How Can Christ Be Both God And Man?

"You've changed," my wife said to me. "You used to be . . . " She then went on to describe how my views of people and of life are different now than they used to be. And yet I am still the same person—or do I just think I am? I suppose it depends partly on what I mean by the term person. Has my person changed? Do I have a different person-ality than I did 20,30, even 40 years ago? We do believe people can and do change, do we not?

I speak about this in order to introduce the many, many ways people have thought about Jesus over the years. No one denies that he lived in the first century of what is called the Christian—or some say common—era (CE). No one denies that he has had universal influence. But who is he? Or, as some say, who was he? Here's a partial list of what people have decided about Jesus. I'll skip the fancy Greek or Latin terms applied to the various items listed.

• the promised Messiah, but only a man
• one of the great prophets, but only a man
• God, but appearing to be human
• an ordinary man, son of Mary and Joseph, adopted by God as His Son at Jesus' baptism
• a holy man reincarnated as all are across the ages
• truly a man, but also a god created by the heavenly Father in the beginning of all things
• one person to be sure, but a person with both human and divine natures
• God who merely used a human body like a garment—not really a human
• God with one person, one substance, one nature
• truly a man with a human nature and truly God with divine subsistence or nature

Confused yet? What do you believe about Jesus? Who is he? Who is he to you? Is he but one of the many holy people to whom you may pray? Is he one of the many gods created by the one true God? You and I really need to get this straight, because our eternal destiny depends upon it—or at least that's what most Christians insist. Which point in the list above is the one you chose? Or do you feel I'm nit-picking and trying to confuse you? Let's take a look at but a couple Bible verses.

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isa. 7:10-13 ESV

Notice that the virgin is to conceive and bear a son. Except that the child was to be conceived by a virgin, he was to be born in the normal manner. He was to be a man child, a human. However, the prophecy tells us that his name is to be Immanuel, a Hebrew name meaning El (God) immanu (with us). The virgin gave birth to "God with us".  This same note is picked up by the Apostle Paul. 

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. Rom. 9:3-5 ESV

Jesus' human nature is described according to his ancestry. He is a Jew and the promised Messiah of the Jews, descended from the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And yet he is "God over all, blessed forever." Here in Romans Paul openly declares Jesus to be God. Paul ascribes divinity to Jesus again in his letter to Corinthian believers. 

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor. 2:8 ESV

The man Jesus was put on the cross. He suffered a horrible death there and was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. And yet Paul gives him a divine or godly title, "The Lord of glory"! In this manner he makes it clear that Christ's true divinity and his true humanity did not change even a little during his suffering and crucifixion. And he emphasizes the same thing in his talk to the elders or pastors at Miletus.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28 ESV

Their congregations are part of the "church of God"! and yet God obtained the church with his own blood. Blood is a human thing. Jesus was truly human and yet Paul openly declares him to be God! Thus the blood is God's blood. Jesus is truly God and truly man. This is why it is perfectly biblical and accurate to say that "God died" upon the cross.

God's Word reveals Christ as fully and completely Man and fully and completely God. Great indeed is the revealed mystery here, a mystery that we cling to in faith, because we believe that Christ, true man and true God, died for us and thus set us free from all condemnation.

More on this next time.