The Truth about Christ’s Identity

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Good morning Chapel family.  

In my own personal devotions these days I’m in the book of Proverbs. Last week I read this—Proverbs 18:2—Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Isn’t that a great description of social media? If you go on social media or even turn on the news, you will find countless people who love airing their own opinions. And you can get so lost and so confused in all the noise—which is why we need a solid place to stand. We need firm ground to build our lives on. And that’s why we’re doing this series. We’re taking ten weeks to walk through the doctrinal statement of The Chapel, but it’s way bigger than The Chapel—these are ten foundational truths that followers of Christ have held to for 2,000 years. They’re not my opinions; they’re not the Chapel’s opinions; this is what Scripture teaches and has always taught.  

So two weeks ago we talked about the Bible: it’s God-breathed and it has authority in our lives. Last week we talked about who God is: he’s eternal, and he exists as one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The third item in our doctrinal statement addresses the identity of Jesus.  

There’s a Christian author named Becky Pippert, and before she came to faith she was an agnostic with lots of questions. In one of her books, she talks about an experience she had during that agnostic period of her life. I’m going to read it in Becky’s own words: 

One sunny day I was stretched out on the lawn … when I noticed that some ants were busy building a mound. I began to redirect their steps with twigs and leaves. But they simply bounced off and started a new ant mound. I thought, This is like being God! I am redirecting their steps, and they don’t even realize it! 

At one point, two ants crawled onto my hands and I thought, Wouldn’t it be funny if one ant turned to the other and said, “Do you believe in Becky? Do you believe Becky really exists?” I imagine the other ant answering, “Don’t be ridiculous! Becky is a myth, a fairy tale!” How comical, I thought--the hubris of that ant declaring that I don’t exist, when I could easily blow it off my hand. But what if the other ant said, “Oh, I believe that Becky exists!” How would they resolve it? How could they know that I am real?  What would I have to do to reveal to them who I am? 

Suddenly I realized: the only way to reveal who I am, in a way that they could understand, would be to become an ant myself. I would have to identify totally with their sphere of reality. I sat upright, and I remember thinking, What an amazing thought! The scaling-down of the size of me to perfectly represent who I am in the form of an ant!...Then it hit me: I had just solved my problem of how finite creatures could ever discover God. God would have to come from the outside and reveal who he is. 

That’s a pretty good picture of what theologians call the “incarnation.” “Incarnation” means “in flesh.” So the way God revealed himself to humans is by coming into the world he created in human flesh. I cannot overemphasize how important this is. If you get this wrong, you wind up with religious cults like Jehovah’s Witnesses. On a more personal level, if you get this wrong, you miss out on the spiritual intimacy and comfort and confidence that God wants you to have—but it comes only from rightly understanding who Jesus is. 

So: here’s the third item in our Doctrinal Statement: We believe in the virgin birth of Christ, and that he is true God and true man. Let me read it one more time: We believe in the virgin birth of Christ, and that he is true God and true man. He’s not 50% God and 50% human; he’s 100% God and 100% human. How can that be, and why does it matter so much? That’s what we’re going to talk about today. 

So let’s look at this under two points: The Humanity of Christ and The Deity of Christ. The humanity of Christ and the deity of Christ. And then we’ll close our service by remembering what this divine and human Savior ultimately came to do. 

So first: The Humanity of Christ. Luke 2 is the famous Christmas story, where it says Joseph and his pregnant wife, Mary, went to Bethlehem to register for the census. And verse 6 says 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Jesus entered this world just like you and I did: through a human mother. The way Mary became pregnant was not normal, but we’ll get to that later. He was born just like any baby—they had to cut the umbilical cord and feed him and burp him and change him. He was a baby.  

Then, as you read the Gospels, you get reminded over and over again that Jesus was human. In Luke chapter two, it says “he grew and became strong.” When he fasted, he got hungry. Those of you who fasted with us two weeks ago, remember how much you were looking forward to opening that box of Chick-Fil-A? If Jesus were here that night, he would not have said, “You mere mortals may eat; I shall continue my fast.” First of all, because Jesus didn’t have a British accent. But he would have stood in line and grabbed a box just like all of us did. He probably would have gotten the salad, because he was Jesus. But he would have sat with us, and enjoyed that meal, because he was human. He ate. He fell asleep in a boat. After a long journey to Samaria, he sat down by a well because he was weary from the journey. 

He had a human mind, just like ours. Luke chapter two says he “increased in wisdom.” In other words, when Jesus was born, God didn’t just zap all the knowledge of the world into his brain like a software download—he had to learn it just like any normal child. He increased in wisdom. 

