“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.’”

—Hebrews 10:5 

God’s Sovereign Plan of Redemption

When Christ came into the world, God prepared what? A body. In His sovereignty, God could have accomplished salvation in any way He desired. Yet, He chose to redeem humanity through the Son taking on human flesh. This was not a secondary plan or a last-minute decision. It was God’s will from the foundation of the world.

Only the God of Scripture could accomplish this—becoming one of us, experiencing our struggles, and providing the way of escape from sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). Christ’s incarnation was not merely an act of identification but the necessary step toward His ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

The Significance of “A Body You Have Prepared for Me”

The phrase “a body You have prepared for Me” speaks of Christ’s humanity, from the moment of conception. Unlike any other person born into this world, Jesus was fully God and fully man from the very beginning. He did not become God at some later point—He was, and is, the eternal Lord of Glory.

This truth is essential because only as a man could Jesus die in our place, and only as God could His sacrifice be sufficient to atone for the sins of the world. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us that He took on flesh and blood to destroy the power of death and deliver those who were enslaved by fear.

‘Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.’

Hebrews 2:14-15

A Plan Beyond Human Comprehension

This is hard to comprehend, our finite minds can barely grasp the depth of God’s wisdom. That the Creator of all things willingly stepped into His creation, clothed in human flesh, to accomplish what no sacrifice of bulls and goats could ever do (Hebrews 10:4).

This was not just an abstract theological concept—it was God’s love in action. Christ’s body was prepared for the express purpose of bringing about redemption. His birth, His perfect life, and ultimately His death on the cross were all part of God’s perfect plan to save lost humanity.

Our Response: Awe and Gratitude

When we get even a glimpse of what took place in the incarnation, we cannot help but fall to our knees in awe and gratitude. This was all done for us—to redeem a people for His glory. What greater response can there be than to praise Him and live in the light of this amazing truth?

Praise God for His indescribable gift!

Reflection & Application

• How does understanding Christ’s incarnation deepen your faith?
• What does Hebrews 10:5 teach us about God’s plan for salvation?
• Take a moment today to thank God for sending His Son in human form to redeem us.