Tonight, we look at the doctrine of Jesus Christ. And there is much that we could say regarding Jesus Christ, both who He is and what He's done. This doctrine is called Christology, and we've been looking at several Christological Themes, doctrines of Christ, and the catechism on the back page of your bulletin, which I commend to you for this week to reflect upon, to think, to ponder over in family worship, speaks to several things, but one of them that we want to address tonight is the importance of Jesus being fully God and fully man. Fully God, and fully man. First, what this does not mean. It does not mean that Jesus is fully God and appeared to be man. Also what it does not mean. That Jesus became sort of half God and half man. Also, what this does not mean. That Jesus was fully man with some God-like powers. The Word of God and the traditions of creeds and confessions that the church has confessed down through the ages are right to remind us, to proclaim to us, to invigorate us to take joy in The reality that Jesus is fully God. All that the Father is, the Son is, except the Son is not the Father. All that the Spirit is, the Son is. Except the Spirit is not the Son and the Son is not the Spirit. Fully God. And yet, fully man. I just want to read several passages of Scripture and then look at a few of them and we'll be finished. Take just a moment and turn in your copy of God's Word to 1 Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy 3 and verse 16. The Word of God reads as follows, And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. And then there is a colon there. What is this mystery of godliness? God was manifested in the flesh. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. God was manifested in the flesh. Who is this? Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Notice what it says. God was manifested in the flesh. God was seen. God became. God was shown to be in the flesh. We'll come back to that passage in just a moment. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 9. Colossians chapter 2, and I encourage you to jot these down. Some of them are listed for you in the catechism, because you might have people ask you why you believe what you believe. A confession may say it, a creed may say it, a pastor may say it, but does the Word of God say it? Another passage, Colossians 2 verse 9. To pick up, look at verse six, as you therefore have received Christ Jesus, the Lord. So we're speaking of Jesus. So walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Not some of the fullness of the Godhead, not parts of divinity. But all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power. So 1 Timothy 3.16 and Colossians 2.9 are two texts which point to the truth of the church down through the ages that Jesus is fully God. and fully man. One other text. Romans 9, verse 5. Here we pick up the Apostle Paul's lamenting over Israel, over the Hebrews, over the Jewish people and their rejection of Christ. There's one verse that he speaks to when he discusses Christ. And that's what we want to see. Look at verse 1 of Romans 9. I tell you the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen, according to the flesh, who are Israelites, To whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises. Topic for another sermon, but Paul is weeping for his people because they are rejecting Christ. The topic for another day, but I can't resist. Do we? Do we weep because our own people reject Christ? But look at verse five. of whom are the fathers, and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is overall the eternally blessed God." Now this verse is very important. We don't want to take it out of context. Paul is speaking about all that comes through Judaism. The promises of the old covenant. You see there, The Israelites, to whom pertained the adoption, glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and what else? From the flesh, Christ came. Jesus, promised all the way through the Old Testament, came through the Hebrews. Born of a virgin. The great, great, great, great grandson of Abraham. Christ, the man, came. But in the same breath, what does Paul say? Who is overall the eternally blessed God. the eternally blessed God. There was a moment in time where Jesus Christ put on flesh. He became fully man, and yet, He's always been eternally blessed God. Well, what does this not mean? This verse alone means that Jesus Christ has always been. There are some who have put forward the idea that Jesus became Jesus 2,000 years ago, meaning He began, that the Father adopted or had a son 2,000 years ago. But Jesus, the eternal Son of God, has always been. He wasn't created. He wasn't adopted from a whole host of individuals and made to be the Christ. He's always been the eternally blessed God. Whatever you say of God, infinite, glorious, unchanging, all-powerful, all-knowing, that you must say of the Son of God. And yet, at a moment in time, from the Hebrews, He becomes fully man. So what do we say of Christ in relationship to the Godhead? We must say of Christ, the man in relationship to you and me. You have a soul. You have a body. So does the man Jesus Christ. You have ears and eyes. and a mind and a will, so does the man, Jesus Christ. Whatever can be said of God must be said of the Son of God. Whatever can be said of human beings, save sin, must be said of the Son of God. Fully God and fully man. Well, let's look at one other text and glean a few practical applications. Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. Look there at verse 14. Well, actually, let's pick up the context in verse 10. Hebrews 2 verse 10, For it was fitting for him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one. for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Let me pause here. When you hear someone say that Jesus Christ is our elder brother, this is the scriptural warrant to do so. It almost sounds too familiar. Well, I can't call Jesus my brother. He's my Lord. He's my savior, but he is pleased according to the word of God to call you brother and sister. If you're in him, saying, I will declare your name to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you." Boy, I wish I had time to preach three sermons tonight. Hebrews 2.12 shows us who the worship leader is of the church. Jesus. It's not a man standing behind a pulpit waving his hands. It's not a man in jeans and a shirt playing a guitar. Those are human beings, hopefully providing God-glorifying lyrics. But who is it that leads the church in the praise of the triune God? It's Christ. In the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you. And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, here am I and the children whom God has given me. Now let's look at our text. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same. that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed he does not give aid to angels." Why the mentioning of angels? Well, in Hebrews chapter 2, the writer is having to convince the readers Jesus is superior to angels. But he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things, he had to be made like his brethren." Boys and girls, we don't use that word very much anymore. Brethren is a way of saying brothers and sisters. He had to be made like his brothers and sisters that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted." Well, we could spend hours here, beloved. We will not, but we could. Think about the truths in this text. Let's just mind them quickly. We've said Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He's one person with two natures. Boys and girls, it's very important that we remember that Jesus is one person with two natures. A divine nature and a human nature. And that helps us when we think about interpreting passages of scripture. For instance, when Jesus is praying in the garden, boys and girls, shortly before he dies on the cross, and he says to the Father, not my will, but your will be done. What's not happening there is the God part of Jesus has one will, and the God part of the Father has another will, therefore there's two wills in God, and Jesus is sort of saying, I'm going to make my God will less than yours. That's not at all what's happening. God is one God with one will. Why then is the preacher getting a little excited? Because this truth helps us to rightly interpret passages when Jesus says, not my will, but yours be done. It is the man, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who is saying as the perfect, God-glorifying Redeemer and human substitute with a human will, I want what you want. This doctrine helps us to understand passages of the Bible. But this leaves us with questions, doesn't it? I mean, the catechism can say fully God and fully man, you can read that later, but don't you think that maybe this causes some contradictions? I mean, we've learned together as a church, you've learned in your walk that God is infinite. He knows everything, there's nothing for him to learn. He doesn't change, and yet Jesus did. The scriptures say Jesus grew in wisdom. acknowledge. He was a two year old and a three year old and eventually became a 31 and a 32 year old. There was change, but God doesn't change. God is immortal. He cannot die. But Jesus died. James 1.13 says that God cannot be tempted. And yet we know Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. So understanding that Jesus is fully God and fully man helps us to understand these contradictions. We see the Son of God being fully God, and yet often we read of things that only make sense. He's also fully man. Well, let's look at Hebrews 2.14 and following and we'll finish. Hebrews 2.14, He's partaking of flesh and blood because we are. Notice what it says, Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same. Jesus Christ was fully man. Notice that Jesus is said to have taken on flesh because we share in flesh. But look at the next few verses. He shared in the same that in order that because so that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death. That is the devil. We've already said this. God cannot die. We don't want to get overly philosophical tonight, brothers and sisters, but let me just be clear. If God died, he would not be God. And if God died, you would not exist. Because your very being, moment by moment, every heartbeat, every breath, every part of you exists because God is the fountain and foundation of all being. It is impossible by definition for the immortal, the infinite, to die. And yet, Jesus died. He had to be fully man. He had to put on flesh in order to die. And His death was not a substitute for God. His death was a substitute for men and women, flesh and blood. Sometimes doctrine sounds heavy and academic and we want to close our ears, but these are crucial things. You believe that your Savior has always been? Yes. You believe that your Savior was not created? Yes. You believe that your Savior is as much God as the other persons of the Trinity? Yes. And yet you believe your Savior slept on a boat once? Yes. You believe your Savior suffered? He experienced internal changes because of what others