Jesus, the Son of God, is eternally divine and never ceased being divine (John 1:1), but in His incarnation He took on a real human nature and lived a truly human life (Philippians 2:6–7). Thus, Jesus has two natures: a divine one and a human one. The relationship between the two natures is key. They are joined in one Person and yet not mixed. This means that Jesus’ humanity was true humanity, not a divinely enhanced human nature. Just as we grow and mature, so also did Jesus in His human nature.
Because He is fully God and fully man, His growth in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52) reflects His genuine human development. In His humanity, Jesus learned, matured, and experienced life as we do—yet without sin—making Him the perfect representative and substitute for us (Hebrews 4:15). Luke’s account of Jesus at twelve years old shows both remarkable wisdom and ongoing growth, highlighting that even while amazing teachers, He still matured over time (Luke 2:41–52). This mystery, often described as the union of two natures in one Person, preserves both His full divinity and full humanity without confusion or compromise.
Jesus' true humanity was essential because only a fully human, sinless Savior could die in our place and bear the penalty we deserved (Romans 3:25) and only a person who is truly divine could die in the place of the entire world. Jesus’ growing in wisdom and stature does not diminish who He is—it reveals the depth of His humility and the reality that He stepped fully into our world to redeem us from within it.
While it’s
difficult for us to understand how Jesus can have two natures and be fully
divine while also fully human, His dual nature is important to understand to reconcile passages where Jesus expresses very human attributes. Because He is a real
human, He also grew like a real human. His growth in wisdom is just such an
example of how Jesus is just like us in His humanity.
It’s vital that
we don’t forget His humanity. While it’s true that He is eternally divine, it is
because He is also human that He could die as a sacrifice for us. Every other
human except Jesus was born sinful and is sinful (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12). The
wages (just punishment) for sin is death (Romans 6:23a), so all of humanity is
born dying. After they die physically, left on their own, all people will then die eternally, bearing God’s
wrath against their sin.
Jesus, however,
was not born sinful and never sinned in word, thought, or deed. It is because
of that Jesus was suitable to be a sacrifice for other humans. Being truly human
meant His death was a true human death. Being perfect meant that He had no sin
to pay, so His death could be credited as paying the sin of others. Thus, when Jesus
died, He died as a propitiation, a blood sacrifice that appeases the wrath of
God (Romans 3:25).
If you are
reading this and are not yet a believer, know that Jesus’ death has not been
credited to you. You are still spiritually dead in your sins and, when you die,
will awaken to face God’s eternal punishment. So, we implore you to repent
while you still can. When you do, God will count Jesus’ death as paying for
your sin, and He will credit you with Jesus’ righteousness, counting you as
perfect. You will then stand saved from God’s future wrath against His enemies!
If you are reading this and are a believer, this truth should deepen both your confidence and your devotion. Just as He matured in His humanity, we are called to grow in faith, obedience, and dependence on Him. We do not grow to earn salvation, but to be shaped more into His likeness over time so we can better reflect Him. Are you actively following Him—growing as He grew, trusting as He trusted, and living in the power of the salvation He secured for us?
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