◄ What Does Hebrews 2:18 Mean? ►

After 4000 years, God finally spoke to us through His Son, Jesus. He was God incarnate - the Word made flesh - Who by the sacrifice of Himself brought many sons to glory. But why did God the Son have to take upon Himself a human body in order to save us? Why did the eternal Son of God have to clothe Himself in human flesh in order to become the Saviour of the world?

Well, the incarnate Christ took a human body upon Himself for a number of different purposes. Firstly, God is Spirit, and He is eternal... and only a Man with a human nature and a physical body that is subject to death, could become the Kinsman-Redeemer for doomed humanity... and die for their sins. The wages of sin is death and only as the perfect, sinless Son of Man, could Christ willingly offer up His sinless human life as the ransom price for the sin of mankind. Only God in the flesh could become man's Kinsman-Redeemer and shed His blood for lost humanity - but in so doing He would bring many sons of men into the family of God.

He also took upon Himself a human body so that by paying the price for the sin of the world, His own innocent death would render death defeated and Satan powerless - freeing all who believe in Him from the power of death, both spiritually and physically. Satan may have the power of death and harass us in this earthly life... he may even sift us as wheat and prowl around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may destroy. However, physical death can never take away the eternal, spiritual life of a believer... and those that have died in Christ will one day arise from the grave into life everlasting - for by the sacrifice of Christ's sinless life on the Cross, the power of death has been defeated.

He identified with the fallen race of men and learnt humility and godly obedience, by the things that He suffered as a Man. He identified with our humanity in every detail. He was tempted like we are. He suffered just like we suffer and was faced with the same tough choices that all of us are faced with every day - but He did not sin. In so doing, He was equipped to come to our aid and to help us, comfort us, support us, and encourage us in our times of need.

Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sin and break the power of sin in our lives so that we could live with Him in the eternal ages to come... and he is there for us, no matter what temptations we may be called upon to face, and no matter how difficult life's circumstances may become.

And by faith in His redeeming blood, those who believe on His name can also identify with Him. We identify with His life, His death, His resurrection, and His righteousness. Those who trust in Jesus as Saviour are made a new creation in Him and receive a new life in Christ - His death becomes our death, His resurrection becomes our resurrection, and we are clothed in His perfect righteousness. 

It is to man that Christ ministers. It is to the descendants of Adam and not to angels or any other created being that redemption is offered. The Lord Jesus left His home in heaven and was born into the human race for our sake. He was made like one of us in order to redeem us from our sin... but He had to experience all the things that every member of the human race must go through, in order to be qualified to become our Kinsman-Redeemer... and so the eternal Son of God was born into the human race as the perfect Son of Man.

Christ came to earth and lived out His life, from beginning to end, as the perfect role-model for all mankind. Although He was the eternal God, Jesus lived His life as a perfect man to show us how all God's blood-bought children should live. He was a Man who looked to the needs of others and One Who had to go through much pain and suffering, rejection and betrayal, hatred and bitter grief so that by His death, burial, and resurrection, He could save us from our sin and bring many sons to glory - by grace through faith in Him.

Since Jesus Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is also able to come to our aid, and help those who suffer when they are tempted. Let us never forget that Jesus is capable of being moved to give relief those who undergo the trials and tribulation which we all have to meet in this world. Let us rejoice in the God our salvation and praise His holy name.

Heavenly Father, how I praise and thank You for Jesus. Thank You that He was willing to be tempted and tried for my sake. Thank You that He was prepared to identify Himself with my humanity and to suffer so much so that I might identify with His perfect righteousness, and live my life in and through Him. Thank You that He understands my problems and pain and is able to come to the aid of all who are being tempted and tried. Thank You that by death He broke the power of death in my life. May I live to His eternal praise and glory, AMEN.