another one comes just prior to the crucifixion (which in and of itself proves he is man; he died). When Jesus was praying in Gethsemane (Matt 26.36-46) he prayed three times that God would take the cup from him (v. 39, 42, 43). He showed his humanity in that he did not want to suffer and die.
Is the debate over the humanity and/or deity of Jesus important to salvation, through faith? In a sense, it is. If Jesus were not fully man, but simply God pretending to be a man, then there is no accomplishment in his perfection. If there is no accomplishment in his perfection, then there is no sacrifice. On the other hand, if God were man, but not completely God, then he would not have had the power or authority over sin. Were Jesus to have sinned, he would not have been a spotless lamb and would not have provided any atonement for sin. Aside from the fact that the Bible clearly defines Jesus in terms of being 100% God and Man, it is simply illogical to believe that he was anything else as that would challenge the basic doctrine of salvation through Jesus Christ which Christianity is built upon.
It is my conviction of the word of God that Jesus was the incarnate God—100% God and 100% man—and that he was sacrificed by the plan and will of the Father in heaven to provide atonement for a sinning people with no other hope. I believe that to lack either godliness or humanity would be to remove from Jesus the ability to provide that atonement. Where being 100% God and 100% man is an apparent paradox, it is more illogical to impose upon God, human arguments as to His nature and power. It is the creator that will define the creation. It is not the role of man to define God. I fear that any attempt to redefine God is a direct result of a desire to redefine sin; or in a different light, to justify sin in your life. John Owen (2004) wrote,
“Sin’s loud voice darkens the mind so that it cannot make a right judgment of things. Our perplexing reasoning’s, our promises calculated to lesson our guilt, turbulent desires, false intentions of reform, and hopes of mercy, all have part in confusing the mind as it considers the guilt of a prevailing lust” (pp. 65-66).
It is the guilt of sin that causes man to manipulate the God ordained definition of incarnation.
Reference
Owen, J. (2004). The Mortification of Sin (R. Rushing, Ed.). Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust.
Defining Incarnation of Jesus by the Word of God
