Fully God, fully man. So what?

In John 1, we hear that the word became flesh. Later on, in John 5, we see this idea expressed a little bit differently when Jesus speaks of Himself as the Son of Man while claiming the same authority as the Father. The concept of God coming down to earth, taking on flesh while not abandoning any of His godly attributes is a difficult one to grasp, yet it is vital to understanding why Christianity is totally unique among world religions.

It's also vital to our understanding of how we relate to God. 

Every other faith depicts a god(s) that is elevated above and set apart from humanity. He, she, it is superior, powerful, sometimes demanding, frequently fearsome, always distant, capricious, difficult to access or approach and, quite often, dangerous.

In Christ, God, rather than being set apart from man, becomes man. He dwells among us, even dwells in us (John 14:17). He is a God who relates to His people, experiences the things they experience (Heb 4:15), walks where they walk, feels their pain and knows their joy. He is a God who delights in His children (Psalm 41:11).

He suffered (Heb 2:18). Try to find a god in any other religion that lives among His people and suffers, not just as  a martyr, but in the place of  His children, providing a way for them to come to Him, not by their efforts...but by His, ensuring their salvation by the works of His own hand.

In Christ, we have a God that comes to us rather than a God that must be aspired to, worked for, searched for, always apart from and never attainable, at least not in this world. In Jesus, God

becomes a God that relates to us and we to Him. He is flesh and blood, accessible, loving, self sacrificing and drawing His children to Him by His grace and mercy, not by His demands. Jesus comes to us with open arms, ready to embrace us, becoming our advocate to the Father, not as prosecutor. 

Our Savior is unique, personal and loving, bestowing honor and blessing upon those who come to Him, believe in Him and obey Him. Even our obedience to Him rises up, not out of fear...but out of our love for Him. 

What an awesome, amazing, singular, one true God we serve!