WAS JESUS GOD OR MAN?
One of the biggest stumbling blocks for a thinking Christian is to figure out if Jesus was God or man. Was he fully God or was he one of the greatest prophets who ever lived? If he were both God and man, to what extent was he each of these? Four perceptions of Jesus will help us navigate this question.
Philosophical Perception: To make sure that we are thinking logically and asking the correct questions, it is important to look at the philosophical narrative. The Biblical account of creation gives us a uniquely viable explanation of the God-Man Jesus. Man has been created in the image of God, and so man is a subset of God’s being. This is important because unlike popular narrative and the philosophical foundations provided by other religions, one person being both God and man are not mutually exclusive from a Christian narrative. C S Lewis’ analogy of the man Jesus being a two-dimensional image in this world of the three-dimensional ultimate reality of the God-Jesus helps us understand how Jesus was both God and man at the same time.
Self-Perception: What did Jesus think about himself? He unequivocally stated time and again that while he lived his life here as a man, he was God. “I came down from heaven” (John 8:38), “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), are among the statements of Jesus that indicate that he was very clear in his mind that he was God. The term ‘Son of God’ was commonly understood in the Jewish context as referring to God in all his fullness. This was a term Jesus used to describe himself, and in response to the question from the Jewish religious Council, “Are you the Son of God?”, Jesus replied, “You are right in saying I am”.
Audience Perception: Unlike the ignorant prophets of the 21st century who pontificate that Jesus was only a great prophet, his audience in the 1st century, both supporters and detractors, understood that Jesus was referring to himself as God. His detractors were willing to stone him for his statements of equity with God and ultimately crucified him for the same reason. His supporters were willing to accept it and so did not shy away even from death for their discipleship. John wrote, “the Word (Jesus) was with God in the beginning and the Word was God……. the Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1). In Hebrews we read, “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of bis being…” (Hebrews 1:3). An honest interpretation of the Bible will leave us with no other conclusion than the fact that Jesus was indeed God.
Experiential Perception: The most remarkable proof of Jesus’ divinity is the real-life experience of those who believe. If Jesus were only a prophet, it would be left for us to adopt his teachings with our own strength and implement them. How burdensome and ultimately impossible that would be! The good news is that while we saw the man Jesus living a perfect life, and identifying with us in our sufferings, we also have the God-Jesus, who could not be contained by death, but rather rose again and lives today to help us in our faith journey. Christian discipleship is uniquely a journey that God enables, unlike other philosophies and religions, where we are on our own to make the impossible happen.
And so the conclusion is that Jesus was fully God and also fully man. He lives, and that makes all the difference!
