Jesus: His Nature Revealed

An Account of Nature

Over the centuries much conjecture has been made over the nature of Jesus; His humanity and His divinity.

Some of the apocryphal accounts posit Jesus as a baby to have divine powers as that of baby god. Some of this account found in what are known as the infancy gospels speak of a Jesus who kills two boys for medial reasons, strikes a pair of neighbors blind because they complain about Him, only to later bring them back to life.

Such accounts have no stock in truth and are simply fantastical accounts of those who do not understand the very nature of a Jesus who is eternally begotten of the Father.

As we uncovered last week a being who is in an eternal relationship with the Father as Son. Never having not existed eternally God.

The nature of Jesus is then something we must come to terms with that we may not fall victim to some of the heretical views as those who would believe Jesus to only be human or those who would see Him as only divine.

The Nature of Jesus is one with the Father which allows us to receive the nature of the Father.

Jesus is God from the Start

John 1:1 declares it and positions it so clearly it would seem there to not be a need to review but in the event the is a doubt lets look at;

Philippians 2:5–6 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

Paul is speaking to the Philippians encouraging them to be obedient to be humble to put on the image of Christ to serve the Lord.

Refers to the nature of Jesus

Form; speaks to the internal and external characteristics

From the beginning Jesus’ very nature is the same as God.

Equality; speaks to the identical and inherent qualities of God that are found in Him.

The need to know this is the base from which we will operate. Nothing else can be known about His nature unless we can accept this as truth.

There was never a time that Jesus was not

Jesus is God

He does not count it as something to be Grasped(held violently)

Laying Down Majesty

John 15:13 ESV

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus explains to the disciples something critical that He does and will expect us to do as it relates to His nature

the concept of laying down one’s life.

no one will violate His will as no one will violate our will as it relates to Him

If His life is taken divinity is in question,

John 10:17–18 ESV

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

I voluntarily chose to lay down my life.

As He can lay it down He can take it back up… yet He chooses to remain in a condition that is contrary to His nature.

That is being found as human form during this time He has laid down a part of Him to be like us.

Choice to lay down, yet He lays it down.

Human and Divine

Philippians 2:7–8 ESV

but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

There is an emptying of the self (literally what the text means)… but then puts on the likeness of humanity by being born into humanity

Author explains Jesus lays down all of the divine attributes to the maximum degree until the time of humiliation is complete.

Became obedient to the point

Death: the first of which come with the laying down of His nature to become just like us… to be tempted and tried like each of us.

Death: the destruction of this physical temple in order to be found in the nature that remains for Him

Jesus did not go around refilling His bottle when Mary could not… He was not forming clay pigeons then bringing them to life. Take notice of when Jesus’ ministry begins...

Luke 3:23 ESV

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

That is He does not start operating in divinity until about this time.

Not that He is not God yet in this part of His being He has laid down His majesty until He would be able to pick it back up...

How difficult a task this must have been in His full humanity to have the power to pick up His divinity and yet choose to remain in our condition.

Listen to what is being said… its not that He could not pick up His divinity but as has been stated that He chose to stay this way in order to show us how we are to lay down our life until the time in which the Lord will bring us into glory

Matthew 26:39 ESV

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

His full humanity here on Display

He was willing to stay in this condition until the Father raised Him.

He was not willing to violate the will of the Father but to remain obedient. In the same manner we are asked much the same lay down your will to die to yourself… that in this others would find themselves in the Kingdom

for Jesus;

Philippians 2:9–11 ESV

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We see a Jesus who from the start is creator of Heaven and earth… all things are created by Him for Him and through Him… yet this divine being through the process of kenosis lays down or sets down His nature to put on our nature with the full scope of being able to trust in the Father to restore Him once more… that in being obedient He dies to Himself His very nature to be born of a woman… and remaining obedient in not picking up His divinity until the Father’s time…

His very nature makes a path for us to be found in Him and having been found in Him we would be restored to the Father as He Has been.

His humanity must trust in the Father to make all things new in Him… this is the cause for the tears in the Garden… His humanity wants to surrender… this is why He was able to be tempted in the dessert.

Today we have a captain of our faith who is worthy… to whom all authority is given… He went through as human to show us what we are to do… In Him the power to pick up His divinity but in His obedience to trust the Father.