Who is Jesus and Why it Matters

In a previous lesson, we touched briefly on the nature of Jesus as part of the Triune God. In this topic, we will explore more fully the very rich and meaningful identity of Jesus, to understand why he is absolutely central to the Christian message. 

The Humanity of Jesus

The Bible attests that Jesus was fully human in body, soul, mind and will (Hebrews 2:17). In his incarnation, the eternal Son of God became fully human (Hebrews 2:14), with all the capacities of original humanity. Jesus experienced all the ordinary limitations of being truly human. He had a real human body, subject to weariness (John 4:6), hunger (Matthew 4:2) and thirst (John 4:7). He was capable of experiencing every human emotion (Matthew 26:37; John 2:15). He was tempted as we are (Matthew 4:1-11). Yet Jesus never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). He was born (Luke 2:7), he grew and developed (Luke 2:52), he suffered (John 19:1-3) and he died (Mark 15:37). Finally, Jesus was resurrected in a human body (Luke 24:39-43) and permanently possesses his human nature. 

It matters a great deal that Jesus is fully human.

• Because he is human, his atoning death can truly apply to us. As one of us, he can offer a sacrifice on our behalf, as our representative (Hebrews 2:14).
• In his humanity, Jesus can fully sympathize with and intercede for us. He understands any trial or weakness or temptation we might face (Hebrews 4:15-16).
• Jesus manifests the true nature of humanity. He shows what God had in mind when he created us.
• Jesus can be our example. As fully human, we can look to him as a model of the Christian life. He is not just some heavenly superstar, but found it necessary to pray and to live in dependence on the Spirit.
• Jesus’ humanity shows that the material world is not evil. The physical aspects of our humanity are not inferior to the spiritual, because Jesus took upon himself our full human nature, including a physical body.
• While God is transcendent, he is not infinitely far removed from the human race. He actually lived among us as a real human person. Jesus’ humanity reminds us that God does act within the human realm, even today.

The Divinity of Jesus 

When Jesus became human, he did not surrender his deity in any way. He remains God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, who is eternally equal to and identical with God (John 1:1, 18; Romans 9:5).

Jesus identified himself with the God who appeared to Moses in Exodus 3:14 (John 8:58). He also defended his own equality and union with the Father (John 10:10). Revelation 1:8 calls God the Father “Alpha and Omega,” a title Jesus applies to himself later in Revelation 22:13. Based on Jesus’ own claims, the New Testament writers saw him as being equal with God in every way (Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:3). Quoting Psalm 45, Hebrews 1:8-9 applies the title “God” directly to Jesus.

The Bible attributes to Jesus works that only God can do. He is the agent of creation (John 1:1-8) and exhibits power over what he made (Matthew 14:22-36). He forgives sins (Mark 2:5-7) and judges the world for sins (John 5:22-30). As God, Jesus receives prayer (Acts 7:59-60) and is worthy of worship (Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:3-6).

As with his humanity, the divinity of Jesus has important implications:

• We can have real knowledge of God. The prophets came bearing a message from God and about God. But since Jesus is God, we can know what God is like.
• Salvation is possible for us. Because Jesus is fully God, his death for our sins is sufficient.
• God and man have been reunited. It was not a created being who bridged the gulf, but God himself crossed the chasm created by sin.
• Because of his deity, Jesus deserves all the adoration and obedience that is owed to God the Father.

The Two Natures of Christ

So the New Testament attributes both divine and human properties to Jesus, but it never divides him into two persons. He is a single person with two natures: the divine nature that he shares equally and eternally with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the human nature he took on in his incarnation. These two natures are united in his person without confusion, change or loss. Jesus is not part God and part human, but both are fully integrated in him..

The Offices of Jesus

Historically, theologians have viewed the work of Christ in terms of three “offices” or functions that work in conjunction with each other: prophet, priest and king.

The role of a prophet was to reveal God to humanity. Jesus functioned in many ways like an Old Testament prophet, bringing a message of judgment as well as salvation. In fact, he was the perfect prophet because he perfectly reveals the Father, not just in his words, but in his person (Hebrews 1:1-3; John 14:8)

Priests mediated the relationship between God and his people so they could be forgiven, justified, reconciled to God. Jesus came as the perfect priest (Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:28). By his sacrificial death we were reconciled to God (Hebrews 9:11-12). 

Israel’s kings were given authority to carry out God’s rule on earth. In fact, Israel anticipated a future ruler who would sit on David’s throne forever. The Bible reveals this person to be Jesus (Luke 1:32-33). He now reigns as the perfect king over all creation. He is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18), which reflects his kingdom in the present. But in the future, he will rule universally and exclusively (Philippians 2:9-10).

The Resurrection of Jesus

All four gospels describe in some detail how Jesus rose from the dead, as he predicted he would (John 2:18-22). His resurrection is also mentioned prominently through the rest of the New Testament. 

Jesus’ resurrection was bodily. He rose in a physical body of real flesh, not merely as a spirit (Luke 24:39-40). His resurrection body was similar to his earthly body. People recognized him (John 20:20). He breathed (John 20:22), spoke, and ate with people (Luke 24:41-43). But Jesus’ resurrection body is also different from his mortal body. He entered closed rooms (John 20:19) and appeared and disappeared (Luke 24:30-31). Jesus’ resurrected body is the model of what his people will experience in their resurrection, meaning that his body is a glorified body no longer subject to death or weakness (1 Corinthians 15:42-44; Revelation 1:12-16). 

The resurrection of Jesus is the core of the Christian message. (Acts 2:32; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30). If Jesus did not rise, there is no salvation (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). The resurrection establishes Jesus’ identity as the Son of God and validates his claims as Messiah (Romans 1:3-4), which sets him apart as unique among all religious leaders who ever lived.

The Ascension of Jesus

After Jesus rose from the dead, he spent forty days with his disciples (Acts 1), before he was taken up into heaven (Luke 24:50-53). The ascension demonstrates that Jesus completely finished his work as Savior. Now, he is seated at God’s right hand, representing the position of greatest honor and greatest authority. From there Jesus continues his priestly ministry in a different form, as he intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25), continually presenting his righteousness to the Father on our behalf. The ascension of Jesus also started the timetable for his return. When Jesus comes back, he will return in a manner similar to how he left: bodily and visibly (Acts 1:9-11).

The person of Jesus is at the heart of Christianity. As the one person who is fully God and fully human, he qualifies to be our prophet, priest and king. He deserves our worship and obedience. But as important as his identity is, the identity and work of the Holy Spirit is also vital. This is the topic of our next lesson.