THE GOD-MAN CHRIST JESUS

By Nick Bibile

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."  I Tim. 3:16.





Jesus

Jesus is the  Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua or Jehoshua derived from the Hebrew " Jehovah is salvation"   "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.". ( Mt 1:21) He is the savior of the world.  There is only one saviour and that is God himself. "Even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour." ( Isa 43:11) God became man in Jesus, as he came to save his people from their sins.   "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Lu 2:11)

Christ

 This is the New Testament form for the Old Testament 'Messiah,' which means 'the anointed one.' According to the Old Testament, prophets, I Kings 19:16, priests, Ex. 29:7, and kings, I Sam..10:1, were anointed with oil, which symbolized the Holy By this anointing they were set aside for their respective offices, and were qualified for them. Christ was not anointed earthly oil but by the Holy Spirit. "....for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (Mat 1:20)  Lu 3:22 "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22) Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit for the threefold  office of prophet, priest, and king.

2. The Natures of Christ. The Bible represents Christ as a Person having two natures, the one divine and the other human. This is the great mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh,

Old Testament Prophecies of the Messiah

 Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

A child is going to be born, and this child is the lamb that is going to be slain, and this is not an after thought of God to send the child to the world but it was planned in eternity.    "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. " (Re 13:8)

 Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

He is the God who became a man.  The word that became flesh.
 Lu 1:31-33 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

 Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

 Mt 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

God Became Flesh.

There were heretics who crept into the church the Alogi and the Ebionites denied the deity of Christ in the early Church. Then Arius denied the deity of Christ as he regarded Christ as a demi-God.  In our modern Church the Jehovah's Witnesses, Iglesia Ni Chisto (Filipino Cult) and Unitarians and the Modernists deny his deity.

 Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The word did not have a beginning.  The Word was before the beginning. He was before all things.    "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Col 1:17) The word is the Son of God. The word was with God. It shows the distinction of the Father and the Son.

 Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Son who is God from eternity took upon himself man's nature. He was fully God and fully Man.  We will see some scriptures of his deity.

 Mt 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Joh 14:8-9  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

 Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

 Joh 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

 Mr 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
( Isa 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. )

 Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 Col 1:16 -17 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Joh 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

 Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

 Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

 Ro 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

 Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

 Re 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

 Re 1:17-18 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

 Re 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Christ received worship.
The Bible directly commands us to worship only God.
 Ex 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Also the Bible says, not to put any trust in a man. "Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm."(Jer 17:5)

Divine worship was commanded to Jesus Christ.
 "When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith; "let all the angels of God worship him." "(Heb 1:6) Men are commanded to believe in him, trust in  Jesus. Christ did not rebuke the disciples when they worshipped him.   Mt 28:17 "And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted."  "And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:"  Joh 9:38 "And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him." Dying Stephen prayed: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."(Acts 7:59) The administering or receiving of baptism in his name, is an act of religious worship, in which he is honored equally with the Father, and the Holy Spirit. (Mat 28:19)
 

Immutability.--"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." (Heb 13:8)

Omnipresence.--Christ promised to be with his disciples always, even to the end of the world,(Mat 28:20) and, not only at all times, but at all places: "Where two or three are met together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Mat 18:20) To fulfill this promise, he must be omnipresent.

Omniscience.--Jesus knew the thoughts of men, even while shut up in their own breasts. Other prophets had this knowledge communicated to them, by special revelation, on particular occasions; but Jesus had his knowledge at all times. "He knew all men, and needed not that any one should testify of man; for he knew what was in man."( John 2:25) To know the secrets of the heart, belongs peculiarly to Jehovah. "Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart." (Jer 17:10) Yet the power of searching the heart, is expressly ascribed to Jesus. "I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts." (Rev 2:23) Peter appealed to Christ, as knowing the secrets of his heart, and expressly ascribes omniscience to him. "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee."(John 21:17)

Omnipotence.--Paul, feeling his own weakness, desired the power of Christ to rest upon him; (2 Cor 12:9) and he conceived of that power as infinite, when he said: "I can do all things, through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philip 2:13) The omnipotence of Christ is manifested in the works which he performs, of which we shall presently speak more particularly. He claimed like omnipotence with the Father: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."(John 5:17) "What things soever the Father doeth, these also the Son doeth likewise." (John 5:19) "Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:27-28) In the prophecy already quoted from Isaiah, he is called "the Mighty God;" and in Rev. i. 8--11, he is called "the Almighty."