were doing to him? Yes. The only reason That we have to say all of these things is what the writer of Hebrews 2 and Colossians 2 and 1 Timothy 3 and Romans 9 tell us. Fully God and fully man. Hebrews 2.17 continues, doesn't it? He suffers. Why does he suffer? Look there. Therefore, in all things, he had to be made like his brethren. That he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. To make propitiation. To make an atonement that takes away wrath. That bears wrath. That he might make propitiation for the sins of his people. Jesus put on our flesh so that he could make propitiation. In other words, atonement for sin could only be accomplished if Jesus was fully human. And Hebrews 2.18 gives us a glorious pastoral truth, doesn't it? For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. Can you imagine the weight of this? James 1.13, God cannot be tempted. Hebrews 2.18, Jesus, fully God and fully man, tempted. So, what does the writer say? He is able to aid those. He is able, some translations say, to sympathize with those who are tempted. He never failed. We often fail. I want to look at three truths and we're done. Implications. What does this mean for us? Before I do that, let me just give those of you that are necessarily wanting specific categories. I encourage you to pull out your theology textbooks at some point. Email me. Talk about it with me. There's a phrase we use. in Reformed theology called the communication of properties. For some of you, you're thinking, I knew that's where he was going to go. For others of you, you're thinking, what? Communication of properties? What does that mean? Well, it's a term used by Calvin. Cyril of Alexander seemed to have created it. What does that mean? Well, it means this. Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is one person with two natures, human and divine. The interchange of the attributes of those natures is understood as taking place at the level of the person and not between the natures. What does that mean? It means that Jesus' divinity never stopped being full divinity. When Jesus was sleeping on the boat, it was not as though divinity started to get tired. And when Jesus said no to Satan three times, it was not as though, well, he's God, so it's easy for him to say no. The man, Jesus, experienced temptation. Neither nature changes, and yet they're united in one person. And this is crucial. When you see Jesus being tempted, my gut reaction growing up as a kid in the church was, well, I mean, I'm glad he didn't sin, He's God and I'm not, so. But Jesus was tempted as a man in every way that I am. Jesus slept on a boat just like you will sleep in your beds. Jesus had many sunrises just like, Lord willing, you will have a sunrise tomorrow. The Creed of Chalcedon might be helpful here. Some of you love this stuff. Some of you think, tell me why this matters pastor, because I'm desperate for the grace of God right now and I don't even know how to say communication of properties. What does this mean? Well, here's what it means. Number one, because Jesus is fully God and fully man, a wrath bearing substitute is what you have. Because Jesus is fully God and fully man, a wrath-bearing substitute is what you have. Jesus suffers and dies in your place as a man. But because that one person is also fully God, the weight of that sacrifice is of infinite value. Have you ever thought to yourself, no disrespect to our Lord and Savior, but how is it that six hours on the cross, and 30 plus years of suffering and never giving in to temptation. How does that get me out of an eternity of hell? Because this is the eternal Son of God who died. But He did it according to His human nature. Romans 8.3, For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do, by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. He condemns sin in the flesh. Jesus Christ was made to be treated as our sins deserve 2nd Corinthians 5 21 and yet as he was The weight of the man upholding the wrath of God was done and It was done and it was of infinite value because he's fully God You want to be careful that you don't say the reverse. Well, that must mean that God can change and God can suffer and God must shift based on his relationship to us. No. God is who he is. Malachi 3.6, I don't change. And yet Jesus puts on flesh, becomes one of us, and does experience temptation and change and suffering and emotions. And he dies. James 1.13, God says, I'm not tempted. And yet Jesus was tempted, as you are, yet without sin. James 1.17 says that God doesn't experience shifts. He doesn't go up and down like this. The old philosophical writers would use the word passions. We say God is impassable, meaning He can't be changed or acted upon by creatures. But Jesus very much suffered. 1 John 3.20 says that God does not learn, and yet Jesus learned, just like you and I. Deuteronomy 4.12 says that God doesn't have a form or a body, and yet, what does the writer of Hebrews say? He very much had flesh and blood. It cannot be said of God of divinity can be said of the person of the son of God because he put on flesh. And because of that, brothers and sisters, you have a wrath bearing substitute, a man who dies. And as he dies, his sacrifice is upheld and given infinite value because he is the second person of the Godhead. But the second truth why this matters is this, because Jesus is fully God and fully man, and I say is, boys and girls, did you know that Jesus didn't get rid of his body after he rose from the dead? A lot of people think that. A lot of people think, well, now he doesn't have a body anymore. Jesus has a body, a human body and a human soul glorified, right? Because Jesus is fully God and fully man, We can see God's love and mercy. Look at verse 17 of Hebrews 2. