the incarnation - God became one of us

Some of the following thoughts are more implied than explicitly stated in scripture. I feel however it is worthwhile to consider these things as long as we understand we can not hold on to things too firmly unless they are clearly supported by scripture and aid us in better knowing, loving, and trusting God. Possibly by offering the below thoughts, others can bring forth more direct support from scripture for or against the things I discuss and whether they are in line with the overall message of scripture. 

Now to the topic at hand.

Prior to the actual event, the incarnation was only a thought in the mind of God (Father, Son, and Spirit) from all eternity past, which had not and did ¹not take place until the actual event occurred i.e. though settled from eternity past in the mind of God, it had not occurred in actual time and space prior to then. Time is real because created things are real and time matters... at least in this present existence. 

The incarnation - and all related events - occurred in real time (even though scripture says Christ was slain before the foundation of the world. Scripture indicates the decision of Christs' dying to restore mankind back to His Father was a settled matter from all eternity past before the ²actual event occurred). The ³timeless God had in some mysterious manner entered into and participated in time itself on an intimate and personal level. God, out of His infinite love, for the first and only time, had inextricably bound himself to his creation through an observable, measurable act of sacrificial giving of his very being in and through Christ. Because all of this involved creation, we - as creatures - could (and can) relate to it. Which is exactly why God was did it. He desired to connect with us on a level we could relate to. As one of our pastors once said, "in some actual way, God bound up his own happiness with ours." 

The creation and the rebellion of man was also the means by which Christ put His love for His Father on display in a way He had not and - I would argue - could not if not given the opportunity to act in actual time and space before a watching world or if the Son had not acted upon that opportunity - i.e. had failed to complete the task/mission given by the Father. 

This also displayed a love for us in a way we would not have fully known and could not have appreciated in the same way if we ⁴had not rebelled. 

The creation, our rebellion, the incarnation of Christ, and restoration of man were all an opportunity for the Son to more fully demonstrate His love of and for the Father; and demonstrate the Father and Son's love for us, His image-bearers. 

Christ willingly and obediently took on the suffering of the cross to honor his Father. This allowed him to act on the love he always had from all eternity past for and with the Father in a new way. Not because the Father needed proof of His Son's love but so the Son could put on display, by direct and personal action, how great his love for his Father was; which also demonstrated how Great His Father was. 

In turn, this says to us, if Christ's love for the Father was great enough to give up everything for it, how great the Father must be and worthy of this same love from us. 

All of this was, in fact, a way for the Son and Father to act out their love for each other in a new and fuller way. Not to prove their love for each other but to demonstrate it more fully through circumstances that had not occurred prior to creation i.e. through ⁴man's rebellion, Christ's incarnation, and the restoration of mankind taking place. 

The love of the Son for the Father was so great that Christ gave up full communion with the Father, for a time, not just to demonstrate his love to the Father but so others might also see and take part in it. He was so moved by his Fathers love he longed for others to partake of as He did. 

The "others" piece of this is evidence that this act was an overflow of the love between the Father and Son for others - not to get something from creation that God lacked but by and through creation, experience something of Himself He had not yet experienced. 

God acts out of the fullness of who he is, not out of lack or need. He, who is the source of life, love, and all things, needs nothing. He has always had Himself. Everything apart from Him depends on Him for existence. But could we say the creation, rebellion, and redemption of mankind allowed God to more fully take part in who He is through the incarnation of Christ? It is an interesting question we may not get the answer to fully until eternity? 

Christ's love for us was so significant He gave up, in some unfathomable way,  something of the preciousness of his communion with his Father and of his ⁵status - or at least the dynamics of the relationship changed - so he might bring others into that same communion with the Father he knew from all eternity past. 

And maybe he, in some incomprehensible way,  gained something more (different) of and from the Father, and gave something more to the Father, by bringing others into that union between the Father, Son and Spirit.

None of this came about because of anything lacking in God but out of the fullness of who He is and his desire to share Himself with others so they too might know the joy of the union and fellowship between Father, Son, and Spirit.

Christ now knows the joy of seeing the love received and rejoiced in by those He gives it to; the Father first and those the Father gave to the Son. A love only possible because of his actions, i.e. Christ - at least for a time - gave up something of the most precious, full and unlimited union and communion with his Father so others might also have it for all eternity (2 Cor 8:9, John 15:11; 17:13; Matthew 25:23). And in giving and sharing it, he finds great joy (Hebrews 12:2)

  

Showing our love by our actions is the most complete way of expressing our love. Words and thoughts are important, but actions provide the opportunity to give evidence of the love we feel and speak of (or in the case of the Son and Father, had felt and spoken of to each other from all eternity past). We are this way because God is this way. We are in his image.

For a fuller discussion on God taking part in time click here. 
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¹Some argue since time is not a part of God's existence but a part of the created order, God knows and sees all things as equally present. So the events of Christ's incarnation, life, death, and resurrection as a man did not occur in sequence to God as they do for us, who exist in time. Yet because of Christs incarnation = his becoming part of creation - they did. Though we may not find specific passages in scripture that state this explicitly, these are conclusions we can draw implicitly from other things about God we know from scripture, such as his omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. 

²Then again since everything is present to God he possibly has already experienced everything in some sense on some level already. A mystery of the Infinite eternal God who stepped into time as a man?

³when we understand that God, prior to creation, had not taken part in or been "restrained" by time, we understand the extent to which God in and through Christ "limited" himself for our sake. 

⁴I think this in part explains why the angels are so intrigued by our redemption. They can't relate to it because it is alien to them. Possibly they are fascinated by God's pursuit of us in love - the extent of it - even when we don't fully love Him in return. Because of our redemption and also being in the image of God, we will experience the glory of God in a way the angels will not, which in part, might explain why we are higher than angels and the highest of all God's creatures. 

⁵maybe for eternity as Christ is still a man - and God - whereas before he was not confined to a local body but was everywhere present along with the Father - though the various theophanies may indicate Christ was localized before the incarnation, certainly at least for brief periods of time. We are uncertain if these were only specific manifestations at the time or the ongoing state of His existence prior to His incarnation. Christ's birth seems to indicate these prior manifestations were temporary, not His state from eternity past. 

What is interesting is even though God appeared as a man in these theophanies, those who experienced them had an obvious sense they were not dealing with a mere man. There was something about these appearances that clued them they were dealing with more. But we are not given an explanation of exactly what that was.

Abraham: Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.” (Genesis 18:1–3)

Jacob: Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. . . . And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” (Genesis 32:24–25, 28–30)