Jesus had human emotions. In Matthew 8 it says Jesus was amazed at the faith of a Roman centurion, because this guy believed that Jesus could just say the word, and someone would be healed. And Jesus was like, “Whoa—I did not expect that kind of faith from this Gentile.” When Jesus’ friend Lazarus died, and Jesus came to be with the grieving family, it says he was deeply troubled in his spirit, and we find the shortest verse in the New Testament—you know what it is, right? “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). He didn’t say, “There, there. No more tears. I shall raise him again.” He lost his friend! And he wept—just like any normal human would. And in the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing he was about to be arrested and tortured and killed, Jesus said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” 

Listen: if you’ve ever thought of Jesus as sort of a robotic, bionic, superhuman being, you’ve got it wrong. Jesus was, and is, fully, 100% human. In the first century church, one of the first heresies was called “Docetism.” It came from the Greek word for “to seem like.” So Docetists taught that Jesus wasn’t really human; he only seemed like it. Because they said if he was really human, that would cheapen him. And the early church recognized that as false teaching, and they called it out.  

So why does this matter so much? I’m sure some of you are wondering that. Why make such a big deal out of the humanity of Jesus? Let me give you three reasons. Jesus is fully human. Therefore... (here’s the first thing)… 

-Trust in him as your substitute. In Romans chapter 5, it says that when Adam sinned, it infected the whole human race with sin. But then Jesus came along—and the Bible calls Jesus the “last Adam”—and he did what the first Adam failed to do—look at Romans 5:19…For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Unlike Adam, Jesus obeyed God perfectly. And the Bible says when you trust in him, his perfect track record gets applied to you. That is life-changing. 

So trust him as your substitute in his perfect life. But also, trust him as your substitute in his sacrificial death! Look at Hebrews 2:17—For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. The only way Jesus could make atonement—which means fully pay for—our sins, is if he were human like us. So here’s the question: what are you trusting in to make you right with God—are you trusting in your own moral record? Like, “I’m a pretty good person.” I’ve got to tell you: I’m not trusting in mine. I know myself too well. I’m trusting in the only one who lived the life that I should have lived, and who died the death that I should have died, in my place. When I die and stand before God, I’m not going to pull out my resume; I’m going to point to the resume of Christ. So trust in him as your substitute. 

Here’s the second “so what”: Run to him as your helper. Look at Hebrews 4:15…For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Jesus gets it—he knows what temptation feels like. He personally experienced the seductive call of pride and revenge and sexual temptation—he was tempted in every way, just as we are. And then look at Hebrews 2:18…Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Guys—Jesus is able to help you! When you’re burning with temptation, don’t be ashamed and move away from Jesus; run to him! Say, “Lord, I’m on the verge of doing this thing, and I know you don’t want me to. I know you don’t want me to post this nasty, sarcastic thing. I know you don’t want me to go on that adult site. I know you don’t want me to have that third drink and ruin my testimony. But Lord I want to.” Tell him! And realize that Jesus isn’t shaking his head in disgust; he’s going, “I totally get it. I know the feeling. Now let me help you turn a different direction, away from death, toward life. Come on.”  

This Wednesday we’re launching our new addiction recovery ministry, Recovery Life. We’re so grateful for the leadership of Frank Mattiace—he’s a trained PhD in addiction recovery; he’s got a great team working with him; but let me simplify it for you: this is going to be a group of people facing different kinds of temptations, and every Wednesday they’re going to gather together and run to Jesus as their helper. And if you need to be there, don’t pass up the opportunity.  

Why does it matter that Jesus is fully human? Because we get to trust him as our substitute; we get to run to him as our helper; one more thing: 

Imitate him as your example. 1 John 2:6 says Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. Think about that: if God had never taken on human flesh and entered into this world, we would have no example to follow. We would have human examples, but those are all imperfect: “Be like Abraham, but not when he lied. Be like David, but not when he cheated on his wife. Be like Peter, but not when he put his foot in his mouth.” Every human example is imperfect…except Jesus. WWJD really is a good question to ask! So look at the way he handled being insulted and mistreated. Look at the way he dealt with stress. Look how he handled money. Look how he responded when Peter denied him. Read the gospels; get to know the way Jesus lived; and then, in his strength, follow his example.  

