Preaching Notes for "Fully Man": April 11^th 2010

Begin with creating a problem – False views of the Person of Christ picture.

Object Lesson: Four Cups – All of them filled to the same height. Show the cups. Mention that the water represents the amount of diety that Jesus shares with the Father and the Spirit. Leave two cups alone. In the third cup add some colored water and notice what happens to the whole cup. In the fourth cup add some oil. Which one represents Jesus addition of humanity to His nature? Humanity was added to what already existed which created two natures – fully man AND fully God? The blended cup has the idea of a third nature which is not fully God or fully man.

The humanity of Jesus is as essential to the Christian faith as his deity. The New Testament teaching is that Jesus is truly God and truly man in the fullest sense of the terms. In His Person is a union of two distinct natures -- human and divine. In this union the two natures did not combine or confuse so as to produce a unique, third kind of nature; nor was there a dual personality. Rather, the product was a single unique Person, a Person with two natures. Jesus is truly human in every essential aspect. Indeed, Jesus, being sinless, is the most authentic human being who ever lived.

The Text Part One: Hebrews 2:5-18 (Page 1864)

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? HEB 2:7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet." [Psalms 8:4-8]

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

HEB 2:10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." [Psalm 22:22]

HEB 2:13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." [Isaiah 8:17-18]

HEB 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-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.

17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that (1) he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that (3) he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, (3) he is able to help those who are being tempted. [1 Corinthians 10:13 – there is a way out!]

Only as man can Jesus truly represent men to God, (Heb. 2:17). He understands our lives because He has lived it also, (Heb. 2:18). Because He understands, coming to Him we "obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need," (Heb. 4:15-16). As man He provided for us the pattern for living as men, (1 Pet. 2:21).

The Humanity of Jesus Christ http://www.gospeloutreach.net/humanjc.html

The Second Text: Philippians 2:6-7 page 1827

"Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7).

At the Incarnation – taking on humanity-, Christ took on a second nature -- a human nature. The pre-incarnate Christ had one nature (divine); the incarnate Christ had two natures (one fully divine, and one fully human). One of the clearest passages in Scripture concerning the two natures of Jesus comes from John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, (i.e. Jesus) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Moreover, the Word took on human flesh (John 1:14).

In His humanity, Christ experienced the temptations and pains that we face -- hunger, thirst, grief, and ultimately, death. It was the man, Christ, who experienced the temptations of this world, yet was without sin: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

In Control!! While on earth Christ did not cease from being fully God, but rather, Christ submitted to the will and power of the Father. On earth Christ never exercised His deity independent of the Father's will.

We need His humanity!! Jesus paid the price to set us free by becoming a man, living a sinless life, and then dying on the cross in our place. Christ's two natures -- one divine and one human -- are forever inseparable. His bodily resurrection demonstrated this inseparability.

All cults deny the true deity of Christ. Many deny His true humanity. They claim that Jesus was not really tempted since, after all, God cannot be tempted. These cults fail to grasp the clear teaching of Scripture -- that Christ, who was fully man and fully God, shared in our humanity so that He might redeem us.

1. ↑ John H. Leith, ed. Creeds of the Churches, 3rd edition (Louisville:John Knox Press, 1982), 34.
2. ↑ http://www.biblicalanswers.net/subordination.html
3. ↑ Sources found here.
4. ↑ Available here
5. ↑ http://www.carm.org/doctrine/2natures.htm
6. ↑ "Can God be God if the Incarnation is Permanent?", by Jason Dulle. http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/godbegod.htm
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "The Issue Between Monophysitism and Dyophsitism." http://www.ninesaintsethiopianorthodoxmonastery.org/id21.html