Christmas 2025 (12.25.2025)
- Brian Lee
- Dec 25, 2025
- 3 min read
Why Did God Become Human?
Introduction: How well do we really know the meaning of Christmas?
It depends on how we answer the question: "Why did God become human?"
Three things I would say to answer that question:
Reparation.
Righteousness.
Relationship.
God became human to make reparation for sin, to provide righteousness we lacked, and to restore the relationship we lost.
1. Reparation — God Became Human to Make Things Right
We often think of sin as mistakes, bad habits, or just being human. But Scripture says sin is an offense against the holy God. And, because God is the Creator, we owe God. Romans 1:21 says,
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
And here’s the problem. Only humans could represent the humans and pay the debt. Because we sinned, we have to pay the debt. But, only God can satisfy the debt because the offense against God is infinite. If humans are left to pay, we are lost forever.
This is what reparation means.
A real payment was required—not merely an apology. So what’s the solution? The Savior must be both fully human and fully God, to pay the reparation.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
2. Righteousness — God Became Human to Obey Where We Failed
But forgiveness alone is not enough. We don’t just need our sins forgiven. We need a righteousness we don’t have. Jesus did not come only to die. He did not come only to pay the reparation. He came to live. He came to give us the righteousness that we don't have.
Theologically, this is called the "Double Imputation of the Cross." Imputed means "credited." At the cross, our sins are credited or given to Christ. He paid the debt we owe on our behalf. But the Good News doesn't end there. Christ imputes or gives His perfect obedience and righteousness to us. This means Jesus didn’t just remove our bad record. He gives us His perfect record. Jesus lived the life we should have lived, so that He could die the death we deserved to die.
Adam didn’t just break a set of rules. He rebelled against God. Christ obeyed where Adam failed. Christ loved God perfectly, with heart, soul, mind, and strength. Christ fulfilled God’s law completely.
By the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous (Romans 5:19).
God became human to pay the reparation and credit us with his righteousness.
3. Relationship — God Became Human to Restore the Broken Relationship
Sin separates us from God. That's what sin does. Sin divides people and destroys relationships.
Jesus was separated from the Father so that we may be united to God.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
God became human so that He could restore the relationship with us.
That God is triune--one God in Three-- is a profound mystery. We do understand, however, that the Trinity means perfect harmony and perfect relationship.
At the Cross, this perfect relationship was broken apart. Do you know why? It was for us.
Application: So what does this mean for us?
Take sin seriously—and grace even more seriously.
The Incarnation shows sin is real and costly.
The cross shows that grace is more profound than our failure.
We can be honest without being crushed.
Live from acceptance, not for acceptance. Stop trying to prove yourself.
Jesus already lived the perfect life for us.
Obedience is no longer an obligation. It’s a glad and joyful gratitude.
Draw near to God with confidence; Stop hiding from God.
Go to God, just as you are. Invite Him into your life. God became human. Paid our debt. Gave us His perfect record. He did all that for us. And that is what Christmas is all about.
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