GOD THE SON CHRISTIANITY 101

The Dual Nature of Christ Lesson 6

OPENING DISCUSSION

I had a discussion with my friend, who said that Christ in His human nature was incapable of sin or of succumbing to temptation. I thought He was fully susceptible to the temptation to sin—but did not. What does the Word say about this?

  1. WHAT KIND OF SAVIOR DO WE NEED?

Romans 6:23a. For the wages of sin is death…

  1. One who removes ______

Matthew 5:48. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

  1. One who supplies ______

Galatians 4:4,5. When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Hebrews 2:14. Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.

  1. Therefore, the Savior we needed had to be a MAN in order to ______

______

Psalm 49:7,8. No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him—the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough.

  1. But He also had to be GOD for His perfect life and sacrificial death ______

______

  1. WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

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

1 John 5:20. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

1a.The Bible calls Him ______

Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

John 21:7. The third time He said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."

1b.The Bible teaches that He has the ______

John 2:11. This, the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him.

John 5:23. [All should] honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him.

1c.The Bible shows that He does the ______

1d.Therefore, Jesus Christ is ______

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

2a.The Bible calls Him ______

Hebrews 2:14-18. Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

2b.The Bible teaches that He has the ______

2c.Therefore, Jesus Christ is also ______

3.Jesus Christ is the Savior we all need; He is both ______and ______

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

  1. The Son of God has always been in existence, even before Creation.
  2. Jesus Christ was never tempted to sin against God the Father.
  3. While on earth Jesus Christ was God masquerading as man.
  4. All Christians believe that Jesus is both true God and true man.

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION

  1. Why is it so important that Jesus is “one with the Father from all eternity”?
  2. What do we mean by saying that Jesus took a “complete” human nature?
  3. How could Jesus have been born a true human being and yet have been sinless?

MEMORY TREASURE

Colossians 2:9. In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.

THE SECOND ARTICLE OF THE APOSTLES’ CREED – FIRST HALF

(GOD THE SON = REDEMPTION)

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

What does this mean?

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord.

CLOSING PRAYER

Almighty God, in mercy You sent Your one and only Son to take upon Himself our human nature. By His gracious coming deliver us from the corruption of our sin and transform us into the likeness of His glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

I had a discussion with my friend, who said that Christ in His human nature was incapable of sin or of succumbing to temptation. I thought He was fully susceptible to the temptation to sin—but did not. What does the Word say about this?

This subject has intrigued and troubled many Christians for a long time. It is not a silly or frivolous question since it deals with the person of Jesus Christ and the union of the two natures in Him.

The Bible clearly leads us to see that Jesus was really tempted just like we are, but that He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). This fact highlights His human nature, to be sure. Jesus was truly human and really tempted. This was no pretending.

But the person of Christ is unique and in addition to His human nature He also had His divine nature. As God, or according to His divine nature, Jesus could not be tempted (James 1:13) nor could he sin.

Being both God and man at the same time and in a unique way that surpasses our full comprehension, Jesus laid aside the full use of His divine characteristics and prerogatives for a time in order to carry out His work as our substitute. He was truly tempted and subject to temptation but as God was ultimately incapable of sinning. We let both truths stand side by side. Our task is not to plumb the depths of Christ's unique person but to rejoice in what He did on our behalf.

What We Believe: Questions & Answers

Why is it so important that Jesus is “one with the Father from all eternity”?

Such a statement clearly proclaims the biblical truth that Jesus is fully God, coequal and coeternal with God the Father. Jesus beautifully teaches that truth in Revelation 22:13 when He declares about Himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

The concept is important because of what it assures us about our salvation. Jesus is God and came to earth to rescue us from sin and death. Only God could provide that rescue. The suffering and death of Jesus was payment for all the world’s sin because He is “one with the Father from all eternity” (John 1:1,2). No mere human sacrifice would have been enough. The plan of God to save sinful humans is not wishful thinking by humans who are unable to solve the problems of sin and death. It is the plan of God who came to earth to accomplish it. In addition, Jesus came as “one with the Father from all eternity” to teach us what God wanted us to know. Jesus is not just some ethical teacher or example of virtue; He is God, and His words are the words of one who knows God and is God.

Richard L. Gurgel. This We Believe: Questions and Answers, pp.67-68

What do we mean by saying that Jesus took a “complete” human nature?

We say that Jesus had a “complete” human nature because He possessed a true human body and soul no different from ours—except that He was without sin. This simple truth is very important. In order for Jesus to be our substitute, He had to be flesh and blood like us. “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:14,17).

Richard L. Gurgel. This We Believe: Questions and Answers, p.68

How could Jesus have been born a true human being and yet have been sinless?

There is no other explanation than that the same miraculous power of the Holy Spirit that enabled Him to be born of a virgin also enabled Him to be born without the inherited sinful condition that has been passed down to us from Adam and Eve. Notice how closely the angel Gabriel joins the one miracle with the other as he announces to Mary how she, a virgin, would be able to give birth to a son: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Richard L. Gurgel. This We Believe: Questions and Answers, pp.68-69

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