Let me just give one more angle to this. The writer Os Guinness tells the story about a well-known Christian leader whose son was killed in a cycling accident. And this leader who lost his son was devastated, but he handled it with such strength, and he preached eloquently at his son’s funeral. And everyone was amazed at how he walked through that tragedy. But a few weeks after the funeral, that man invited a few people to his home, and this bereaved father just lost it. Guinness described it like this: this man spoke and even screamed “not with the hope of a preacher but with the hurt of a father—pained and furious at God.” He just let loose. And rather than rebuke him, one of his friends gently reminded him of the story of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus. Because three times in that story, as Jesus was confronted with death, it doesn’t just say “Jesus wept”; it says he expressed anger—furious indignation. As a human, he felt the wrongness of death; he felt deeply angry that this beautiful world that God created is now broken and in ruins. He came to do something about that brokenness, but in the meantime his friend was gone, and it ripped him up inside.  

And guys, here’s the point: we have permission to follow Jesus’ example at times like that. We can and should express sorrow when things are heartbreaking, and anger when there’s injustice, and outrage when we lose somebody we love to a cycling accident or cancer or overdose or suicide. We get to be human…just like Jesus was. 

I love the fact that my God became a human. I love that. Because I get to trust him as my substitute; I get to run to him as my helper, and I get to imitate him as my example. I love the fact that my Savior is fully human. But just as much, I also love the fact that my Savior is fully God. Let’s talk about that: 

The Deity of Christ. Have you ever heard somebody say, “The Bible never claims Jesus is God.” Or, “Jesus never claimed to be God”? Whenever I hear that, I wonder: are they reading the same Bible I read? Because the evidence for the deity of Christ is everywhere. So because of time limitations, I’m going to give you eight lines of evidence, from Scripture, that show that Jesus is actually God. This is going to go quick—are you ready?  

Direct statement. There are several places where the Bible directly claims deity for Jesus. For example, Colossians 2:9—For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. Can’t get more direct than that. All the fullness of deity. 

His virgin birth. When Mary first gets the assignment of giving birth to the Messiah, she’s confused because she’s a virgin. And here’s what the angel says—Luke 1:35…The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Unlike any other human, Jesus was born to a human mother but not a human father—because he was the Son of God. 

He’s called “God.” There are at least six places in the New Testament where the word theos, which is the Greek word for “God,” is applied to Jesus. One of them is Titus 2:13…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

He’s called “Immanuel.” Right after Joseph hears the news that Mary is going to give birth to the Messiah, Matthew 1:22 says 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means (everyone?) “God with us”). When Jesus walked this earth, God was with us. 

He’s the “I Am.” When God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush, and Moses asked God what his name was, God said, “I am.” That’s it. In other words, I was created by no one; I always have been; I’m the source of all being. I am.” The Hebrew is Yahweh. So look at this: in John 8, Jesus tells the Jewish leaders, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day.” And here’s the conversation that follows—John 8:57— 

57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 

58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, (look at those next two words—what does it say?) I am!”  Stop for a minute. If he was just claiming that he has existed for centuries—which would have been a huge claim in itself—he would have said, “Before Abraham was born, I was already here.” But by using that phrase “I Am,” he was claiming more than that. He was claiming to be the same God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Jesus was claiming to be Yahweh. And the religious leaders knew it—because look what they did: 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. 

He’s the Alpha and Omega. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and omega is the last letter. So look at this: at the beginning of Revelation, chapter 1, God the Father says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” And then in the last chapter of Revelation—chapter 22 verse 13, Jesus says I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. So Jesus is claiming equal deity with God the Father.  

His authority. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus shows that he has the authority to do things that only God can do. He calmed storms. He knew people’s thoughts. In Mark 5, a paralyzed man lying on a mat is lowered through a roof in the house where Jesus is teaching. Mark 5:20 says: 

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Exactly. 

He is worshiped. Any faithful Jewish person knew that it is blasphemy to worship anyone but God. It’s the first two of the Ten Commandments! And that’s why it’s so significant that many times in the New Testament, Jesus receives worship. The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse into what’s happening in heaven, and in chapter 5 we see thousands of angels and heavenly creatures around God’s throne saying: 

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, 
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength 
    and honor and glory and praise!” 

Jesus is worthy of worship. Because he’s not just fully human; he’s fully God. You cannot read the Bible and come to any other conclusion. And there are so many implications of that: it means that we should join the angels in worshiping Jesus. It means that, just like God gave up his rights to come and serve us, we should give up our rights to go and serve others—that’s the heart behind 12-Mile Bridge and so much of what The Chapel does. But there’s one implication of the deity of Christ that I don’t want you to miss. And it’s this: if Jesus really is who he says he is, every one of us has a decision to make. John 1:12 says to those who receive him, he gives the right to become children of God. And if you’ve never received Christ as your Savior, don’t lose this opportunity.  

So before we receive communion today, I want to invite you to stand. And I want to offer a salvation prayer. I’m going to pray it out loud, but if you need to receive Christ, make these words your own. I promise, God is listening.