1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [simple_tooltip content=’1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.’](John 1:1-5, 14)[/simple_tooltip]
Jesus was not just a man sent from God, He was God. This is the most important statement of the New Testament. All other truths hang on this truth. If Jesus was only a man, then regardless of how good He was, His life could only provide a substitute for one other man. However, since He was God, His life was worth more than every human life since creation. Indeed, His life was worth more than the sum total of the universe He created.
Any compromise on the truth of Jesus* divinity will negate His redemptive work in our lives. Jesus was God manifest in the flesh [simple_tooltip content=’And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
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.’](1 Tim. 3:16)[/simple_tooltip]. Yet, this Almighty God came to dwell in a human body. He humbled Himself and took the form of a servant [simple_tooltip content=’but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.’](Phil. 2:7)[/simple_tooltip], and His humanity truly made Him one of us. He suffered the same temptations and pressures that we suffer [simple_tooltip content=’For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.’](Heb. 4:15)[/simple_tooltip]. It was His divinity, however, that gave Him the power to save us completely [simple_tooltip content=’Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.’](Heb. 7:25)[/simple_tooltip].
We must never let His humanity blind us to the truth that Almighty God Himself became our friend [simple_tooltip content=’13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.’](John 15:13-15)[/simple_tooltip].
We must never let His divinity blind us to the truth that He knows exactly how we feel, and He deeply cares for us.
Let the Holy Spirit give you a true revelation of the deity and humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout this new year.
