The Human Nature Of Christ Essay Example for Free

The Human Nature Of Christ Essay Obvious to all was the need for a saviour. The Gentiles needed a Saviour but the Jews wanted a King that would restore the Kingdom to Israel. Men waited eagerly for divine intervention in the ugly course of human history that has been marred by series of wars and perpetual ‘coups and countercoups’. From the Assyrians, Medo-Persians, the Greek, the Babylonians to the Romans Caesars who laid heavy tax burden on the inhabitants of their territory. Men and women, elders and children earnestly longed for the salvation of man from the shackles of Kingdom leaders and the bondage of sin. Prophecies had being made about this Saviour for the Jews and the whole world: in the synagogues and temples, these were read to them on the Sabbath and many knew that a man would save. (Isaiah 9:6). They went to the Baptism of John with the true assurance and trust in that ministry that announced and prepared the heart and minds of all for the Saviour’s arrival. They knew about Him. They had heard readings about Him in the Scripture and they drew closer to His formal appearing. John the Baptist, made an excellent entrance in the scene preparing their totality to receive their Saviour. (John1: 6-9) But their interpretation of this message was diverse. They asked: When would he arrive? What would He look like? How would He come? How would He save Israel and the world? Soon, the Incarnate Word and Saviour arrived through the Virgin birth. Although born in a manger, He was the Christ, the Messiah. He had a mother Mary and his earthly father, Joseph was a man of integrity with listening hears for God and willing heart to obey. He lived in a family. He even learnt the trade of Joseph: carpentry. He played with the children in the courtyard and so, they knew him as the brother of James and John. Their neighbors in Nazareth saw him a number of times assisting Joseph with orders. He, ate, traveled, and wept, felt hungry, agonized deeply, during his ministry that lasted slightly over three years. Then, he died a shameful death like that of a thief on the Cross. He was also equal with God: He was God himself. He was both Human and divine, but now with a resurrected and unblemished body and seated at the right hand of the Father. He is the Advocate of those who believe in and have confessed His Lordship. He is the Impartial Judge that would judge all men according to the works they have done in the body. (Revelations 22:12) THE NATURE OF MAN Man is a tripartite being with three entities in one: the spirit, soul and body. Different theologians over the years have spent time, engaged in research to fully comprehend the elusive nature of the dichotomy of soul and spirit. Of these, it is important to note that three entities that make a total man are entrenched in His nature. This understanding is important in coming to a reasonable and logical conclusion on the humanity of Christ. Man is a spirit being, he lives in a body and has a soul. The spirit is the quintessence of a man: it is this part that has connection to the spiritual world. It is the core of the living soul. The spirit of a man is the avenue for contact with the spirit of God. A man without this spirit is dead: He is like the molded man without the breath of God. â€Å"In your soulical parts are at least three dominant areas or ‘worlds’. The first world of the soul is the mind, your thought centre. The Second tremendous element within you is your emotional life. The third world of the soul is the area of decision, your willpower† (Sumrall, 1970) The soul of man is made up of mind, emotions and will. These three are interwoven and work in quick succession and sometimes overlap. The mind avails man the opportunity to think; emotions, the ability to feel; and willpower, the capacity to decide and be true to such choices. The Body includes the anatomy of real human body. This is subject to the outputs of the soul. It includes all the parts of the body: eyes, nose, hands, legs, head, abdomen, thorax and neck etc which are used in fulfilling intended desires. THE FALL OF MAN At the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, man experienced a spiritual death: the spirit was cut off from its direct and perpetual contact with the Spirit of God. â€Å"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without from and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters† (Genesis 1: 1, 2) In this vein, man was ‘without form and void’, and darkness was upon his soul. He had lost contact with heaven. He sold his birthright to the devil and was burdened by this darkness. Already within him was already planted a worship tendency. However, God was far from him to worship. As a result, the soul was placed perpetually under the influence of darkness, under the tutelage of the devil and his cohorts. The activities and outputs of the soul antagonized the program of God. Man’s heart was turned against his creator. This necessitated a Saviour to restore man back to his Eden position. PATHWAY OF REDEMPTION Throughout the Old Testament, God sent and used his chosen prophets to teach, warn and instruct the world. A hallmark of the restoration pathway available at that period was the sacrificing of animals as atonement for sins. God has been interested in man’s salvation and his unfailing love made the offering of this sacrifice acceptable as penance for evil acts. It was important to hear God and do his will. In order for this to be achieved, there has to be an entrance into the Presence of God in holies of holies of the temple. Preparations were made so that appearance before God was holy and acceptable. Until this is done, it is difficult to communicate with Heaven. Priests were prepared for this task. Everyone was also involved, having being purged by the blood of the sacrificed animals. THE CLIMAX OF REDEMPTION Man needed more than the blood of goats and ram: God’s love was expressed perpetually through His prophets