The Dual Natures of Jesus Christ
by Bryan Carlson
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man in one person and will be so forever (Grudem 529). This means that Jesus has two distinct and inseparable natures, one divine and one human. The divine nature of Jesus is characterized by His eternality, omniscience, omnipotence, and all other attributes of deity. This nature of Jesus is without beginning or end and is eternally one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus' humanity is clearly seen in His birth (Luke 2:7), His life (Luke 2:52; John 4:7-8), and His death (John 19:1-3; 17-18, 30-33). He was conceived in a human womb and was delivered as any other human baby. He grew, ate, wept, drank, and experienced all of the other aspects of human life. He was scourged, wore a crown of thorns, was nailed to a cross, bled, and had His side pierced.
Jesus' deity is also clearly seen in His birth (Matt. 1:18), His life (1 John 3:5), His death (Rom. 5:8; Isaiah 53:5), and His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-8). He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, lived a perfect life completely without sin, and His death has the power to save us from our sins. After three days, the stone was rolled away and He conquered death and sin. While living on this earth, He possessed attributes only God could have (John 5:18; Heb. 7:26) and was given names and titles of deity (Isaiah 9:6). Colossians 2:9 says, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." This means that Jesus is fully God in every way. In John 1:1, it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This verse affirms that Jesus is God. Hebrews 1:3 also says, "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power."
The reality of the dual natures of Jesus Christ is crucial for salvation because it provides a way for us to be reconciled to God. Jesus, as the perfect God-man, was able to live a sinless life and to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross. By His death, He satisfied the righteous demands of God's justice and made it possible for us to be forgiven and to receive eternal life. Romans 8:3-4 says, "For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering." Hebrews 10:12 also says, "But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God."
Furthermore, Jesus' dual natures make Him the perfect mediator between God and man. As both God and man, He is able to understand our struggles and temptations and to intercede on our behalf. This truth is expressed in Hebrews 4:15-16, which tells us that we have a high priest who is able to sympathize us as He "has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” We are now able to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." In this way, Jesus not only offers us forgiveness of sins but also provides us with the necessary grace and strength to overcome sin and live a life that is pleasing to God. As believers, we can trust in Jesus as our mediator and advocate, knowing that He always intercedes on our behalf and stands as our perfect representative before God.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 529-567.
