The Humanity of Christ (Part 2 of 2)

The Humanity of Christ (Part 2 of 2)

Son of Man

     Just as the title the Son of God points to Christ's deity, the title Son of man emphasizes his humanity. The New Testament continually refers to Christ using both terms, thus cementing the truth in our minds that Christ is God and man. This truly remarkable truth is undeniable, unless, of course, one is blinded or hardened. The average believer has no difficulty in seeing the veracity of these doctrines. It is only the non-believer or skeptic who challenges, ignores, or attempts to debunk what is obvious to most.

      This is not to say that Christians have all the answers or understand how the two natures of Christ are joined together. We do not have to understand the mystery. Christians are called and commanded to believe. We do not know how Christ is fully God and man in one person, but we are eternally grateful that he is!

     The scriptures are clear- Christ is the Son of Man. “And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head'” (Matt. 8:20. “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins- he then said to the paralytic- 'Rise, pick up your bed and go home'” (Matt. 9:6). “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?'” (Matt. 16:13). “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mk. 8:38).

     “And he said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man'” (Jn. 1:51). “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (Jn. 5:26-27).

Sinless

     All of this would be pointless and futile if Christ sinned. Only a perfect and spotless substitute could propitiate the Father. Yet, he remained pure. Christ Jesus did not sin either by commission or omission. Christ went to the temple, but we have no record of him ever offering a sacrifice. Why? He needed none. Nothing had to die in his place to atone for sin- he had no sin! Jesus prayed, but we have no example of him ever asking for forgiveness. Why? He needed none. He never sinned, so he never had to ask for pardon. Likewise, Jesus never repented.

     Christ never did anything sinful. Not only that, but he also did everything possible to completely and fully obey the Father. He did all things right. We wish that we could go back in time and do something that we should have done or not do something we knew was wrong. Not so with Christ. He is perfect. He never once disobeyed, had a sinful thought, or said a sinful word.

    “Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth , why do you not believe me” (Jn. 8:46)? “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father” (Jn. 14:30-31). “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2Cor. 5:21).

      “For 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” (Heb. 4:15). “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Heb. 7:26). “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purity our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:13-14).

      We have been ransomed “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1Pet. 1:19). “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1Pet. 2:22). “You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin” (1Jn. 3:5).

      So many throughout church history have deviated from the truths that have been outlined. This is called heresy. Souls hang in the very balance. If Christ was not God, he could not save. If Christ was not man, he could not atone for sin and propitiate the Father. If Christ was not the God Man, we are hopeless and without salvation. Our eternal salvation, rest, hope, and joy depend on it!

      I will close the chapter by quoting from some important sources that combated these falsehoods. I do this only because they are both scriptural and strengthen the points that I have made.

     The Nicene Creed states that they believe “in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holt Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man...”

     The Athanasian Creed: “Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood. Who although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ.”

     The Baptist Confession of Faith (which echos very closely The Westminster Confession of Faith) chapter 8:2 says, “The Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father's glory, of one substance and equal with Him, who made the world, who upholds and governs all things He has made, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowing her, and so was made of a woman, of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of Abraham and David, according to the Scriptures; so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion; which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.”

     These extracts from creeds and confessions may seem wordy and outdated, but they are very precise. They had to be this way to defeat the errors they were fighting. Each word was chosen carefully in order to uphold and maintain biblical clarity, doctrinal accuracy, theological precision, and to achieve the maximum effect against the heretics- their utter defeat and frustration. They articulate truth- God's truth, as found in God's word. May God be praised for raising up men to defend the precious doctrines of the person of Christ and his glorious gospel against the hoards of Satan and hell!