The Person of Christ

John 1:1-18

The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is a divine mystery, beyond the comprehension of the human mind.

Matt. 11:27 says, “No man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and He to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.”

We must not attempt to analyze or speculate.

We must not approach the Person of Christ like chemists with our test tubes and reactors analyzing all the mysteries of Christ.

Neither must we approach our blessed Savior like physiologists with our instruments dissecting His personality.

Let us read the Word under the influence of the Holy Spirit and approach Him as disciples and worshippers.

The Scriptures speak of Christ in three ways.

1. His deity

2. His perfect sinless humanity

3. The union of these two perfect natures at His incarnation.

This has been called the hypostatic union.

His Deity

There are scores of passages in the Bible which declare the full deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 10:38; 14:9-10.

“I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me.” “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”

He Himself claimed to be God. He said, “I and My Father are One.” “Making Himself equal with God.”

He claimed complete equality with God. John 5:18, 23.

He claimed to be the Life-giver—the Resurrection—John 11—the Judge of all men—John 5. He claimed to forgive sins. Luke 4.

The Jews clearly understood these claims, and attempted to kill Him for alleged blasphemy.

Three of the attributes of Deity are:

Omnipotence—Omniscience—Omnipresence.

The Gospels record 35 miracles which Christ performed, which proved His

Omnipotence=‘All powerful’

These were performed principally in four spheres.






(1) Bodily healing

Leprosy—centurion’s servant.

(2) Forces of nature

Walking on water—stilling the storm.

(3) Demon possession

Man of Gadara.

(4) Death

Lazarus—Power over Disease-Demons-Death.

From John we learn that Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book. John 20:30.

Omniscience=‘All Knowing’

As a child of 12 years He astounded the teachers of His day with His wisdom. He knew of His Cross-work “Mine hour is not yet come.” Several times He mentioned his death “Mine hour is come.”

In John 2 it is stated that “He knew all men” and again “He knew what was in man.” “He needed no one to testify of man” etc.

John 16:30 His disciples bore witness. “Now we know that thou knowest all things.” “Thou knowest all things” etc. Peter.

In keeping with His omniscience, He is declared to have the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:30. In Him was the fullness of the Godhead.

Such phenomenal qualities could not be ascribed to even the wisest of prophets. They constitute another proof that He possesses all the divine attributes of Deity.

Omnipresence=‘Everpresent’

The fact that the Lord in His infinity is present everywhere in the total of His deity is clearly stated in many Scriptures.

See Psalm 139: 7-10 Whither? From Thy Spirit—Presence—Heaven—hell—uttermost parts—darkness.

The omnipresence of God is ascribed to Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:20 “And lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” Prison Camp. To every servant of His. “I will not leave you comfortless”

Then He promised to indwell every believer. John 14:18, 20, 23.

This would be impossible if He were not omnipresent.

Peter Thou art the Christ. Thomas—demons.

Martha Thou art the Christ.

This truth is also confirmed by His experience with Nathaniel. John 1:47 “Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile.” Nathaniel said, “How do you know me?” Jesus said, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Matthew 18:20 “Where two or three…there am I in the midst.” Transfiguration: The God of the dead and the living.

Hebrews 10:12; Malachi 3:6. Let us now consider His immutability. Christ is immutable in that He never changes as stated in the classic passage of Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same” etc. “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

Then there is the eternity of the Son of God.

The doctrine of the eternity of the Son of God is the most important doctrine of Christology, because if Christ is not eternal then He is a creature who came into existence in time, and lacks the quality of eternity and infinity which characterizes God Himself.

Those who accept the Scriptural testimony as inerrant find ample proof to support the conclusion that Christ is not only eternal but that He possesses all the attributes of God.

His appearances in the O.T. referred to as theophanies also provide historical evidence of His existence before Bethlehem. Abraham—Hagar—Jacob—Moses—Gideon.

The prophets spoke of the Child who would be born in Bethlehem, “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2.

Isaiah 9:6 The Lord is declared to be not only the “mighty God” but the “everlasting Father” which means “Father of eternity.”

