p. 264 | The Incarnation-Light Wanted by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 7, 1883

The Incarnation—Light Wanted.

By Editor

"I WISH a little light. Matt. 10 : 28; that which can be destroyed is not immortal. Christ died for our sins. 1 Cor. 15 : 3. He that existed before the world was, John 17 : 5, was made flesh, John 1 : 14; Heb. 2 : 14-16, died and was raised from the dead by the power of God, Rom. 1 : 4, and 8 : 11; to die no more; Rev. 1 : 18; Heb. 7 : 25. Now if the blessed Jesus was immortal before he came into the world, how was it possible for him to die in man's stead? 1 Pet. 3 : 18. I am told that it was only his human nature that died; but I ever thought that the pre-existent Son or Word was made flesh. Any help will be thankfully received. "J. B. T."

Your references are correctly made and your conclusion is doubtless correct; but your question no man can answer. We refer you to our work on "The Atonement" for full proof on the death of Christ, the Son of the living God. There is no question that the Word, that which was in the beginning with God, glorified with Him before the world was, and by whom He made the worlds, came down from Heaven and died for man. But how the incarnation was effected, how it was possible for the pre-existent Word to become flesh, no mind of man can conceive. It was this of which Paul said, "Great is the mystery of godliness." We can no more comprehend it than we can comprehend the mystery of creation, or of the self-existence and being of Jehovah.

And we doubt whether, even in the ages of eternity, we will ever be able to comprehend such things. "Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?" Job 11 : 7. There will ever remain an awful mystery enshrouding the works and being of the Almighty, which no finite mind will be able to penetrate. Among the most inscrutable of his works will probably be found that of creation and the incarnation.