Why Did God Become Man? Series

Introduction

Christmas is a wonderful day.

The secular culture celebrates Christmas as a time to party and share gifts.

Christians, however, celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus’ birthday.

Advent is the season immediately before Christmas Day. In the church calendar, it begins four Sundays before Christmas Day, which happens to be today.

Advent is a season of preparation for the birth of Jesus.

As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, I realize that many people have questions about the birth of Jesus.

So, this coming Advent Season, Pastor Scott and I would like to preach a series of sermons called “Questions About the Birth of Jesus.”

There are, of course, many questions related to the birth of Jesus. We could spend an entire year answering questions about the birth of Jesus.

However, this Advent Season, we will tackle just five questions about the birth of Jesus.

First, why did God become man? One of the most staggering truths is that God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus. Jesus was fully God and fully man—two natures in one person. We will explore why God needed to take on human nature.

Second, why did Jesus come when he did? Jesus was born a little over two millennia ago. What was so significant about the timing of Jesus’ birth? Why did he not come a century earlier? Or a millennium later than he did?

Third, why did Jesus come? He mentioned this on several occasions. We shall explore what he said about his reason for coming to Earth.

Fourth, why must Jesus come again? The Bible teaches that Jesus will return to Earth, and Jesus confirmed that truth. We shall examine why.

Finally, why do I need to believe in Jesus? Jesus was a historical figure, no doubt about it. However, his life was significantly different from any other historical figure. We shall explore what makes Jesus’ life different and why belief in him makes an eternal difference in our lives. Lord willing, we shall answer this question on Christmas Eve.

Well, let’s begin. The question for today’s message is, “Why Did God Become Man?”

With that question in mind, let me read from God’s word to set a foundation for us to answer the question.

Scripture

Let’s read John 1:1, 14:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Lesson

In answer to the question, “Why did God become man?” we learn that God became man to solve a problem only he could solve.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. The Problem

2. The Solution

I. The Problem

First, let’s look at the problem.

Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

Verse 2 tells us that “the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.”

Then, over six days, God created light and darkness, land and sea, vegetation and fruits, sun, moon, stars, fish and birds, animals and livestock.

Then we read in Genesis 1:26-27:

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

Furthermore, God blessed them and gave them dominion over all he had created.

We read in Genesis 2:15-17:

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Adam and Eve lived in this wonderful garden.

They gave names to the animals and birds and flowers and bushes.

They could do anything they wanted with only one prohibition: they could not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

They did not struggle with sickness, for there was none.

They did not have to deal with sin, for there was none.

They did not have to deal with an irritable spouse, for that never happened.

Everything was bliss—pure and absolute bliss.

Until one day when the serpent tempted Adam to disobey God.

Adam listened to his wife, Eve, and ate from the forbidden fruit.