The Life of Christ Part 1

Prophet, Priest, King – all attributes of our Lord – His humanity

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

A Child is born, a Son is given. How many times do we miss this? A Son is given – as Deity, the Son has always been here, never had a beginning. The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was Christ, Captain of the Lord of Hosts who met Joshua before Jericho. He was the Fourth Man in the fire, that was Him. He also spoke out of the bush. A Child could not be given, and a Son could not be born. The Child had to be born and the Son had to be given. As Deity, He could not be born. He always existed.

Therefore, He had to come into Mary’s womb to birth the humanity of Christ. It was His humanity that was born, and His Deity that was given. You’ve heard, “Hail Mary, Mother of God.” She is not God’s mother. God does not have a mother. She is the mother of His humanity. (Proven by Scripture).

For unto us a Child is born, (man), unto us a Son is given (God). He is both God and man. As man He is equal to man. As God He is equal to God. The Bible calls Him the Mediator of the New Covenant. He is the perfect Mediator. Moses was the mediator of the old covenant, mediator of the Law. The Law was imperfect. Moses was equal with only one party (man), therefore, inferior.

Job 9:2 Job asks how can a fallen man be in relationship with a perfect God? Verse 3 says, “God could ask me a thousand questions and I could not answer even one of them.

Job 9:33 – “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand on us both.” One who could put one hand on God and the other on man. Some versions do not say daysman. They call the term umpire. It means one who can be impartial, not for any side more than the other, one who can pull both sides together, to work it out, and to pull both impossibilities together. Therefore, when Jesus hung on the cross and said, “It is finished!” He was referring to the Mosaic law. It was finished.

As Deity He existed eternally.

Micah 5:2 talks about “he who is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

John 1:1,2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” “In the beginning was the Word”. When the beginning was, Jesus had already been there. Notice “was” past tense.

Before the heavens and the earth, He already was (past tense). The uniting of humanity and deity (God becoming a man), is called “hypostatic union”. It comes from the Greek word “hupostasis” which is a compound word, “hupo” meaning “under” and “stasis” meaning “stands”. Literally it means that which stands under. It later meant foundation (tangibility, reality, substance).

This word is found in Hebrews 11:1 where it says, “Now faith is the substance (hupostasis).” Faith is substance, reality, something that can be seen.

Can you see why Jesus Christ is called the Hypostatic Union? It is because God who is immortal, invisible became tangible, reality, substance, something we could feel.

How can God tell me about Himself when He is so far up there and I’m so far down here? He came and took the form of a human body with five senses, something I could relate to, and someone I could communicate with. He was someone who faced the same things I face every day. That is the hypostatic union.

Look at the names of His humanity while He was here on earth. He was called Jesus and Son of Man. Jesus was the name for His humanity.

The name for His diety was Christ. If Son of Man was the name of His humanity what was the name for His diety?

That name was Son of God. When the Bible says Jesus did this or that it was referring to His humanity. Mary was the mother of His humanity.

In Matthew 1:16 we see these words, “and Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” She was the mother of His humanity.

In Matthew 2:1 it says, “now when Jesus was born”.

You’ll never see in any of the gospels “when Christ was born”. It will always say Jesus because His diety wasn’t born. He has always been. His diety could not grow up. His humanity grew up, but not His diety.

That’s why it says in Luke 2,”and Jesus grew in stature in favor with God and man.” It never says Christ grew. It ALWAYS says Jesus grew. It’s consistent. It always refers to Jesus when it refers to His humanity. When it talks about His diety, it refers to Him as Christ.

In the Word He asked the disciples, “Who do men say that I the Son of Man (humanity) am?” Then He asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter jumped right in and said, “Thou art the Christ, Son of the Living God!”

Jesus is the name of His humanity and Christ the name of His deity. So Jesus Christ is the name for His hypostatic union.

When Scripture says Jesus Christ one time and then Christ Jesus another time, why? Paul wasn’t dumb. John wasn’t dumb.