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of His people. How do finite creatures pee on little brains like we have? Some of you have bigger brains than me. How do we take in the mercy and love, the infinite mercy and love of God? The Scripture says, Christ images God for us in the flesh. He images God for us. He makes God known by making infinite attributes available to finite, small minds. by our seeing them fleshed out as a man walks among us. The infinite Son of God put on flesh and came down to our stench and our filth and our sin. He walked among people who desired all kinds of evil things. And He loved. He was merciful. And we got to see Him. And God is imaged for us in Jesus Christ. How can finite minds grasp this infinite love? Look at Christ. The biblical writers speak to this. We don't have time to look at all the texts tonight, but the biblical writers say, look to Jesus. You want to know the mercy of God? Look to Jesus. You with your finite mind, you want to understand the glorious love of God? Look to Jesus. For he was truly a man. His flesh wasn't a sheet simply covering over divinity. And you may say, okay, now you're getting philosophical again. You ever read 2 John verse 7? The Bible there says, if you say that Jesus didn't come in the flesh, you're not a Christian. So it does matter. It does matter. But it's pastorally beautiful for us. We have a God-man who bears our wrath. We have a God-man who images the love and mercy of God for us, which is why, turn back over to 1 Timothy 3.16, which is why Paul can break forth in this verbiage of praise, and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. What is this mystery, Paul? God was manifested in the flesh. Some of your translations may say, he was manifested in the flesh or who was manifested in the flesh. Most Greek manuscripts have the word God. And we know what is meant either way, but I think it's better to retain the majority of manuscripts there because there's not much of a mystery by saying a person was manifested in the flesh. But when you say God was manifested in the flesh, That's miraculous. That's mysterious. God was manifested in the flesh. Well, lastly, because Jesus is fully God and fully man, we have a sympathetic brother in our temptation. All this doctrine, all this discussion, communication of properties, this, and Chalcedonian Creed, this, our pastors just kind of geeking out on academic highfalutin doctrine, until what? We read in Hebrews 2 verse 18 that it all matters. It all absolutely matters. Why? What does Hebrews 2 verse 18 say? For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, As a man, he is able to aid those who are tempted. We have a sympathetic brother. When we are tempted, you don't need me to convince you that you're tempted, but you might need the word of God to convince you that when you're tempted, you have a sympathetic elder brother. He's not sympathetic because he failed too. He was very much tempted, in every way as you are, yet without sin. The sympathy of God. This is high stuff, church. The sympathy of God comes through the flesh of Jesus Christ. Let me say it this way. Divinity cannot relate to our weakness. What weakness is there in God? God cannot be tempted. This sympathy is not Jesus giving approval to our sin, but rather being able as our representative, who has passed the test, to identify with us in our temptations. So you have an older brother to whom you are united, and every time you fail, he didn't, and his record is yours. Every time. Every thought, every evil deed, every evil word, every time you fall flat on your face into sin, you look up to him and you see the one that God is looking at. That is your record. But Hebrews 2 18 also tells us when you look at him, he is. Sympathetic mercy of God. Who is your elder brother? Jesus images God. For the believer. I know some of us love deep theological words. Some of us want things a little more plain. Some of us wonder why creeds and catechisms and confessions. Others of us love them. But where we can all meet is this. Without a Savior who is fully God and fully man, you've got nothing. The writers of the Bible say if Jesus wasn't fully man, you're not a Christian, it's over. But friends, if Jesus wasn't fully God, you don't have a mediator. The reason that people have literally died through church history for this doctrine is because it's not just philosophy. It's not just textbook, seminary, academic. This is the core of our faith. God meets man in the person of Jesus Christ. Are you in Him? Are you in Him? Do you have a perfect record of righteousness to stand before this God? And do you have a God who is willing to condescend to you? In Jesus Christ you do. So Paul and the writer of Hebrews can burst forth in triumphant praise. Oh, great God of highest praise, would you occupy my lowly heart and would you occupy it with truths like, my elder brother was tempted in every way, like me, yet without sin. My elder brother put on my flesh and did what Adam was supposed to do. My elder brother is also the second person of the Trinity. And everything that he does comes with the full weight of the eternal Son of God. Would you occupy my mind, O Lord God, with the glorious truths that Jesus, who I will see face to face very soon, is fully God and fully man. Almighty God, fill our hearts with these truths. Help us, we pray.