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Topic: Jesus: Man or God?
Introduction
Just who was Jesus? Was He God or was He a man? Was He human or
was He divine? If someone were to ask you these questions, how would
you answer, and better yet, how would you prove it? Most of professing
Christianity and theologians have struggled over this question for
millennia and are confused about the answer.
We should not be in confusion. We need to know,
without a doubt, who and what Jesus was. Let’s see what the
scriptures say about Christ - was He God or human.
Jesus Divine
JOHN 1:1-3, 14-15 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made
that was made. (14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father …. (15) John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying,
"This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred
before me, for He was before me.'"
1. Who is the "Word"? By what other name is He known?
Read verses 29-30.
2. According to this passage, who created all things?
3. What other scripture tells us who created all things in the beginning?
What conclusion must one come to if these two scriptures claim that
this Personage created all things?
4. How is it possible for one to come after a certain person and
yet to have been before that same person? That is what John claims
in verse 15.
COMMENT: John shows that the Word, the God of the Old Testament,
became Jesus of Nazareth. That is, the Word, Jesus, was God, in
the flesh. That is the point that John is making here.
JOHN 9:35-38 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He
had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of
God?" He answered and said, who is He, Lord, that I may believe
in Him?" And Jesus said to him, "you have both seen Him
and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord,
I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
5. Why would Jesus allow this man to worship Him? Who only are we
to worship?
Who only is worthy of worship?
NOTE: There are plenty of examples in the Bible that show even an
angel of highest rank would not let man worship him.
LUKE 9:47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took
a little child and set him by Him….
6. Is it possible for a human to read the thoughts of others? Who
can?
JOHN 8:56-58 "your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and
he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to Him, "You
are not yet fifty years old and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus
said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was,
I AM."
7. What did Jesus mean by "I AM"?
8. Who did Jesus Himself claim to be?
9. What were the Jews reaction? Read verse 59. Why did they react
that way?
Jesus Human
1. I think we can all agree that the Bible teaches that Jesus was
God. But, God is immortal (I Tim. 6:16), yet Jesus died. How is
it possible that Jesus died if He was divine?
Hebrews 4:14-15 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who
has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold
fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as
we are, yet without sin.
2. Jesus was tempted. Can God be tempted? Read James 1:13 and comment.
3. How can Jesus be divine and still be tempted? What does Jesus'
weaknesses reveal about His nature?
4. Did Satan tempt Jesus? Read Matthew 4.
COMMENT: Satan tried to get to Jesus just as he got to Adam, by
appealing to His pride, vanity and lusts of the human flesh. Satan
tried to get Jesus to do the same as Adam: to go it alone apart
from God. Adam decided for Himself what was good and what was evil,
and separated himself from his relationship with God. Think of this,
if Jesus could not have sinned, if it was impossible for Him to
sin, would Satan have wasted his time trying to tempt him to sin?
Jesus could have sinned, but He didn't, and the whole world owes
Him for that. We have been redeemed, been bought and paid for, and,
therefore we owe our lives to Jesus.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us….
5. What does this passage teach us about the nature of Jesus?
6. Why was it necessary for God to come in human flesh? Consider
Hebrews 2:9.
Comment: If Christ were flesh only, His death would have only saved
Himself. But because He was God in the flesh, His life was worth
more than all of mankind put together, because He created them.
Therefore, His life and death that He gave for us paid the penalty
for all of man's sins. But if Christ was God only, He could not
have died. He was flesh and blood just as we are flesh and blood.
What a tremendous act of love from our Creator to us: To become
God in the flesh, human and divine to save us from the penalty of
our sins, which is death.
Summary
So who was Jesus? Jesus was both Man and God. That's what the Bible
teaches; that's what the apostles taught; that's what Jesus taught;
and that's what the church teaches today. Jesus was both man and
God so that He could be a perfect sacrifice to save all of mankind
from the penalty of death. There is no confusion about that.
Reprinted with permission. Published by United Church
of God, an International Association, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati,
OH 45254-1027. © 2005 United Church of God. This article is
not to be sold. It is a free educational service in the public interest.
www.ucg.org
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