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“He is the image of the invisible God.”

The nature of humankind was fundamentally changed in the fall of Adam. The image of God in man was defaced and vitiated because of sin. The Apostle Paul notes, “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:2,3).

Our estrangement and rebellion from God necessitated a Savior. This is the very message of the Bible even back in the garden. A Savior is promised as the “Seed of woman” which would crush the serpent’s head and curse of sin (Genesis 3:15). Our Savior would also have to be God because of humanity’s inability due to our contingent and creaturely complexion. The spiritual predicament required that God enter human flesh and restore His own image in mankind. This is exactly what the Bible reveals about the historical person known as Jesus of Nazareth.

The concept of God becoming human, or flesh is known as the doctrine of the incarnation. The word itself is of Latin origin but built on the Greek phraseology found in (John 1:14), John states that the eternal Word “became” (ἐγένετο) “flesh” (σὰρξ ). This is also a reference to the Torah and Yahweh with the word “dwelt” or tabernacled (ἐσκήνωσεν), from the time in the wilderness additionally substantiating Christ’s divinity (Exodus 29: 42-46). This doctrine is also consistent with the nativity story of Jesus being miraculously born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1, Luke 2) and designated, "Son of God" (Matthew 3:16, 16:18, John 1:14, 3:16).

Jesus of Nazareth is described as the Eternal Word. (John 1:1-4) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

The Bible puts in no uncertain terms that Jesus is eternal God. From the prophetic voice of the Old Testament to the book of Revelation, Christ is revealed as deity. (Isaiah 9:6) “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The Apostle Paul enjoined by describing Jesus as, “being in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6).

Jesus’ own self-understanding is also evidence of His deity. Christ forgave sins which is the prerogative of God. Christ forgave the sins of the man afflicted with paralysis in which He shockingly said, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?” We find later in the house of the pharisee, a woman washes and anoints Jesus’ feet. Jesus exclaims, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7: 36-50). Moreover, on the cross to thief, “today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

God became flesh or incarnated in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Furthermore, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3,4).

Jesus also confirms by powerfully alluding to His self-existence prior to human birth. Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, my honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:54-58).

Jesus was born physically that we might be born spiritually which is restorative in eternal salvation. (John 1:12,13) “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

No wonder when Thomas saw the risen Jesus he confessed, “My Lord and my God.” It is through Jesus that we find the image of God created again, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8: 29, 30).

Christ came to earth to initiate a new creation and kingdom. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (II Corinthians 5:17-19).

It is into His kingdom we are born through water baptism and spiritual regeneration. (John 3:3-8) "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?' Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”