Man is completely incapable of repairing that breach. We cannot do anything, say anything, pay anything that would make us right with God again. God, if He wanted a continued relationship with He creation, had to pay that price for us. But He had to do it through one of us; He had to become one of us and go through all the temptations, struggles, trials, etc. that we go through (yet without sinning) in order to pay the cost that we could not pay.
Scripture does say that Jesus was a man. But it also says that Jesus was God (Scriptures that you conveniently overlook, reinterpret, or ignore).
but
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also
rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. [Romans 5:8-11] Therefore, just as
sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— .....Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of
Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come......But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if
many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that
one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. .....For if, because of
one man's trespass,
death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life
through the one man Jesus Christ.......For as by the
one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the
one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. [Romans 5:12,14,15,17,19] It's not the BIG PICTURE but there's the story of redemption, the real story wrapped up in a nutshell.
God showed his love for us not 'God died for us' or 'He died for us' ----- Christ died for us. We are justified by HIS blood, Christ's blood not God's blood. Adam 'was a type of the one who was to come' --- therefore Jesus had to be AN ACTUAL REAL human being NOT a God man ---- there can be no comparison between Adam and a God man.
Did Jesus sin? - No. He could not have sinned and still been the propitiation for our sins.
Is it a sin to claim to be God if you are not God? - Yes!
Did Jesus claim to be God? - Yes, several times.
Matt 12:8 - I am the Lord of the Sabbath - Only God is the Lord of the Sabbath
Yes, the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.
John 8:58 - Before Abraham was, I AM. - Only God is the "I AM". And only God could be present before someone who lived hundreds of years before his own birth.
Yep, Jesus was before Abraham not literally but in prophecy ---- At Genesis 3:15, the very first prophecy: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (as far as I know God is not 'her offspring') It was in that 'blood covenant' in Genesis 15:5...... 'And he brought him outside and said, “Look
toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” That offspring would include as one of his descendants - Jesus Christ (as far as I know God is not an offspring, a descendant of Abraham) ---- Jesus was claiming to be God -- through prophecy, through the foreknowledge and plan of God ---- Jesus was before Abraham.
John 10:30, 33 - Jesus claimed to be one with God
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe." I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” [John 10:24,25a...28-30] I and the Father are one in the care of the sheep - one in purpose and intent.
Jesus did not say he was God --- he told them who he was when they asked him in verse 24 --- they did not believe him so @ John 10:33 they made an accusation - 'you being a man, make yourself God' ---- They didn't believe he was who he said he was Jesus Christ --- the Messiah so they started making false accusations against him.
John 20:28 - Thomas called Him God, and He did not dispute or deny it. Accepting worship and accepting being called God (if you are not God) is a sin.
Thomas did call Jesus God. The thing is how did he mean it? I believe Thomas called Jesus My Lord and My God - when Thomas clearly saw the risen Lord -- He recognized Jesus as his Lord and acknowledged the God who raised him from the dead, and he stated that fact.
John 8:12 - Jesus is the light of the World - 1 John 1:5 - God is light
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. [John 5:14-16]......Are these people at the Sermon on the Mount also God because they are the light of the world?????
Yes, that sounds stupid but no less stupid of trying to make Jesus God because they both have something to do with being 'light'.
Heb 1:8 - the Father calls Jesus God
Well, what do we do about the human Israelite Davidic King to whom this is first addressed at Psalm 45?
Is he also God because he was addressed as 'God'?
If Jesus is not God, then the Father lied, Jesus Himself lied, and that means that Jesus cannot be our savior. But if we believe that He is our savior, then He MUST be God.
No one lied because no one said Jesus is God except the creeds developed some 350 - 400 years after Christ.
The woman said to him, “I know that
Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her,
“I who speak to you am he.”
Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him. [John 4:25-30]..... So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word.
They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” [John 4:40-42]