The question of how Jesus can be both God and man at the same time has been debated and discussed for centuries. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God who became incarnate as a human being. He is both fully divine and fully human. This is a complex theological concept that is central to Christian belief. Here is an overview of what the Bible teaches about Jesus being both God and man.
Jesus is Fully God
There are many passages in Scripture that affirm the divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed equality with God the Father and displayed attributes that only God possesses. Here are some examples:
- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). This verse identifies Jesus (the Word) as God.
- “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus claimed unity and equality with God.
- Jesus accepted worship, something reserved only for God (Matthew 14:33; 28:9).
- Jesus forgave sins, a divine prerogative (Mark 2:5-7).
- Jesus performed miracles over nature, like turning water into wine (John 2:1-11).
- “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). Jesus perfectly reveals God.
- “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). Jesus is fully God.
- Jesus is given names and titles reserved only for God, like “Lord” and “Savior” (Luke 2:11; Philippians 2:11).
- The writer of Hebrews says the Son is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3).
These and other verses confirm that Jesus is fully and completely God. There is no doubt that Scripture presents Jesus as divine.
Jesus is Fully Man
At the same time, the Bible is equally clear that Jesus is fully human. After the miraculous virgin birth, Jesus had a genuine human existence here on earth. Here are some key ways Jesus was human:
- He was born as a baby to a human mother (Luke 2:7).
- He grew and developed as a normal child (Luke 2:52).
- He experienced hunger, thirst, fatigue and other human limitations (Matthew 4:2; John 4:6-7).
- He faced temptation, but did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).
- He experienced the full range of human emotions like sadness, anger, joy, compassion, etc. (Luke 7:13; John 11:5; Mark 3:5).
- He suffered pain, bled and died like other humans (Luke 22:44; 23:46).
- After his resurrection, Jesus had a real flesh-and-bone body (Luke 24:39).
Jesus was not some divine phantom. He became flesh and blood just like us. Scripture is unambiguous that Jesus fully took on human nature.
Jesus Took on Two Natures
The theological term for Jesus being both God and man is the “hypostatic union.” This refers to Jesus having two distinct natures – divine and human – united in one person. At the incarnation, Jesus voluntarily and permanently took on humanity while retaining his divine nature. This is a complex mystery, but here are some ways to understand it:
- Jesus is not two separate persons (like a human Jesus and a divine Jesus). He is one person with two natures.
- The two natures are not blended together or intermingled. They remain distinct.
- Each nature retains its own attributes. The divine nature did not take on limitations by becoming human.
- Even when Jesus was limited in his humanity, his divine nature remained unlimited.
- Jesus’ human nature was subordinate to his divine nature. The divine nature was preeminent.
- Although the human and divine natures were quite distinct, they acted together harmoniously in the one person of Christ.
In summary, Jesus is completely God and completely man united together without mixture or confusion. This is a paradox and an unfathomable mystery. Yet it is central to understanding who Jesus is according to Christian theology.
Why Did Jesus Need to be Both God and Man?
This dual nature of Christ is vitally important for a few key reasons:
- To reveal God: As the God-man, Jesus was able to fully make known who God is in a way no ordinary human ever could (John 1:18).
- To reconcile sinners to God: Only someone who was equally God and man could bring sinners to God. Jesus served as the bridge between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).
- To become the perfect sacrifice: In order to pay for our sins, an infinite sacrifice was needed. Only Jesus – as infinite God and a sinless human – could make atonement for sins once and for all (Hebrews 10:1-18).
- To sympathize as high priest: Jesus can fully empathize with human weaknesses and serve as our merciful high priest because he was made like us in every way, though without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
- To defeat Satan: Only Jesus, as both God and man, could conquer sin and Satan. The divine nature that Jesus retained ensured Satan’s defeat (1 John 3:8).
- To be an example: Jesus gave us a model of virtuous human life lived in dependence on the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 5:19).
