What does incarnate mean? How was Jesus God incarnate?

Answer  
  

The Latin verb *incarnare* meant “to make flesh.” When we say that Jesus Christ is God “Incarnate,” we mean that the Son of God took on a fleshly, bodily form (John 1:14\). However, when this happened in the womb of Mary, Jesus’ earthly mother, He did not stop being deity. Although Jesus became fully human (Hebrews 2:17\), He retained His status as God (John 1:1, 14\). How Jesus is able to be both man and God simultaneously is one of the great mysteries of Christianity but is nevertheless a test of orthodoxy (1 John 4:2; 2 John 1:7\). Jesus has two distinct natures, divine and human. “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:11\).  
  

The Bible clearly teaches the deity of Christ by presenting His fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophecies (Isaiah 7:14; Psalm 2:7\), His eternal existence (John 1:1–3; John 8:58\), His miraculous virgin birth (Luke 1:26–31\), His miracles (Matthew 9:24–25\), His authority to forgive sin (Matthew 9:6\), His acceptance of worship (Matthew 14:33\), His ability to predict the future (Matthew 24:1–2\), and His resurrection from the dead (Luke 24:36–39\). The writer of Hebrews tells us Jesus is superior to angels (Hebrews 1:4–5\) and angels are to worship Him (Hebrews 1:6\).  
  

The Bible also teaches the Incarnation—Jesus became fully human by taking on human flesh. Jesus was conceived in the womb and was born (Luke 2:7\), He experienced normal aging (Luke 2:40\), He had natural physical needs (John 19:28\) and human emotions (Matthew 26:38\), He learned (Luke 2:52\), He died a physical death (Luke 23:46\), and He was resurrected with a physical body (Luke 24:39\). Jesus was human in every way except for sin; He lived a completely sinless life (Hebrews 4:15\).  
  

When Christ took on the form of a human, His nature did not change, but His position did. Jesus, in His original nature of God in spirit form, humbled Himself by laying aside His glory and privileges (Philippians 2:6–8\). God can never stop being God because He is immutable (Hebrews 13:8\) and infinite (Revelation 1:8\). If Jesus stopped being fully God for even a split second, all life would die (see Acts 17:28\). The doctrine of the Incarnation says that Jesus, while remaining fully God, became fully man.  
  

