The Two Natures of Christ

Before moving on with our story of Jesus' life on earth, I stopped to talk a little about the dual nature of Christ, who was 100% man and 100% God. We talked about how this is a mystery. We talked about other mysteries in our doctrines - the Trinity, one God in three Persons, or the Lord's Supper, where we partake of Christ's body and blood even if His body is in Heaven.

Then we talked about heretics. A heretic is someone who claims to follow a religion but teaches something different. I explained how some people tried to explain the dual nature of Christ by saying that he was really a man with just a lot of God's spirit in him. Others said that he was really God but looked like a man. Those are both heresies because it's very clear in the Bible that Christ was both God and man.

Justin asked why anyone would teach something that is not in the Bible. I told him that usually this happens when human beings try to explain some biblical teachings that God didn't mean for us to understand fully. We know that Christ was fully man and fully God but we don't know how and we don't need to know. We saw how God's plan of salvation not a mystery because that's something that we need to know.

We also saw how all heresies about Christ's nature are harmful to our understanding of salvation. If Christ was only a man (with a lot of God's spirit him him), he was born with the original sin and could not save us. If Christ was only God (but looked like a man), then he could not save us because only a man who had lived a perfect life could die for the sins of other men.

We saw that a clear understanding of the two natures of Christ is important when we read about Jesus' early years on this earth. As a man, there were things that he didn't know. He was not born with the knowledge of how to walk, feed himself, or go potty. That's why he grew in stature and wisdom. We talked about how he was not like Superman in the original movie, picking up trucks (or, in Jesus' time, camels) and being surprised at his own strength. Jesus never used his powers unless it was to accompany a special revelation.

At the same time, as God, Jesus knew and understood many things that men didn't understand. That's why he amazed the doctors of the Law in the temple. And, as he explained to his parents in that occasion, he was fully aware of His mission on earth.

In Luke 2, we read that his parents didn't understand what he said, although Mary treasured those things in her heart (as she did after Simeon's prophecy in the temple). We talked about how living with his sinful parents was for Jesus another part of his humiliation and even suffering. We read that after he amazed the doctors of the Law in the temple, he returned submissively with his parents to Nazareth.

If there was ever a teenager who knew more than his parents, it was Jesus! Without a doubt, he must have suffered unjustly when they lost their temper (as I am sure they did at times, being sinful). Even worse, he knew the full weight of their sins in the eyes of a perfect God. But he submitted. His sufferings started at his birth.