It refers to hypostatic union, but it is emphasizing at that time whichever name is named first. It is hypostatic union, but it is emphasizing His deity when the name Christ Jesus is used. (Emphasis on Christ). When the name Jesus Christ is named, it is again referring to hypostatic union, but His humanity is emphasized here (emphasis on Jesus), Jesus being the first name.

In the Word you can determine the thrust of the verse. If it is going from God to man Christ Jesus is named. If it names Jesus Christ then the action or thrust of the verse is going from man to God.

As an example, Philippians 4:19 “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Which way is it going? Of course it is God to man, (Christ Jesus).

Another example is Eph. 3:14- “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”(man towards God).

How are we to pray? Well we pray in the name of Jesus. You do hear some people pray in the name of Christ Jesus, or in the name of Christ.

But why don’t we see it in scripture? The answer is in the direction of the verse. We see in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, all of these terms are His humanity. It’s always listed this way. It is very simple, we approach the mediator in the name of His humanity who then turns as deity and presents it before the Father. If the Father wants to give me anything, He freely bestows, gives it to the Son (deity) and the Son turns to me (in His humanity) and gives it to me.

Ephesians 1:3-14 (KJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:3-14 – this tells of a conference of things given to a Son before the foundations of the earth. It was given to Him, but we share the inheritance. He was elected, but we are in Him. He is a King who is called King of kings, and we are kings under the King of kings as He shares it with me. Everything from God to man goes through a mediator. And everything from man to God also goes through a mediator. So when you pray, prayer should be in the name of Jesus (His humanity).

Another name for the hypostatic union is Son of David. Once Jesus was before a bunch of lawyers who tried to trick Him with a question. He said He would answer their question, but they first had to answer a question from Him. They replied, “all right, we will”. Jesus said, “Who do you say that I am?” They (looking at His genealogical pipeline) stated, “You are the son of David.” They know He is in the family of David.

Jesus said, “Fine, you think I am of the son of David.” Jesus said, “How could David referring to me say, ‘the Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’” They had to stop and think about that one. David had said it.

For the Lord to say to my Lord, He would have to be in heaven. To sit on the right hand of the Lord, He would have to be more than a man. He would have to be God.

That’s blasphemy they thought. He is saying He is equal with God, but He is the son of David. How could David say that? I don’t know. Someone standing there put it together, they knew, but couldn’t let it come out. And from then on they asked no more questions. They didn’t want to speak out what they were thinking.

Jesus is not 50% God and 50% man. He is 100% both. No one has ever existed like Him. He could satisfy the claims of both God & man.

What distinguishes Christianity? It is not a religion. It is a relationship. In grace, God does all the work and God gets the credit. In religion, man does the work, presents it to God, (man gets all the credit).

God did all the work. All God says to do is to believe it. There are types in the Word of Jesus Christ. (types of His humanity and of His deity).

Ark of the Covenant is made of two elements, which are: acacia wood (humanity) and gold (deity). The acacia wood was overlaid with gold. On the top was the mercy seat on which sat two cherubim. Their wings outstretched over the mercy seat and touched the other’s wings as they gazed down upon the mercy seat where the blood was sprinkled.

Inside the Ark sat three elements. They were: the tablets of stone (commandments), the pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded. All three of these are a type of sin. They all came from God and were perfect, but man got hold of them and they were perverted.

The tablets of stone (the Law) no one could keep them.

The pot of manna (provision) they rejected God’s laws and then rejected His provisions. They griped and complained all the time.

Aaron’s rod that budded which is a type of the priesthood. The people rejected it and went after idols many times.

So what do we have here? It is a picture of Jesus Christ carrying the sins of the world. They carried this Ark around and around and around. This was a type of Jesus Christ who would bear their sins. Jesus spoke from either His humanity, His deity, or from His hypostatic union.

He spoke from His humanity when in John 19:28 He said, “I thirst.” Why would that come from His humanity? Because God does not thirst or drink water.

