The Humanity of Jesus Christ
"Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7).
At the Incarnation, Christ took on a second nature -- a human nature. The pre-incarnate Christ had one nature (divine); the incarnate Christ had two natures (one fully divine, and one fully human).
In His humanity, Christ experienced the temptations and pains that we face -- hunger, thirst, grief, and ultimately, death. It was the man, Christ, who experienced the temptations of this world, yet was without sin: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
While on earth Christ did not cease from being fully God, but rather, Christ submitted to the will and power of the Father. On earth Christ never exercised His deity independent of the Father's will. Thus Christ, the God-man, could say in Matthew 24:36 that "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
God redeemed us by becoming a man, living a sinless life, and then dying on the cross in our place. Christ's two natures -- one divine and one human -- are forever inseparable. His bodily resurrection demonstrated this inseparability: "'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'" (John 20:27-29).
All cults deny the true deity of Christ. Many deny His true humanity. They claim that Jesus was not really tempted since, after all, God cannot be tempted. These cults fail to grasp the clear teaching of Scripture -- that Christ, who was fully man and fully God, shared in our humanity so that He might redeem us.
Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that is the devil -- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
At the Incarnation, Christ took on a second nature -- a human nature. The pre-incarnate Christ had one nature (divine); the incarnate Christ had two natures (one fully divine, and one fully human).
In His humanity, Christ experienced the temptations and pains that we face -- hunger, thirst, grief, and ultimately, death. It was the man, Christ, who experienced the temptations of this world, yet was without sin: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
While on earth Christ did not cease from being fully God, but rather, Christ submitted to the will and power of the Father. On earth Christ never exercised His deity independent of the Father's will. Thus Christ, the God-man, could say in Matthew 24:36 that "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
God redeemed us by becoming a man, living a sinless life, and then dying on the cross in our place. Christ's two natures -- one divine and one human -- are forever inseparable. His bodily resurrection demonstrated this inseparability: "'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'" (John 20:27-29).
All cults deny the true deity of Christ. Many deny His true humanity. They claim that Jesus was not really tempted since, after all, God cannot be tempted. These cults fail to grasp the clear teaching of Scripture -- that Christ, who was fully man and fully God, shared in our humanity so that He might redeem us.
Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that is the devil -- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
