Jesus as God and Man

One of the most important and debated questions in human history is: Who was/is Jesus? People have argued about it for centuries. Was he just a good teacher? A wise religious leader? A special person sent by God? Was he a very spiritual and smart human or was/is he actually God himself? The Bible answers boldly: Jesus is both fully God AND fully human. We call this the mystery of the incarnation (which means “in the flesh”). This is not just a theological idea for scholars to debate; it is at the heart of what we believe as Christians and what gives us hope. In today’s reading, the writer of Hebrews helps us see how Jesus’ unique role as both God and human gives us incredible confidence to come close to God ourselves.

Explore: Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Journal

1. What is God saying to me? Which verse is most significant?

2. What would I like to discuss/explore further?

3. What do I need to do?

4. According to this passage, how does Jesus being both God and human help us?

Reflect

The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is our "great high priest." In the Old Testament, the high priest was a human person who mediated between God and His people, offering sacrifices for sin and representing the people before God. But Jesus surpasses all human priests because he is both fully divine ("Jesus the Son of God" 4:14) as well as fully human (“tempted in every way just as we are” 4:15).

This passage highlights the incredible implications of Jesus' dual nature. Because he is human, Jesus can "empathize with our weaknesses" (4:15). He experienced hunger, tiredness, grief, pain, and temptation. Just like you. There is nothing that you have been through that Jesus cannot identify with. He gets you. At the same time, he "did not sin" (4:15), maintaining His perfect righteousness that allowed him to represent humanity. As a real human, Jesus experienced incredible temptation, but He never yielded.

Because Jesus is God, he has "ascended into heaven" (4:14) and sits at the right hand of the Father, with all authority. All the God decisions that impact our world are made there. And because he is human, Jesus represents us there. This gives us confidence to "approach God's throne of grace" (4:16), knowing that Jesus understands us completely and advocates for us perfectly.

The doctrine of Jesus as fully God and fully human (known as the “hypostatic union”) is difficult for us to get our heads around. We can tend to see Jesus as a very godly man or as a very manly God. But both are completely true. In Christ, heaven and earth meet. God and humanity are reconciled. The infinite gap between Creator and creation has been bridged. This is the foundation of both our salvation and our confidence in prayer.

Pray

Lord Jesus, I’m amazed that You, the eternal Word and Creator, became human for me. Thank you for leaving the glory of Your throne and stepping into our world of pain, temptation, and struggle. Because You lived as a human, You know what I’m facing. Because You are God, You have the power to help me. Thank You for being my perfect high priest and for representing me before the Father. Help me to approach God’s throne with confidence, knowing that You are always there for me. Amen.

Respond

Think about a struggle or temptation you're currently facing. Take a moment to talk to Jesus about it, remembering that he understands exactly what you're going through. Write a brief prayer in your journal expressing both your need for Jesus and your confidence that He can help because He is both God and man.

Written by Dan Sweetman