The Incarnation of Christ 

12/16/00
"Why did God have to become incarnate as man?
What is the reason for the incarnation?"
Sincerely,
LG

Dear LG, 

Thank you for your recent email. You ask an important question, to which I will not be able to do justice in this venue, but without knowledge of your background, I'll simply give you a few thoughts on the topic. What is the reason for the incarnation? Very briefly and simply... the reason for the incarnation is God's love for us and His desire for all to be united with Him. This is the context within which Ephesians is read by the Church. "...having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in
Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him." (Eph 1.9,10)

You asked "Why did God have to become incarnate as man?" A frequently quoted phrase in Orthodox circles is from St. Athanasius (4th century) is "that which was not assumed was not redeemed." I direct your attention to perhaps the most important Orthodox work by St. Athanasius, "On the Incarnation" which you may read online. at: http://www.theologywebsite.com/etext/athanasius/incarnation.shtml

here is an excerpt from chapter three...

"The Word of God came in His own Person, because it was He alone, the Image of the Father Who could recreate man made after the Image. In order to effect this re-creation, however, He had first to do away with death and corruption. Therefore He assumed a human body, in order that in it death might once for all be destroyed, and that men might be renewed according to the Image. The Image of the Father only was sufficient for this need. Here is an illustration to prove it.

You know what happens when a portrait that has been painted on a panel becomes obliterated through external stains. ,The artist does not throw away the panel, but the subject of the portrait has to come and sit for it again, and then the likeness is re-drawn on the same material. Even so was it with the All-holy Son of God. He, the Image of the Father, came and dwelt in our midst, in order that He might renew mankind made after Himself, and seek out His lost sheep, even as He says in the Gospel: "I came to seek and to save that which was lost."

I hope this helps a little.
Sincerely,
OOL