The Necessity of a Body

If God is Spirit, why did He need to take on a body of flesh? The answer is rooted in the purpose of redemption. The Bible teaches that sin requires a blood sacrifice for atonement. The Spirit cannot die, and a spirit does not have blood to shed. As Jesus told His disciples after His resurrection:

“See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” — Luke 24:39

Since a spirit cannot have the physical properties necessary to pay the ultimate price for sin, the one true God had to take on a physical body. The writer of Hebrews confirms this, quoting from the Old Testament:

“Sacrificies and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me.” — Hebrews 10:5

This prepared body was Jesus. It was a vessel for God to dwell in so that He could fulfill the necessary sacrifice for humanity’s salvation.