over the years throughout the days of the New Testament. God shows His Love towards us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for all. To show His love towards us, God sent His Only Begotten in the fullness of time to come and show man the true and only way to live for their Creator and fulfill the Intended Purpose He had for them. (John 3:16) Before the resurrection, Jesus Christ who lived among first with His family and later with His chosen Disciples, demonstrated to man the lifestyle that is truly acceptable to God; He submitted to the father’s will at every and all situations because the Father and Son are one. He did what He heard from the Father . He had embedded in His person the Divine Nature which accomplished supernatural things on Earth. He showed to man the depth and strength of God’s love. THE DUALITY OF CHRIST’S NATURE Let’s start this with the Nicene Creed of 325: ‘We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, and Maker of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, 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 [both in heaven and on earth]; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and in the Holy Ghost. † Jesus Christ was divine and human; He expressed His Divinity in diverse capacities: He forgave sins; was omnipotent healing the sick and all that were oppressed of the Devil; was asserted as Messiah by His disciples, was omniscient knowing all things including the intents of the Scribes and Pharisees before they uttered statements; was omnipresent both on Earth and in the presence of the father in heaven; walked on water against the Law of Gravity. He was accused of blasphemy because He claimed to have existed before Abraham (Matthew 26:63) This Claim that Jesus Christ is God was affirmed throughout the writings of the Apostles in the New Testament: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1). He was described as the Creator of the Universe, the soon coming king and the Impartial that would judge the whole world, attributes that are totally divine and belong to God. (Hebrews 1). This was not refuted by Him when Thomas addressed Him as ‘My Lord and My God. (John 20:28). This confirmed His Messianic reality and the indwelling Divine nature. HIS HUMAN NATURE â€Å"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold our profession. For we have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. † (Hebrews 4: 14, 15 ) â€Å"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only Begotten of the Father,), full of grace and truth† (John 1: 14) â€Å"Let this mind also be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 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 the as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the Earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. † (Philippians 2: 5-11). With the two verses sited above, it is sufficient to come to a reasonable conclusion that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour of the Jews and the Gentiles: that Jesus was and is God, the Word of the Father incarnated in the flesh, made like us, lived like us; that Jesus felt all we felt: He was hungry and the fig tree suffered for lack of fruits to quench the hunger. He wept for His friend, Lazarus (John 10:35). He felt the heavy burden of agony in Gethsemane and Golgotha. He felt rejected and forsaken on the Christ; that Jesus had the form of man: He was man, everything man. Although, it was shame for Him to leave a glorious abode in heaven and take the shape of a fallen man, but He had to do to correct the errors of Adam and birth in all men who believe in Him, a new heart and a living soul. He proved to the Devil that God’s Love is His nature and reigns supreme; that the God is both full of Love yet Just, that He is kind, yet impartial, that He is good, yet fearless. Christ Jesus, the Son, took on the form of man to save him. He humbled himself, yet did not deny His Divinity. He Humbled Him even unto the shameful death of the Cross. And the Cross, His death and ultimately His resurrection confirmed His Purpose on the earth. He died and rose: rose up by the power of the Spirit, and so became a quickening spirit. Christ Jesus rose up proving beyond reasonable doubt that He could save man. The Apostles saw this and were strengthened in faith. The Devil and death could not hold Him down like all others who had gone before Him. He won the battle and rose up, and now is seated at the right hand of the Father. He is seated in the place of power and authority, the angle of the Judge of the World. (Ephesians 1:20-23) Let all who believe in Him and live today say He is God. Let all declare that He was man, but now with a resurrected body, seated as the Head of the Church. Let all man proclaim Him as Lord for He is Lord. No greater evidence exists than the writings of eyewitnesses of this Glory. Let all men declare Jesus Christ as Hosanna, to Him is all the glory, honor, power and Majesty. (Revelations 4:11). Having examined different approaches available both in medieval and contemporary times about the Human nature of Christ, I come to this conclusion: the Apostles knew who they believe; they experienced his power and glory and were convinced about His Divinity and Human Nature. They preached Christ as the risen Lord, and even sacrificed their lives for the cause. The significance of the Waiting at the Upper room can not be overemphasized. They obeyed and received power. (Acts 1:8). They were bold and courageous because He that dwelt in them was greater than all opposing forces in the world. They got an indispensable witness, the Spirit of Light that showed them the Past, led them in their writings and comforted them in their times of distress. He quickened their mortal bodies and conformed them to the glorious Image of the Christ. Having fought a good fight of faith, they won, even at the death post. That victory is evidenced by believers all over the world who now declare that Jesus is Lord, to God’s Glory.