In all these ways and more, the dual nature of Jesus was necessary to accomplish God’s glorious plan of redemption for humanity. This is a mind-blowing truth filled with deep theological and practical implications.
Jesus’ Humanity Allows Us to Identify with Him
A vital benefit of Jesus becoming human is that he can fully identify with our struggles and weaknesses. The book of Hebrews stresses this point:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
And again:
“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).
The fact that Jesus endured every human temptation and difficulty allows him to completely sympathize with us. He fully understands the battle against sin because he contended with it from within the confines of human experience. We can approach Jesus for grace, mercy and help in temptation specifically because he became like us (Hebrews 4:16).
Jesus’ Divine Nature Allows Him to Save and Sustain Us
Equally important, Jesus’ continued divine nature as the Son of God allows him to poured out God’s fullness into our lives. His deity is essential in providing what we need:
- Forgiveness – “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…” (Ephesians 1:7).
- New life – “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it” (John 5:21).
- Power – “…he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
- Guidance – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
- Provision – “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
- Eternal life – “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (John 10:28).
We rely fully on Jesus’ divine power and authority to save us and give us abundant life. His deity is essential for him to be our Good Shepherd who laid down his life for us and guides us to heaven (John 10:11).
Jesus Had to be Both God and Man to Accomplish Redemption
When we survey the totality of Christ’s redeeming work, we see why the God-man was absolutely necessary. Here is a succinct summary:
- Only the divine Son of God could reveal the Father perfectly to humanity (Matt. 11:27; John 14:9).
- Only as the divine Word could he uphold the universe and be the agent of creation (John 1:3; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3).
- Only as human could he live a perfect life under God’s law and represent mankind before God (Gal. 4:4; Heb. 4:15).
- Only as human could he die on our behalf and pay the penalty for our sins (Rom. 5:6; Heb. 2:9, 14).
- Only as the divine Son of God could his sacrifice have infinite worth sufficient to atone for the world’s sins (Heb. 9:14, 28; Acts 20:28).
- Only as divine could he conquer death in his resurrection victory (John 10:18; Rev. 1:18).
- Only as both God and man can he serve as mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6).
This abbreviated list displays why Jesus absolutely needed to have dual natures to accomplish salvation for humanity. As God-man, he alone could successfully carry out this wonderful plan of redemption.
Jesus Will Be God and Man Forever
Jesus remains both God and man even now in heaven. After his ascension, Jesus retained his resurrected human body – the same body that was crucified yet now glorified. The book of Acts describes Jesus ascending bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9). The apostle John saw a vision of Jesus as a lamb who appeared “as if it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6), bearing the marks of his crucifixion. This shows he remains in bodily form.
Several verses also directly state that Jesus continues as a man:
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
“We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
These and other verses make it clear Jesus still exists as a glorified man. Yet he equally remains divine as part of the Trinity. Jesus prays to the Father, a conversation between two persons (John 17). Jesus also affirmed after his resurrection that “all authority in heaven and on earth” was given to him (Matthew 28:18). This authority reflects his divine exalted position.
Therefore, just as Jesus took on two natures at his incarnation, he maintains those two natures eternally. He remains both God and man forever.
The Dual Nature of Christ is a Profound Mystery
In the end, the dual nature of Jesus – the God-man – is an astounding truth that stretches our finite minds. The great church father Athanasius summarized it well when he wrote:
“He was made man that we might be made God.”
Through Jesus’ fully divine and fully human nature, sinners can be redeemed, cleansed of sin, reconciled to God, and made partakers of the divine nature by grace (2 Peter 1:4). This is the magnificent, unparalleled beauty of who Jesus is. He is not merely a great moral teacher or prophet – Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). The God-man.
Fully appreciating this profound mystery exceeds our human comprehension. We must approach it with humility, wonder and faith. The dual natures of Christ express God’s wisdom, power and love poured out for our salvation. They display why Jesus alone is worthy of total glory, devotion and worship.
