I spoke to the church yesterday about this thought.
Gen 5:1 says God made man in
His Likeness. But in
Philippians 2:7, we read God made Himself in
Man's LIKENESS.
Genesis 5:1 KJV This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Philippians 2:7 KJV But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Man lost his dominion God gave to Adam when He made Adam in His likeness. God ruled the heavens and man ruled the earth. In order to get man back to this place again, He had to come in the LIKENESS of men in order to take man's sins and take our death penalties due to those sins.
Imagine a man on death row who dies the death penalty. His death penalty paid for his crimes. If he could only resurrect, he could live a life free of all the guilt of his crimes, since his death penalty paid the price.
That is just what happened to us. Since Jesus took our sins and death penalties, we came into a union to Jesus. Therefore, when He resurrected, we are said to have resurrected with Him. And now we can live our lives free from the guilt and judgment of our sins since the death penalty was paid THROUGH Jesus.
And not only that, He raised and ascended us right up there with Him to sit in heavenly places.
Ephesians 2:5-6 KJV Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
So He had to come in man;s likeness in order to unite us to Himself, die our death penalties, and raised us up with Him back ON THE THRONE as Adam had dominion.
That is the sole reason the baby was born in Bethlehem! To come in OUR LIKENESS so He could die and take us with Him to the position of dominion Adam lost.
He came IN OUR LIKENESS SO WE COULD UNITE TO HIM AND RETURN TO HIS LIKENESS.