In Luke 9:58, He makes another statement from His humanity when He said, “foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has not where to lay His head.” The term “Son of Man” gives it away.

Also in Psalm 121:4, God says,” I neither slumber nor sleep.”

To hear deity speaking we go to John 8:58 “before Abraham was I Am.” I Am is the name of His deity. It is the name He used from the burning bush.

When the Roman soldiers came to pick up Jesus and asked, “Are you He” He said, “I Am.” The King James says, “I Am He.” The He was added later. When He said, “I Am,” they all fell over backwards at the power of His words. You can’t stand up around deity, something has to give and it won’t be God.

Another statement of deity is found in John 10:30 when He says, “I and the Father are One.”

In Matthew 11:28 when He says, “Come unto Me (humanity) all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I (deity) will give you rest.” This statement is from the hypostatic union.

Another statement from deity is “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me (His humanity).”

His deity could not grow up, but His humanity did. The Bible says, “The child grew.”

He is the God-man. Luke 2:40 “And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him.” The humanity grew and the spirit mentioned here is His human spirit. He could not grow in deity because that was already as strong as it would ever be.

Luke 2:52 “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” (Humanity in view). You cannot teach God, but you can teach His humanity.

Hebrews 10:5 “ Wherefore when He cometh into the world He saith, sacrifice and offering wouldest not, but a body thou hast prepared for me.” From His deity He could say this, but from His humanity (a baby) He could not. When He died on the cross, it was the humanity that died, not His deity.

Hebrews 10:7 “Lo, I come, in the volume of the Book it is written of Me to do Thy will O God.” It means He came to fulfill all of the OT prophecy.

Hebrews 10:9 He takes away the first that He may establish the second (New Covenant). The humanity did all the work, but His deity is what saves you.

When He asked the disciples in Matthew 16:13, “Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?” He was speaking to His disciples from His humanity. He then asked them who do you say that I am? When Peter said, “You are Christ the Son of the Living God,” that is what saves you. They looked right past His humanity and saw His deity. It is when you see Him as more than a man, but as God.

Peter spoke well here, but a little later he inserts foot into his mouth. The baptism of the Holy Spirit straightened him out. He had been up and down, but the HS changed his life from that point on. Peter rebuked the Lord to His face and didn’t want Him crucified. He wanted the kingdom w/o the cross. People are the same today. They want it w/o the cross.

After the cross, the HS would abide with us forever. David prayed once “take not your HS from me.” That was a bonafied prayer back then because the HS could leave. After the cross, that changed.

Believe on His deity (to get saved), but the humanity did all the work. The wages of sin is death. We were in sin so there had to be an exchange. You cannot put a nail in deity so He had to take a human form. Then He could be nailed.

Here is an absurd question: What if deity did die? What good would that do? There had to be a substitute and He had to come as a man (to die). As deity, He could not die. In the Scriptures you will never ever hear Jesus say, “the Son of God must be crucified.” He always says the Son of Man. I repeat, the Son of Man, always.

These next few verses are verses that reflect his humanity.

Matthew 17:12 (KJV)
12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

Matthew 17:22 (KJV)
22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

Matthew 26:2 (KJV)
2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

Matthew 26:24 (KJV)
24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

I will now give you an example of his deity.

Matthew 28:1 (KJV)
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. Matthew 28:3 (KJV)
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

In Matthew 28:1-5 the brightness here is the glory of God. They fell down when the glory came and they became as dead men.

The Character of God – Attributes

Sovereignty
Absolute righteousness
Justice
Love
Eternal life (cannot die)
Omnipresence (always present)
Omniscience (knows all)
Omnipotence (all powerful)
Immutability (unchangeable)
Veracity (truthful, cannot lie)

To die contradicts every one of these points. Man is under a curse. How can man redeem me?

Leviticus 1:3- The sacrifice must be a male w/o blemish. How can you be born in this earth and not be blemished?

