The Word Was Made Flesh

THE FOUNDATION OF Christian faith is encapsulated in our Key Verse. All hope for the salvation of humanity lies therein. Jesus, the “Word” or mouthpiece of God, was made flesh, born of a woman, into a world with whose creation he was intimately involved. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:3, NKJV) Doubtless he had great delight in the creation, as well as loving compassion for the human race—groaning under the bondage of sin and death. It was for the purpose of saving our race that Jesus came. He dwelt among us, and then he died for us.

Why was it necessary for God’s Son to leave the heavenly courts and come to Earth? Could he not accomplish the salvation of mankind through some remote method? The answer lies in the doctrine of atonement. To bring the human family back into divine favor it was necessary for Jesus to be made flesh. Hence he said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”—John 6:51, NKJV

Father Adam, a fleshly man, had disobeyed God and so forfeited his life. In God’s plan it was necessary to redeem him through the atoning death of an obedient man, the “man Christ Jesus.” (I Tim. 2:5,6) “Since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”—I Cor. 15:21,22, NKJV

Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”—Phil. 2:7-11, New American Standard Bible

We draw attention to two words in the preceding paragraphs—“all” and “every.” As we often state in the pages of this journal, the power of Jesus’ atonement will benefit all mankind. This broad manifestation of God’s love guarantees a full opportunity for all to attain eternal life. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”—John 3:16,17, NKJV

“If by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.”—Rom. 5:17,18, NKJV