L5: The Humanity of Christ
Why God Became Man
Thus far, we considered what God the Son became (fully human) and how he did it (the virgin birth). Then, at the end of the last step, the quotation started us thinking about the why question. Let’s now turn our full focus there: Why did God the Son become fully human?
We can start by returning to the covenants. Do you remember the three needs that Adam’s sin created?
(1) We need a new covenant head with a new covenant.
(2) We need him to perfectly obey as our representative.
(3) And we also need him to rescue us from the curse of death, the guilt of Adam’s sin, and the dominion of darkness.
Based on what we have learned so far about Jesus’s humanity, how does Jesus alone meet all three of these needs?
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Stephen J. Wellum points us to Hebrews 2:5-18 to answer the question: "Why did God have to become a man?" Here's how Wellum identifies and describes the four-part answer in Hebrews 2:5-18 as to why God became man:
To Fulfill God’s Design for Us (vv.5–9)
To Bring Us to Glory (vv.10–13)
To Defeat our Enemies (vv.14–16)
To Become our High Priest (vv.17–18)
(1) Read Hebrews 2:5-18 (2) Highlight the four reasons that God became man mentioned in this passage, each in a different color.
After reading through Hebrews 2:5-18, can you explain each of the four reasons provided to answer the question: "Why did God become man?"
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Hebrews 2:5-18 is just one text. The rest of the Bible gives a larger answer to the question: Why did God become man? In God the Son Incarnate, Wellum summarizes these reasons under six headings: To Re-establish our Rule
To Obey as our Representative
To Suffer and Die as our Substitute
To Serve as our Sympathetic High Priest
To Provide a Pattern for our Living
To Provide an Image for our Resurrection
Try and provide one biblical reference that supports each heading.
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Explain what each of the six reasons means in two or three sentences for each reason.
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How would you answer the question: "Why did God the Son become a man?"
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Worship Jesus as you listen and sing along to the words of this song from Andrew Peterson: