Why Did Christ Need a Human Nature?

INTRODUCTION 

With a thorough analysis of Scripture, it can be confirmed that Christ is both man and Yahweh, co-existing within one person. As revealed in the Scripture, he is both the revealing God and representative man.[1]

HISTORY 

On October 8, A.D. 451, a large church council was brought together in the city Chalcedon near Constantinople to attempt to solve the problems raised by the controversies over the person of Christ.[2] The council went against the heresies of Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and Eutychianism. By going against these heresies, they asserted that the two natures (human and divinity) were without mixture, without change, without division, and without separation. Attributes of both Deity and those of perfect humanity were maintained in Christ at all time since his incarnation.[3]

OPPOSING VIEWS 

            With the person and work of Christ come several views that oppose the traditional view found in Christendom. These views stem from the first century to the fifth century:

Docetism 

In the late first century, Marcion and Gnostics taught what is known as Docetism. This asserts that Jesus Christ only seemed to appear to be a man.[4] Although they deny the appearance of Christ’s humanity, they affirm that he had a divine nature. Found in the writing of 1 John 4, the apostle John refers to this heretical teaching. The teaching attenuates the incarnation, atonement, and Christ’s bodily resurrection.

Ebionism 

 This second century heresy rejected the deity of Christ. They believed that Christ was the natural son of both Joseph and Mary, denying his preexistence. This teaching asserts that Christ elected to be the Son of God at his baptism when he was united with the eternal Christ.[5]

Arianism 

A man by the name of Arius stemmed this heresy in the fourth century. This teaching denied the eternality of Jesus as the Logos. Because Jesus was begotten, he must have had a beginning. Furthermore, Christ was like God, but was not the same.[6] The Council of Nicea, 325, condemned this teaching. Today, cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses hold to a form of Arianism, asserting that Jesus is a god but not fully God.[7]

Apollinarianism 

This fourth century teaching, stemmed by Apollinarius “the younger”, affirmed that Christ had a human body and human soul, but had a divine Logos instead of a human spirit.[8] The divine Logos replaced the human spirit, causing Christ to have a divine mind and not a human one. It is not just the human body that needs salvation and needs to be represented by Christ in his redemptive work, but the human mind and spirit as well. Therefore, Christ had to be fully man to save believers.[9] Once the Council of Constantinople, 680, realized this, they condemned the teaching.

Nestorianism 

This heresy, taught by Nestorius, a known preacher in Antioch in the fifth century, asserted that Christ had two persons. Christ was a form of the union of two natures. His humanity had the form of Godhead bestowed on it, and the Deity took upon itself the form of a servant, resulting in the appearance of Jesus Christ.[10] The Council of Ephesus, 431, condemned this teaching.

Eutychianism 

This fifth century teaching, also known as “monophysitism”, stemmed by Eutyches, responded to Nestorianism, asserting that Christ only had one nature. This nature was a single mixed nature, indicating that the divine nature was not fully divine, nor was the human nature genuinely human.[11] The human nature of Christ was taken up and absorbed into the divine nature, so that both natures were changed somewhat and a third kind of nature resulted.[12] The council of Chalcedon, 451, condemned this teaching.

HUMAN NATURE OF CHRIST

It is important to establish from the Scripture that Christ did in fact have a full human nature and why it was necessary for him to be fully human.

Natural Birth 

In the early part of the Gospels Matthew and Luke, it shows that Christ was conceived and born of woman yet without a human father. Found in Matthew 1:18b, it states, “but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” Mary’s pregnancy is attributed to the agency of God’s Spirit. Unlike pagan religions, that claim their gods have sexual relations with women, this shows the creative power of God at work in Mary.[13] Furthermore, in Matthew 2:1, it states that Christ was “born.” This Scripture indicates that not only was Christ conceived but also had a natural human birth.

Human Weaknesses and Limitations 

Just as natural birth, Christ was subject to the same human weaknesses and limitations as mankind is. The following shows all that Christ was subjected to.

Human Body 

First, he grew through childhood to adulthood just as other children.[14] Luke 2:52a affirms this by stating, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Just as a human, Christ experienced exhaustion. John 4:6 states, “Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.” The journey for Christ had been a tiring experience, and the Scripture indicates that being exhausted, he sat down at the well.[15] While hanging on the cross, Scripture shows that Christ became thirty, stating in John 19:28, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.” Not only did he become thirsty, but his weakness is displayed by receiving hunger pains during his forty day fast in the desert, found in Matthew 4:2. It is said that during a prolonged fast, such as Christ’s, the feeling of hunger goes away after three or four days, only to return with renewed force by the end of thirty or forty days.[16]

During his persecution, while carrying a cross to Golgotha, Scripture indicates in Luke 23:26 that Jesus was more than likely weak from the beating he had endured beforehand, making it difficult to carry the cross by himself.[17] Following carrying the cross, the apex of his limitations in term of his human body is shown in Luke 23:46 when he died.[18] Lastly, Christ resurrected physically. Shown in Luke 24:39, Christ’s says, “see my hands and my feet, that is I myself.” Here he is showing them that he has flesh and bones and is not merely a spirit without a body.[19]

