The Two Natures of Jesus Human and Divine

The Two Natures of JesusHuman and Divine Jesus Christ Course Document # TX001250

The Doctrine of the Incarnation affirms that Jesus was a real man. Jesus was truly like us in all things except sin.

The Joys and Trials of Human Nature • Jesus experienced both the blessings and the difficulties of human life, just as we do. • Jesus’ fully human life sanctifies (or makes holy) every part of our own lives. • Because of the Incarnation, the blessings of our lives – like friends, family, and the beauty of nature – are signs of God’s presence.

Jesus Never Stops Being God • At no point does Jesus cease to be God. • At all times, Jesus remains the Son of God and the Second Person of the Trinity. Image in public domain

Jesus: A Faithful Jew • Mary and Joseph bring Jesus up in accordance with Jewish laws and traditions. • Jesus’ circumcision is a sign of his incorporation into the Abraham’s descendants, the people of the covenant. • Jesus’ human heart felt joy, happiness, temptation , and pain. Image in public domain

Practicing His Faith • In the Gospels, Jesus celebrates Jewish holidays. • He often travels to Jerusalem to mark these occasions. • He uses direct quotations from Scripture when talking to the scribes and Pharisees. • In order to teach the Sadducees about resurrection, he draws on a story about Moses and the burning bush. Image in public domain

Politics in First Century Palestine • Jesus lived in Palestine, which was the name the Greeks had given to Israel. • Rome controlled Palestine. • They used Roman money and encountered Roman soldiers on the street. • The Romans used the threat of torture to keep people in line. • King Herod killed innocent babies. Image in public domain

Religion in First Century Palestine • Many other religious practices existed, including Jewish, Greek and Egyptian. • Even in this pluralistic context, Jews existed as a religious minority. Image in public domain

How Can This Information Help Us? • We can marvel that Jesus barely escaped death as a baby. • We learn that tax collectors were hated agents of the Roman Empire, yet Jesus calls one to be an apostle. • We learn how the Romans valued violence and economic oppression. Image in public domain

How Can This Information Help Us? • We appreciate how Jesus challenged Roman society by blessing peacemakers, the meek, and the persecuted. • He reached out to women, the sick, and the poor. • Jesus’ faithfulness to his mission brought him into conflict with the religious and political leaders. Image in public domain

Jesus: Union of Human and Divine • At the time appointed by the Father, the Son of God became incarnate. • The Second Person of the Trinity did not stop being God to become man. • Christians call this the hypostatic union. • Both natures, human and divine, are fully present. Image in public domain

Early Church Councils • Helped to clarify several false teachings including: • Arianism – which said Jesus was a creature/more than man but less than God. • Nestorianism– which said Jesus existed as two separate persons - one human and one divine. • The Council of Chalcedon in 451A.D. formally established the doctrine of the hypostatic union. • Why Does hypostatic union matter? Because we experience Jesus’ divinity through his humanity. Image in public domain

Jesus as Lord • In the Old Testament, God reveals his name to Moses as Yahweh. • Out of respect for God’s holiness, the Israelites refer to God as Adonai, which means Lord. • When we address Jesus as Lord, it demonstrates the recognition of the divine mystery of Jesus. Image in public domain

Jesus as Redeemer • In the Roman world, a ransom was paid to buy the freedom of a slave. • The person who bought the ransom was the redeemer. • Guided by the Holy Spirit, early Christians began to reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ death. • So early Christians taught that Jesus paid the price to ransom us from our slavery to sin. Image in public domain

The Two Natures of Jesus Human and Divine