Last week’s pastor’s note focused on some basic Christology (the study of Christ). Specifically, it was about Jesus being God the Son. Scripture is also clear that Jesus was human; that is out topic of today’s note.
Jesus is not only fully God, He also became fully man at the incarnation; He is both God and man. Jesus could only fulfill the Law, as well as die, because He was a man (John 1, Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 4:2). After His miraculous conception, there was a normal pregnancy and birth (Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:31, 35; Galatians 4:4). He grew normally into manhood (Luke 2:40, 52). He also submitted to authority (Luke 2:51). He learned obedience (Hebrews 5:8; John 8:29). Jesus got tired (John 4:6), hungry (Matthew 4:2), and thirsty (John 19:28). He not only looked like any other man, He had actually taken on the human nature which remained following the resurrection (Luke 24:39; John 20:27). He had a soul (John 12:27) and spirit (John 13:21). He had great knowledge (John 2:25), but it was in some ways limited by the Father (Matthew 24:36). Of course being a man allowed Him to suffer and die (John 19:33-34). Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3) yet did not sin (Second Corinthians 5:21).
The results of the incarnation are God’s full revelation of Himself to man through Jesus (John 1:18; 14:9; Hebrews 1:2), Christ’s sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:12-14; 1 Peter 1:18-19), His being the Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22; Luke 13:33), the Priest (Hebrews 3:1), and King (Hebrews 1:8; Rev 19:16).
This joining of God and man in Jesus is called The Hypostatic Union. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man having two complete natures united into one person while maintaining the unchanged distinction of each (John 1:1, 14; Philippians 2:6; Heb 2:14). He is no less God than before the incarnation and no less man than any other person. This union is permanent as Scripture describes (Lk 24:39; Acts 1:11; 1 Tim 2:5; and Rev 1:7).