This doctrine is also substantiated in the N.T.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word” etc.

John 8:58 “Before Abraham was, I Am.”

The God of a dateless past—changeless present—endless future.

The pre-existence of Christ is also taught in the N.T.

John 3:17 “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world.”

This implies that the Son of God existed before the incarnation.

John 6:38 Jesus said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.”

John 17:5, 24 Christ speaks of His preincarnate glories.

The Humanity Of Christ

If the deity of Christ is a divine mystery the humanity of Christ is equally so.

1 Timothy 3:16 “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in flesh.” Babe of Bethlehem—Ancient of days—Father of eternity.

The Scriptures speak of His body Matthew 26:12 “She has poured this ointment on My body.”

His soul Mark 14:34 “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful.”

His spirit John 13:21 “When Jesus had thus spoken He was troubled in spirit.”

In His body of flesh He suffered pain (Cross)—fatigue (no where to lay his head).

He also felt the pangs of hunger (Wilderness)—thirst (Jacob’s Well)—He wept (O Jerusalem)—had compassion (sheep without a shepherd)—agonized (Gethsemane).

As a perfect Man He was never sick. He was not Joseph’s son. As God He healed the sick. Power over Disease—demons—death.

He was not mortal man in that He was subject to death, but He submitted to death on our account. John 10:17 “I lay down my life, that I may take it again.”

Philippians 2:7 says “He emptied Himself.” “Made Himself of no reputation.”

What did that involve?

When He became man did He cease to be God?

In His humility He did not lay aside His divine attributes, this is clearly seen in the Gospels.

In incarnation He never acted independently, but always in complete harmony with His father and the Holy Spirit. John 14:10; Matthew 12:28.

Every activity of the Godhead is always the Holy Trinity acting in unison.

It is the Father Who purposes.

It is the Son Who carries out these purposes.

In the energy of the Holy Spirit. He never ceased to be God.

One expositor defines the emptying as “He stripped Himself of the insignia of majesty.”

“Divested Himself of His visible glory.”

His Godhead glory was veiled or covered by a veil of flesh.

John 1:14 uses the illustration of the Tabernacle in the wilderness in saying literally, “He pitched His tent among us.”

Outside were the badger skins—inside, the pure gold.

John says, “We behold His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Transfiguration

The emptying consisted of an addition, rather than a subtraction.

He took the servants form while still retaining all the attributes of deity.

The Union Of The Divine And Human Natures

The Scriptures present Christ in incarnation as possessing two perfect natures—the human and divine.

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.”

This indicates His humanity and deity.

This is further illustrated

1. Mark 4:38—He is tired and sleeping in the stern of the boat.

In Verse 39 He rises from sleep—rebukes the wind and the sea and commands the storm. A great calm.

2. John 11:35 we read that “Jesus wept.”

In Verse 43 as the Resurrection and the Life He commands the dead man, “Lazarus come forth.” Matthew 1: 21, 23 Jesus—Emmanuel.

These two perfect natures must never be separated.

He is and ever shall be the God-man.

While our Lord had two natures, He is never considered a dual personality.

The normal pronouns, such as I, Thou, He are used frequently.

From the Scriptures I gather that the incarnation was not a temporary arrangement which ended with His death and resurrection.

His human nature continues forever. His earthly body also has been transformed and suited for heaven.

The continuance of His humanity is reflected in such passages as Matthew 26:64 where it is stated that Christ will sit on the throne of His glory, and return to earth as the Son of Man.

“Henceforth you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

That Christ will continue in this body throughout eternity is first demonstrated in the resurrection. His body was raised and prepared for heaven.

Secondly, He was received bodily into heaven.

Thirdly, He will return bodily to earth.

Fourthly, His body is the pattern of the body of believers who are raised or translated.

“This same Jesus will so come in like manner as you have seen Him go.”

    “The heavens shall glow in splendor,

    But brighter far than they

    The saints shall shine in glory,

    As Christ shall them array;

    The beauty of the Savior

    Shall dazzle every eye

    In the crowing day that’s coming By and by.”

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible the only wise God”, etc.