“He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit…” (1 Timothy 3:16a)
Among the many incredible facts revealed in Scripture about Jesus would be the incarnation and the resurrection. Having a proper understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done will have a direct impact on how we live.
The Incarnation—Christ was manifested in the flesh. That Jesus could be both God and man is a difficult concept to grasp. It has been the source of confusion and fighting for centuries. Yet, the idea of the incarnation is shown to be logically coherent, awe-inspiring, unique and wonderful for sinners in need of divine rescue. We must not only confess this great truth, we should be profoundly grateful that the God-Man has condescended to see to our needs and to eradicate our sin problem. It must be pointed out that the incarnation gives us special insight and privileges. The Word became flesh (John 1:14) so that we could see what God is like (John 1:18; 14:9; Heb. 1:3). The Word became flesh so that our sins could be forgiven and we would no longer have to fear death (Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:5, 8).
Part of the problem is the exclusive nature of the claim that Jesus is divine. If Jesus was uniquely God incarnate, then he is also uniquely the way to God. All other creeds, religions, prophets, etc. are deceivers and impotent. They are imposters. This is more than some are willing to concede. Far too many are afraid to say that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Yet, it is exactly the claim that Christ made for himself in passages such as John 14:6. It has been pointed out that Jesus shares the honors due to God (John 5:23; 1 Pet. 4:11; Heb. 1:6; etc.), shares the attributes of God (Col. 1:19; 2:9; Heb. 1:3; etc.), shares the names of God (John 1:1; 20:28; Acts 20:28; etc.), does the deeds that God does (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Matt. 8:23-27; etc.), and shares the seat of God’s throne (Mark 14:61-64; Eph. 1:21; 4:10; etc.). Jesus Christ is divine. He is the only true Son of God.
The Resurrection—Christ was vindicated by the Spirit. While there has been much debate regarding this portion of the text, it seems most reasonable to conclude that it refers to the resurrection of Christ. Note how Romans 1:3-4 would be similarly establishing first the incarnation and then the resurrection: “Concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” The resurrection of Christ vindicates and validates all claims he made and all acts he performed before his death.
Skeptics scoff at the notion of anyone coming back to life once they have died. Everyone knows that such is not the norm. Coming back to life is absolutely humanly impossible. Resurrection is a miracle. And yet, all the evidence points to the fact that Jesus really did rise from the grave. After his crucifixion and death, the disciples of Jesus became convinced that they had seen him. Additionally, enemies such as Saul were radically changed because of encounters with the risen Jesus. Only a genuine resurrection explains how bewildered disciples and hardened enemies become devoted messengers of the Gospel. Historical investigation suggests that Jesus rose supernaturally soon after his execution. His resurrection vindicates his promises.