Romans 3:23-All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Look again. For all have sinned (past tense), and come short (present tense) of the glory of God.

Some mistakenly believe that they are born perfect (righteous) and then commit their first sin, thus becoming a sinner. The Word does not teach us that. You are born in a fallen condition and sin because you are a sinner. An apple tree produces apples because it is an apple tree. You produce sin because you are a sinner. The Word says all have sinned.

Thru Adam sin passed unto all men. People think they had nothing to do with it though. Does a child who dies go to hell? No, You are only accountable when you have the information. You cannot go for something you did not know about.

Rom.5:12 says By the sin of one man, sin and death entered into the world. Adam sold us out. God had to buy us back. Born again means born once in Adam, but born again of the Spirit, once physically, but a 2nd time of the Spirit.

Romans 5:18 (KJV)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Rom. 5:18-By the offence of one man Adam and the righteousness of one man, Jesus. 1Cor.15:21- For since by one man death (Adam), by man came also resurrection(Jesus).

In Adam all die/ in Christ all live. Every man is born a slave.

We are not to go around telling people what to do & what not to do. Change the nature & then watch the sin drop off. Get them to the Lord first. An apple tree will only produce apples. It doesn’t change overnight. Start by changing the nature and the person will begin producing what they are.

Everything produces after its own kind. That is a law. People produce after their own kind. Sin produces sin. Righteousness produces righteousness. All have sinned thru Adam.

Rom 5:12-By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men. 1 Cor. 15:21- For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead . Verse 22- For as in Adam all die ,even Christ shall all men be made alive.

Eve was the first to sin , but she isn’t given responsibility. The Word says In Adam all die, not in Eve all die.

Our answer is in found in 1 Timothy 2:13-14. For Adam was first formed, then Adam. (14)-And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. The woman was beguiled (deceived), but Adam was not. She was deceived, but Adam had a clear choice. He knew what God had said, but made a decision. They are both in transgression, but he is held responsible.

There have been 3 people born outside the slave market. They are Adam, Eve, and Jesus Christ. Adam & Eve were born free, but sinned and put themselves right into the slave market. Consequently, everyone born can trace their genealogy back to Adam and Eve (and the slave market).

By disobeying God, they set up their children to be born into the slave market. Everyone born from these two have been born into the slave market. A slave cannot free a slave.

A slave is born bankrupt and stays that way for his whole life. It takes a free man to free a slave. It takes someone outside the slave market to free a slave. It takes a man with financial means to do it. It takes a person with provision to buy that slave or to buy him back in our case. That is the essence of redemption, to buy back, to redeem.

Jesus Christ was the only one who was ever born who did not need to be born again. He was just like Adam & Eve in his humanity, but He was innocent. In Leviticus 1:3 it says the sacrifice had to be a male w/o blemish. Jesus was the only one who fulfilled that requirement. He was born outside of the curse placed upon mankind.

How could He be born outside of the curse? First, remember “as in Adam all die, in Christ shall all be made alive.” Do you see how that is worded?

Adam was the one who passed on the transgression, sin to all men. Spiritual death is passed on by the father, not by the mother. Man is the carrier.

Eve was deceived. There is only one way to be born into this world minus the imputation of sin, minus the old sin nature and outside the slave market. That is, to be born of a virgin, w/o a man. Jesus is the only one ever born who had no earthly father.

In Genesis 3:15 the very first prophecy says, “He will be born of the seed of the woman” (her seed) and the woman cannot pass it on.

Satan was thinking that whoever is born or anyone God chooses as a redeemer that satan already had him. He thought he had the trap set, but God just came through the back door and let Him be born of a virgin w/o a man. Satan knew the prophecies. He knew someone was coming. That is why he kept attacking the line of Christ so many times and the line of David. Now the attacks continue upon believers.

For Jesus to come and be the Redeemer, He had to do it the same way Adam did. By using His own free will. Jesus was also given opportunity to enter the slave market. How? In the temptation.