Jesus was from the beginning and all things were made through him (John 1:1) but he became flesh (John 1:14) and dwelt among us.  What does that mean?

Philippians 2:5-9 tells us that Jesus willingly gave up being equal with God in order that he could come to earth and accomplish what was set before him.  What does it mean to give up being equal with God and become something less?  One of the characteristics of God is his omnipotence.  Jesus gave that up.  What a change it must have been going from limitless power to a helpless baby in a manger!  Another characteristic of God is his omnipresence.  Jesus gave that up too.  Instead of being everywhere at all times he was limited to a small piece of the earth we refer to as Palestine, the Holy Lands, etc.  The list of things he gave up would be extremely long!

Have you ever considered what it would be like to have limitless power and then give it up?  Would there be times and situations where you would want it back?  Like when the religious leaders were lying about you, like when Pilate started telling you about all the power he had, like when the soldiers were mocking you about being a king, spitting on you and battering your face in?  Wouldn’t it be hard to not call down 72,000 angels (Matthew 26:53) to straighten up such a mess?  I believe that some of the greatest temptations Jesus faced in the flesh had to be knowing what he could do and yet not giving in.  He didn’t believe that being on an equality with God was a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2:6-7).

So Jesus gave up much to come to earth and take on the role of living in the flesh.  Yet, we must remember that even while here, he was not “just a man.”  He was constantly breaking all the rules of nature that control man.  He turned water to wine, fed 5000, calmed the sea, healed the sick, walked on water and did so many other things no human could ever do.

And then there were the claims Jesus made:  He claimed authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10).  He assumed lordship over the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8).  He had authority over unclean spirits, disease and sickness and passed that authority on to his disciples (Matthew 10:1).  There was something about him that caused the crowds to be “astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29 ESV).

Just as Jesus was the “Son of Man” representing his human side he was also the “Son of God” representing his divine side.  Near the time of his birth, the angels announced, “The child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35 ESV).  Matthew explains to us that the term “Immanuel” from Isaiah 7:14 applies to the Christ and has special meaning: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.”  He adds, “which means, God with us” (Matthew 1:23 ESV). 

Mark begins his gospel by saying, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1 ESV).  This message was confirmed by John the Baptist as Jesus began his ministry: “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34 ESV).  Some of the last words in Mark’s gospel again affirm who Jesus was by Mark referencing the words of the centurion: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39).  It was reiterated by both follower and enemy: Nathanael (John 1:49), Martha (John 11:27), unclean spirits (Mark 3:11), demons (Mark 5:7), Peter (Mathew 16:16) and the devil (Luke 4:3 and 4:9).

Jesus was the Son of Man but much more than a man but he was so much more.  He was God in the flesh.  It was the combination of man and God together that paved the way for the work that Jesus was going to do.  To be the real Jesus, he had to be both man and God.