Jesus As Logos and The Power of The Logos: 

 

In my portrait of Mary Magdalene and her relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary to understand who Jesus Christ is to determine the relationship between the two. God spoke, galaxies whirled into place, Stars shone in the heavens, and planets came into being orbiting their suns. By the same spoken Word, the waters and lands were filled with plants and creatures growing and multiplying. [1] Again God Spoke, let us make man in our image, in our likeness … – Genesis 1:26a, and man and woman were formed.

 

Jesus the Word, the Logos was, is, and always will be the Maker and Lord of all that exists. Jesus came in the flesh to a speck in the Universe called earth. The mighty Creator became a part of the creation, limited by time and space and susceptible to aging, sickness, and death. Love propelled Him, so He came to rescue and save those lost and give them the gift of eternity. Jesus is history’s most influential figure. Time and history measure events by Jesus’s birth. Christians proclaim Him as the Incarnation of God; adherents of other religions see Him as a great Teacher, a Prophet, or just simply a good moral Man. The fact is that Jesus Christ is both human and divine.

 

The Humanity of Christ: 

 The Virgin Birth

 Scientifically at conception, man and God came together. Scripture clearly states that Jesus was conceived in the womb of his mother, Mary, by a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit and without a human father. (Luke 1: 34-35, Matthew 1: 18-20, 24-25). The morally pure Mary was further purified to bring to the world a pure Child, so that makes Jesus Christ fully man but without inherited sin. 

 

Human Weakness and Limitations

 Jesus Christ was born like any Child and grew up like any Child in terms of Physical, Mental, Social and Spiritual growth. He had a human body, a human mind, a human soul, and human emotions. Jesus became tired just as we do (John 4:6). He became thirsty (John 19: 28). He was hungry (Matthew 4: 2) and physically weak (Matthew 4: 11; Luke 23: 26, 46). As part of His genuine humanity, Jesus Christ learned a trade – carpentry and learned the normal process of how to eat, talk, read, write and make friends. Jesus Christ identified with other human beings. His brothers and sisters who grew up in the same household never realized that he was anything more than them until His death and resurrection. 

 

He Was Without Sin

The New Testament affirms that though Jesus was fully human, he was different in one crucial aspect. He was without sin and never sinned throughout his lifetime. 

 

Reasons for being Human

Jesus had to fully man if he would be the Messiah and earn humanity the needed Salvation. Jesus Christ complied with these necessities as follows:

a. being a ‘Representative Obedience’ – Jesus obeyed for us where Adam failed and disobeyed God (Lk. 4: 1-13, Gen. 2: 15-13:7, Rom. 5: 18-19).

b. being a ‘Substitute Sacrifice’ – Jesus had to be a man to die in our place and pay the penalty that was due to us. (Hebrews 2: 16-17)

c. becoming a Mediator between God and Mand. Showing examples and patterns of living, Jesus had to become a man to live as an example and pattern in life. (1 Jn. 2:6; 3: 2-3; 2 Cor. 3: 18, Rom. 8: 29; 1 Peter 2: 21, Heb. 12: 2, 30).

e. becoming Pattern for our Redeemed Bodies; Jesus had to be raised as a man to be the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18), the pattern for the bodies that we would have in eternity (1 Corinthians 15:42 – 44, 49)

f. becoming our High Priest; Jesus was tempted like us, yet he did not sin. Through his temptations and struggles in life as a man, he can sympathize with us more in our experiences, thereby advocating for us with God the Father.

 

The Divinity Of Jesus Christ:

Jesus Christ is also fully divine. The incarnation was an act of God whereby Jesus took himself a human nature. The Scripture supported this divine claim of Jesus Christ in several passages:

 

The Direct Scriptural Claim

a. The Greek Word, Theos (God), as used for Christ, means the Creator of heaven and earth, the ruler over all – John 1:1; 1:18; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:1; Isaiah 9:6.

b. The Greek Word, Kyrios (Lord), as used for Christ, was translated from the Hebrews’ YHWH’ “YAHWEH” or ‘JEHOVAH’ meaning the Creator and sustainer of heaven and Earth – Luke 2:11; 18; 1:43; Matthew 3:3

c. John 8:58 – “I AM” claims deity for Christ. Jesus used the very words God used when he identified himself to Moses as “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3: 14) – Revelation 1:8; 22:13; Psalm 33:6; John 1: 14

d. The Son of Man in Matthew 16:13 and Luke 9: 18 – is a unique term that has its background in the vision of Daniel 7:1, the Son of man who came to the Ancient of Days. Daniel 7: 13 – 14 speaks of someone who had a heavenly origin and was given eternal rule over the whole world.

 

Evidence And Attributes Of Jesus’ Deity

(i) The demonstration of His Omnipotence is in Matt 8: 26-27 and John 2: 1-11

(ii) The assertion of His eternity is in John 8:58 and Rev 22:13

(iii) The demonstration of His Omniscience in knowing people’s thoughts is in Mark 2:8; John 6: 64; 2:25; 16:30

(iv) Possession of divine Sovereignty is in Mk 2: 5 – 7; Matt. 5: 22, 28

(v) Possession of the attribute of immortality is in John 2:19; 10: 17-18; 1 Tim 6:16

 

  [1] Kingsway. Life Application Bible. New International Version, Kingsway Publications: Eastbourne, 1995. P. 1858