Human Mind 

Like humans, Christ had the same mind as the rest of mankind. Luke 2:52a states, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom.” Increasing translates from a form of the verb prokopto, which means “to progress” or “to advance.”[20] Therefore, just as mentioned previously about his body, Christ was also subject to growing mentally. He not only experienced knowledge increase, but his thinking capacity was limited as man as well. Found in Matthew 24:36, Christ confirms this limitation by stating, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” In his humanness, Christ was unaware of the day of his return in the Second Advent. Lastly, Hebrews 5:8 shows Christ learned obedience, “Although He was a Son, yet learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” As the God Man in human flesh, Christ had to learn what was involved in obedience. In this way, he identified with mankind.[21]

Emotions and Soul 

Part of Christ’s humanity included both emotions and a soul. The text of John 13:21 signify that Jesus was troubled in his spirit, stating, “When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit.” Jesus made a clear and emphatic statement, impelled by an overwhelming horror and agitation of spirit as he contemplated what was to take place.[22] Christ admits to becoming agitated in John 12:27a, enunciating, “Now My soul has become troubled.” Furthermore, In Matthew 26:38, Christ displays an act of great grievance in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’” Because Christ had to become sin, it was an unbearably excruciating prospect that made him sweat great drops of blood.[23]

Moreover, although found without sin, Christ was still tempted as any other human. Hebrews 4:15 states, “But One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” This emphatic statement implies that he was susceptible to all the temptations that are connected with the weaknesses inherent in the frailty of humanity.[24]

Reasons for Christ’s Humanity 

Although several aspects of Christ’s life show him with a human nature, there are several reasons why he had to be fully human.

Obedience Representative 

In order for man to become blameless before God, Christ had to be a man. By becoming man’s representative and obeying on their behalf, man is guaranteed to stand righteous before God. Romans 5:19 states, “Even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” The word “made” translates kathislemi and it carries the idea of constituting, or establishing. Christ’s obedience causes those who believe in him to be made righteous in God’s sight.[25] Therefore, believers are legally made righteous before God because of Christ’s obedience.

Substitutionary Sacrifice 

If Christ had not been a man, he could not have died in the believer’s place and paid the penalty that was due to them.[26] It states in Hebrews 2:17, “He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make a propitiation for the sins of the people.” The keyword in this passage is “propitiation.” This concept implies sacrifice, and, in this context, the propitiatory work of the Son consisted in the laying down of his life for others.[27] Christ’s humanity had to be a reality in order for a substitution to occur on behalf of the believer.

Heavenly Mediator 

1 Timothy 2:5 describes Christ as a mediator, stating, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” This function is fulfilled in two ways: first, by offering up himself as a sacrifice for sin and second, by interceding for his people in heaven.[28] Without this twofold action, there would be no atonement for the believer and no intercession on their behalf.

Man’s Example 

As Scripture indicates, Christ was a sinless man, who lived a perfect life. Because of his life, he set an example for man on how to live. 1 John 2:6 says, “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” The concept of being in Christ occurs about 130 times in the New Testament.[29] The amount of times the Scriptures shares about being in Christ gives an indication of how important it is. The examples he set ranged from how to pray, showing compassion for others, and living a life that is set apart from man’s natural depraved state.

















[1] Donald G. Bloesch, Essentials of Evangelical Theology (2 Volumes in 1) (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006), 127.

[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: an Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1994), 556.

[3] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: a Popular Systemic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, Ill.: Moody Publishers, 1999), 288.

[4] Ryrie, 289.

[5] Ibid., 290.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Erwin Lutzer, The Doctrines That Divide: a Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians (Grand Rapids, MI.: Kregel Publications, 1998), 28.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Grudem, 554.

[10] Ryrie, 290.

[11] Ibid., 291.

[12] Grudem, 555.

[13] Donald A. Hagner, Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 33a, Matthew 1-13 (hagner), 483pp (Dallas, TX: Thomas Nelson, 1993), 17.

[14] Grudem, 532.

[15] Gerald L. Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 1-11 (Nashville, TN.: Holman Reference, 1996), 201.

[16] John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Matthew (John Phillips Commentary Series) (The John Phillips Commentary Series) (Grand Raphids: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2005), 60.

[17] Grudem, 532.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] John MacArthur, Luke 1-5. (Chicago, IL.: Moody Publishers, 2009), 197.

[21] Warren Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament: Volume II, Ephesians-Revelation. (Colorado Springs, CO.: David C. Cook, 2004.), 292.

[22] George R. Beasley-Murray, Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 36, John (Second Edition), 2 ed. (Downers Grove, Ill.: Thomas Nelson, 1999), 237.

[23] John MacArthur and Jr, Matthew 24-28 (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1989), 173.

[24] William L. Lane, Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 47a, Hebrews 1-8 (Chicago: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 114.

[25] John MacArthur and Jr, Romans 1-8 (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1991), 307.

[26] Grudem, 540.

[27] Lane, 66.

[28] James Montgomery Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith: a Comprehensive & Readable Theology, rev. ed. (Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 1986), 301.

[29] John Phillips, Exploring the Epistles of John: an Expository Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2003), 47.