How many natures did Jesus have?

TL;DR:

Jesus is fully God and fully human at the same time—one Person with two complete natures. His divinity was never diminished by His humanity, and His humanity was fully real, making Him the perfect bridge for our salvation.

what does the bible say?

The Son of God was eternally God (John 1:1; John 17:5; Hebrews 1:3). Before His incarnation (entry into humanity), He had one divine nature. At a specific time in history, He was born as a human (John 1:14; Galatians 4:4). At that time, He added on a human nature (Philippians 2:6–7; Hebrews 2:14). From that point on, He exists in two natures forever, being fully God and fully human at the same time (Colossians 2:9).

While our understanding of how this all works is limited, there are a couple of key points. First, Jesus’ divinity was not tainted or affected by His humanity. If it had been, Jesus would have ceased to be God. Second, Jesus’ humanity is not tainted by His divinity. If it had been, Jesus would not have been truly human and therefore could not die for our sins (Hebrews 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:15).

At the same time, Jesus’ divinity and humanity cannot be so separated as to make Him two people. Historically, this has been understood as the “hypostatic union of Christ.” That is meant to say that Jesus has two natures, neither mixed nor divided. Holding both of these points is critical to faith, as any deviation changes what Scripture teaches about who Jesus is.

from the old testament

While the question of Jesus’ two natures is largely a New Testament topic, the Old Testament indicates that He would have both human and divine natures. Starting in Genesis 3:15, we learn that humanity’s Redeemer would be an offspring of the woman. We also read that He would be a physical descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:12–14) and born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). Each of these set the expectation of a Savior who would be fully human.
Yet, of that same Individual, we learn that He would be called “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6c). David, his human ancestor, referred to Him as “Lord,” saying that He was seated at the right hand of the LORD, a sign of shared divine authority (Psalm 110:1). Daniel noted that He would come on the clouds of heaven (Daniel 7:13), something that only God does (cf., Psalm 104:3; Isaiah 19:1).

from the new testament

In John’s Gospel, he opens by saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1–3). By “the Word,” He meant Jesus. He was saying that, before creation, the Word already existed, was fully God, and the Creator.
He then said, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The eternal Son of God added on humanity (flesh). Paul explained that, “although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6–7, NASB). Being in the “form of God” referred to His divine nature, whereas “taking the form of … men” referred to His addition of a human nature.
Jesus did not cease being God at that point. For example, Paul noted that “in [Jesus] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Jesus noted that He and the Father were one (John 10:30) and that seeing Him was the same as seeing the Father (John 14:9).
Though Jesus was fully divine, that did not change His human nature. The reason Jesus came was to be a sacrifice for human sin. If Jesus’ humanity was not real humanity, then His death was not sufficient for our salvation. Indeed, the author of Hebrews said, “he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). Jesus had to be like us. He also remained human after His death. See, for example, Luke 24:39 (resurrected as human) and 1 Timothy 2:5 (present tense humanity).

implications for today

Though Jesus had two natures, He is one Person. That is, His two natures are in union with one another. Theologians call this unity the “hypostatic union.” It is an attempt to explain how they are unified as well as possible. The “hypostatic union” is best summarized in the Chalcedonian Creed (AD 451), which states that Jesus is “recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.” This hypostatic union is the foundation for salvation.

Salvation is based on Jesus being both fully God and fully man. Being fully God means that He is the eternal and sinless Creator who holds everything together. Being fully man means that He is also truly human. His dual nature, thus, allowed Him to bridge the gap between God and us.

We needed just such a bridge because we are sinful. Being sinful means to be in rebellion against God and under His just judgment. God is merciful, but cannot simply overlook sin, or He would stop being just. This is why He sent His Son, Jesus. When He added on humanity by being born into this world, He became (and is) the only sinless human. Being sinless meant that He did not deserve death, since only sinners are punished with death (Romans 6:23a). However, He did die to pay for sin.

However, that was not a carte blanche payment for sin but only for those who repent of their sin and trust in Christ. The rest remain under the wrath of God (John 3:36). If you have not yet turned from your sin and trusted in Jesus’ death, we encourage you to do so now. Because He was truly human and truly God, His death was enough to pay for your sin. However, that offer has a limited window. Either you will die, or Jesus will return. Either event brings God's judgment upon unbelievers. So turn and believe while you still can!

understand

Jesus is one Person with two distinct natures—fully God and fully human.
The eternal Son did not lose His divinity at the incarnation but added true humanity to Himself.
Both natures remain complete and united in Him forever, without confusion or division.

reflect

Why does it matter that Jesus is not partly God and partly human, but fully both?
How does knowing that Jesus is truly God and human encourage you in your weakness and suffering (see Hebrews 4:15)?
How does understanding the hypostatic union challenge you to view His sacrifice on the cross as fully sufficient for your salvation?

engage

How might misunderstandings about Jesus’ two natures lead to incorrect beliefs about salvation or His authority?
Why was it necessary for the Savior to be both fully God and fully human to accomplish redemption?
How do passages like John 1:1–14 and Hebrews 2:17 help guard against misunderstandings of Christ’s identity?