The Humanity of Jesus.

Apollinaris did not recognize His full humanity, but held that the divine Logos took the place of the human spirit in Christ. The Nestorians denied the unity of the two natures in one Person, and the Eutychians failed to distinguish properly between the two natures.

Jesus Christ had a human body. His was not a mere shadowy form of humanity; for, even after his resurrection, he said to his disciples, "Handle me and see me, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Luke 24:39) It was a real body that bore the weight of the cross, and was afterwards nailed to it. It was a real body that was pierced by the spear; and real blood and water issued from the wound. It was a real body that was embalmed with spices and laid in the tomb; and that afterwards rose from the dead. This body was human. It had the appearance and organs common to human bodies; was sustained by food, was subject to hunger and weariness, and needed the rest of sleep, like the bodies of other men.

He took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. He must be made like those whose law-place he assumed, and for whom he made himself a sacrifice.

. "He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Heb 4:15)

 Ac 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

 1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

 Joh 8:40 "But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham."

 Ro 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

 1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

Body and Soul.
 Mt 26:26 "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body."

 Mt 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

He grew physically and spiritually.
 Lu 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
 Lu 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

He went through sufferings.
 Mt 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
 Joh 12:27  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

Tired
 Mt 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
 Joh 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Agony of prayer
 Lu 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
 Heb 5:7-8  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Emotions
 Joh 11:35 Jesus wept.

He was a man yet without sin.
 Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
 Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
 Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
 1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
 1Jo 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Why he should be both God and Man?

It was necessary that Christ should be both God and man.  As man, he represented the elect of man, he was the last Adam. The first Adam was made upright and perfect so was the last Adam. The first Adam was the federal head of all humanity, the first Adam sinned and in him death came to all and all died. (Romans 5:12) Jesus was the last Adam, and he was our substitute, we violated the laws of God, disobedient to God, he as our substitute, did not come to break the law but to fulfill the law (Mat 5:17) and he was subject to the Father in full obedience as he came to do the will of the Father.  As a substitute he was our mediator. Why we need a mediator? Because we were at enmity with God, we were carnal. (Rom 8:7) we were the children of wrath. (Eph 2:3) Christ came as a mediator to reconcile us back to God.

He was also God, and as God the sacrifice of Christ had infinite value as  it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins, there remain no more sacrifice for sins. As God, he was able to forgive our sins, and remove our sins as from the east to the west.  Adam's righteousness was an earthly righteousness, but Christ's righteousness is the heavenly righteousness, it is the righteousness of God, it is the holiness of God. Not only our sins are forgiven but Christ's righteousness is imputed to us!  Heb 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

 Ps 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
 1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The Mystery.

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."  I Tim. 3:16.

This is a mystery, it was a mystery for Paul, and for us. God and man united in one person. He is the God-man, possessing all the essential qualities of both the human and the divine nature. He has both a divine and a human consciousness, as well as a human and a divine will. This is a mystery which we cannot fathom. Christ had a human nature.  He did not changed into a human person, neither he adopt a human person. But he is totally divine and he simply took upon himself a human nature.  He came as the mediator as the unchangeable Son of God.

 Php 2:6-8  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross

The God-man

 Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
 Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
John 3:13. "And no one hath ascended into heaven, but He that descended out of heaven, even the Son of Man, who is in heaven."

The Mediator.

As the mediator he is representing two parties, God and man. The mediator is in the middle.  The work of the mediator is reconciliation of the two parties, whose relationship is broken. God was hurt and he needs satisfaction,
Isa 53:11 "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." God was pleased to send his Son as the mediator and he was satisfied of his work on the cross, when Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" and we are thoroughly satisfied what he did on the cross for us, as now we are adopted to God and cry out to him by saying "Abba."

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