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How can Jesus be God and man?

How can Jesus be God and man?
God Son

TL;DR:

Jesus is fully God and fully man—something beyond human logic but clearly revealed in Scripture. Jesus had to be God to be the perfect, sinless Savior, and man to truly stand in our place and die for our sins.

what does the bible say?

Jesus being fully God and fully man is a mystery that stretches beyond human reasoning, yet it is clearly revealed in Scripture. Jesus Himself claimed to be God when He said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) and declared His eternal identity, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). At the same time, the Bible presents Jesus' full humanity through His genealogy (Matthew 1:1–16; Luke 3:23–38), His birth (Luke 2:7), and His real human experiences—hunger (Matthew 4:2), grief (John 11:35), exhaustion (Mark 4:38), and death (John 19:30). These two realities are not in conflict but are essential to His role as Savior. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, and the Old Testament sacrificial system required a perfect, unblemished offering (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 1:3), yet those sacrifices were never sufficient on their own (Hebrews 10:1–4). Jesus fulfills what those sacrifices pointed toward—He is both the sinless Lamb and the eternal Son of God who alone can fully save. Because He is fully God and fully man, Jesus is able to save completely and forever those who come to Him (Hebrews 7:25).

from the old testament

  • The only way to be right with God is to present a physical sacrifice of blood (Leviticus 17:11)
  • Only the blood of a pure animal with no blemish could be a proper sacrifice (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 1:3)
  • The offering of animals was not sufficient and had to be repeated daily (Exodus 29:36) and yearly (Exodus 30:10)

from the new testament

  • Jesus was a physical man, born of a woman (Luke 2:7; Galatians 4:4)
  • Jesus claimed to be God (John 8:58; 10:30). If He wasn't, He lied and was an ineligible sacrifice.
  • Jesus was born of God, not receiving the sin nature passed through men (Luke 1:35; Romans 5:12)
  • Sin and death come through Adam (Romans 5:12), but since Jesus had no earthly father, He didn't inherit a sin nature.
  • Christ was the perfect High Priest, both offering the sacrifice and becoming the sacrifice Himself. He was fully man, being tempted with sin, yet resisted (Hebrews 4:15)
  • There is no forgiveness of sins against God without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22)
  • The blood of animals could never fully save people (Hebrews 10:1-4)

implications for today

In order for Christ's death on the cross to truly save us from sin, He had to be both God and man. If He were only human, He would have a sin nature and be an imperfect sacrifice. Even if He were just a perfect human, His sin would only cover or atone for Himself. If Jesus were only God, He wouldn't be able to suffer and die. Thankfully, He is both.

Because Jesus is both fully God and fully man, we can trust that our salvation is completely secure and that He is able to save to the uttermost those who call on His name (Hebrews 7:25). He is powerful enough as God to save us fully from sin and compassionate enough as man to understand our struggles, weaknesses, and pain (Hebrews 4:15). All who trust in Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins have the assurance that their forgiveness is complete, their sin is fully paid for, and that their relationship with God is eternally secure—not because of what they have done but because of who Christ is—fully God and fully man—and because of what He has accomplished on our behalf.

understand

  • Jesus must be fully God to be the perfect, infinite, sinless sacrifice.
  • Jesus must be fully human in order to die for the sins of mankind.
  • While we cannot fully grasp how Jesus is fully God and fully man, it is nevertheless true and necessary for salvation.

reflect

  • How does it impact you to know that God Himself chose to die in your place?
  • How does it impact you to know that God became a man and understands all you going through?
  • How can you direct your worship to reflect on both Christ's divinity and His humanity?

engage

  • Jesus truly being both God and man: What does that reveal about the seriousness of sin and the depth of God’s love for us?
  • What do the Old Testament sacrifices teach us about why Jesus had to be both God and man?
  • How should our worship, trust, and obedience change in light of who Jesus is?

More Resources

Son What are the best arguments for the divinity of Jesus Christ?

What are the best arguments for the divinity of Jesus Christ?

Jesus’ divinity is demonstrated through the fulfillment of Old and New Testament prophecies, His authority to put into action miracles, His sinlessness, His death and resurrection, and His acceptance of worship as the divine Son of God. The evidence leaves no middle ground: Jesus is either Lord as He claimed, or not the Jesus of Scripture at all.
Son Did Jesus say He is God?

Did Jesus say He is God?

Jesus never said the exact words "I am God," but by His words and actions, He clearly claimed to be one with God the Father. Jesus is God incarnate who came to save us, inviting us to trust and worship Him fully.
Salvation Do we need to believe in Jesus as the Son of God to be saved?

Do we need to believe in Jesus as the Son of God to be saved?

Salvation requires believing that Jesus is the Son of God, fully divine and fully human. To deny Jesus' divinity is to reject the true Christ revealed in Scripture, the only Savior.
Salvation Jesus saves – What does this mean?

Jesus saves – What does this mean?

Jesus saves by taking the penalty for our sins, thereby giving us forgiveness, freedom, and new life. Because Jesus saves, we can be restored to God, which impacts us now and for eternity.