Welcome to Grape Leaves - Grape Leaves are articles posted on a monthly basis that discuss faith related topics and Biblical perspectives on contemporary social, political and cultural issues. Use the Comment form to send us your thoughts. We'll post these on the Discussion Page.

This Month's Leaf: Is Jesus God?

This month's Grape Leaves deals with the issue of Jesus' deity and is written primarily to professing Christians who may also be grappling with this issue. For those readers who do not embrace Christianity, I trust this offers food for thought. This discussion has been written from the point of view that Christians accept the Bible to be the Word of God and that it is therefore the basis for our faith. The authenticity and truth of the Scriptures will be subject for another discussion.

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A friend, who is a professing Christian, once told me that she was unsure as to whether or not salvation required that Jesus be both man and the literal Son of God. She'd met some people who believed only in a mortal Jesus and dismissed the notion that Jesus was actually God.

So, what do the Scriptures have to say about this issue? The Messiah, the Christ, was prophesied to be the deliverer of mankind. He was to be the one who would reconcile mortals with God their Creator. If it is believed that Jesus is this deliverer, was he God, or man, or both? Does it matter that he was or wasn't God? Can mankind be reconciled to a Holy God through the sacrifice of a mere mortal? Or does the entire message of Christian salvation truly hinge on the deity of Jesus Christ the Messiah?

To answer these questions, we'll consider three specific concerns. First, could sinful humanity be reconciled to a holy God through the sacrifice of a human being? Secondly, did God select an exceptional man to sacrifice on behalf of mankind's sinfulness? And finally, if it is believed that Jesus was only a man and not God, what impact does such a belief have on other central doctrines of Christian faith?

To begin with, could the sacrificial death and resurrection of a strictly mortal man reconcile mankind to God? To answer this, we must identify the type of sacrifice required for paying the price of sin. Going back to the book of Exodus where the Passover was instituted, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb without spot or blemish so that they would be delivered from the final plague, the death of the first born (Exodus 12:1-13). Their sacrificial lamb had to be perfect. The institution and celebration of the Passover is symbolic of the sacrifice Messiah was to make. Just as the Passover Lamb had to be perfect, the Messiah who was to be sacrificed for the deliverance of mankind from eternal death had to also be perfect.

Now, if Jesus was strictly human, and chosen by God to be sacrificed for the sins of humanity, he had to be perfect. However, if he was strictly a mortal man and not God, this would mean that he was sinful and therefore not perfect. Romans 3:23 and Psalm 14:3 make the assertion that all humanity is sinful. So if Jesus were merely a man, he too would be sinful and therefore not be a perfect sacrifice. A strictly mortal Jesus would therefore not have qualified as an atoning sacrifice for mankind. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says this about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross: "For our sake He made Him to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." Since only God can be without sin, and since humans are by nature sinful, this passage concludes that the Messiah had to be God. Therefore, if Jesus is the Messiah, he is also God.

A noteworthy commentary on this subject in reference to I Peter 2:24 (He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness) from the Harper Study Bible has this to say:

Christ died as a vicarious sacrifice for sin. Three assumptions govern this doctrine: (1) The sinner lies under the wrath of God and is therefore lost and undone (Rom. 1.18; 3.19; 6.23); (2) by the grace of God, provision was made for Christ to offer Himself as a sin-bearer (Isa. 53.6; 2 Cor. 5.21); (3) God was willing to accept the atonement of Christ so that the sinner himself secures the benefits of forgiveness, peace, and fellowship with God (Rom. 5.1, 6, 8, 10). In the Old Testament the blood-sacrifices had to be repeated because they could not take away sin once and forever. When offered by faith, however, these sacrifices looked toward the future death of Christ and drew in advance upon the merit of His atonement. Since His death there is no need for further sacrifice in a holy communion which claims to repeat the sacrifice of Calvary (Heb. 10.4; 9.11-15).

In other words, the blood-sacrifice required to pay the price of sin was never satisfied by the blood of lambs. But the sacrifice of the sinless Messiah, God Incarnate, completely paid the price of humanity's sinfulness. With the barrier of sin removed, mankind could be restored to relationship with God.

Our second concern is whether or not Jesus was merely an exceptional mortal, the ultimate Ubermensch. Even if it is accepted that the atoning sacrifice had to be without sin, is it possible that God bent the rules? Did God place a special blessing on the man Jesus making him the exceptional human selected by God for this the ultimate of sacrifices? Again, we must turn to the Scriptures for the answer.

The first problem that arises with this theory is that numerous scriptures refer to Jesus as the only begotten son of God the Father. There is of course John 3:16 which is often quoted, but perhaps not always fully grasped. A more extensive and powerful portrayal of Christ as God's actual son is in the opening of Hebrews, verses 1-8. Here the writer catalogues descriptions of the Messiah, God's Son, from the Old Testament.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, "You are my son, today I have begotten you"? And again, "I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me"? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire." But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom."

Another moving passage describing the deity and sonship of Jesus Christ is in the Gospel of John. Chapter 1 verses 1-5 and verse 14 provide a majestic description of Jesus, God's Son, through whom all creation was created.

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 came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Additionally, one must consider these passages.

Philippians 2:5-7 - Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, 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.

Colossians 1:19-20 - For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

And of course Peter's confession in Matthew 16:15-17 - He [Jesus] said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Even yet, one may choose to reject Jesus as God. If this is the case, the repercussions of such a conviction must be examined. Does this belief encourage relationship with a singular God, or does it promote a pluralistic view of religion? If the deity of Jesus is stripped from Christianity, what remains? Take that away, and can it really be accepted that Jesus was born of a virgin? Take away his deity and could he have truly conquered sin and death? Take away his deity and can we actually expect him to return to conquer Satan if indeed Satan is real? In fact, if Jesus isn't God, what's the point of Christianity? What's the point of the Old Testament prophecies pointing to God's chosen redeemer, God's perfect sacrifice? If Jesus of Nazareth was not the chosen Savior of the world, the Holy Christ, Messiah, Son of the only true God, why is Christianity any better than other religions that teach people to love their neighbor and generally try to live good lives? If Jesus is not God, incarnated in human flesh, then he is lying when he says:

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6)

These are significant questions that require answers. And as Christians, we must rely on the Bible for these answers. Although non-Christians may not accept the validity of Scripture as a basis for belief, for the professing Christian, it is our source. Read it. Study it. Prayerfully seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to aid your understanding of it. Recall Paul's admonishments to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 and 4:3-4.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

To believe that Jesus Christ is not God Incarnate is to believe a myth.

Two passages from I John shed light on the mystery of the incarnation. One speaks to the humanity of Jesus and the other to his deity. I John 4:2 says: "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God." And I John 4:15 says: "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." To believe one without the other is to choose a path leading away from God.

My prayer to the Father is that each of us remains open to understanding and embracing this mystery. And secondly I pray that we will share this truth with others with humble conviction and sincere love. To paraphrase Paul in Romans 16:25-27:

Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to the Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed and through the prophetic writings is made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith - to the only wise God be glory for evermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.