A Tale of Two Persons

A Tale of Two Persons

 

“And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,” – Apostles’ Creed

Jesus is fully God and fully man.

He is true God:

‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ – John 8:58-59

He is true man:

“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” 1 John 4:2-3

There have been many people who denied Jesus’ dual natures. Some of the ideas people have put forth are…

  • Jesus was a man who God inhabited at his baptism and then left just before his death.
  • Jesus is part God, part man, like a superhuman being.
  • Jesus was just a man and we have made Him out to be God.
  • Jesus is God but wasn’t truly human, He just looked human.

The Bible, however, makes it clear. Jesus is God as much as the Father and the Holy Spirit. In His deity, He is almighty, eternal, all-loving, all-knowing, and deserving of all glory, honor, and praise. Jesus is also fully human, like you and me. He got hungry. He slept. He felt pain. He bled. He died.

Why Does This Matter?

He Is Our Salvation.

In His humanity, Jesus stepped into our world, He took on our sin, and He died in our place. That’s right, the eternal, almighty God, bled and died for you. He stood in our place and is the sacrifice that forgives our sins.

In His divinity, Jesus was perfectly obedient to the Father (did not sin). He overcame death and rose from the dead. He ascended on high and now sits at the right hand of the Father.

He Is Our Comfort.

Jesus, as God and man, offers a comfort we would not know otherwise. His humanity assures us that we have a God who understands us. He knows our suffering and has been tempted in every way (though He did not sin) (Heb 4:15). His deity assures us that He can handle any situation we face and that all His promises are true.

It can be hard (perhaps even impossible) to comprehend Jesus as both God and man. Often, we tend to emphasize more of one nature than the other. However, I pray that we always hold onto our understanding and belief that Jesus is fully God and fully man.

Dear Jesus,

You are God and You are man. Help me to remember that I have a God who understands me because You became man. Help me also to remember that I have God who can deliver me and who will always keep His promises.

 

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt