Jesus Christ: Truly Human and Truly Divine

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1–3)

One of the most important truths in the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine. This is called the hypostatic union, the doctrine that Jesus is one Person with two distinct natures, God and man. These two natures are united without mixing, changing, dividing, or separating. Jesus is not half-God, half-man. He is fully God and fully human at the same time. But this is not merely a deep, complicated theological idea for scholars to study. It is central to the gospel, to our salvation, and to how we relate to God every day.

Most people believe Jesus was a real historical figure, that He lived, taught, and died. Some see Him as a prophet and miracle worker; others view Him only as a good moral teacher. Some accept Him as the Son of God but struggle to understand how He could also be truly and fully human. Still others have the opposite struggle: they are comfortable with Jesus as a man in history but resist believing that He was God in the flesh.

Confessing Christ: The Test of True Faith

According to the Apostle John, the spiritual confession test asks: Does the spirit or person confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came in the flesh? (1 John 4:2, 15). John affirms both His divinity, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1), and His humanity, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

The Apostle Paul echoes this truth, declaring that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4), while also insisting that “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Likewise, Peter testifies that Christ was “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18) and that he and the other apostles were “eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16–17). The author of Hebrews also proclaims both realities: “He had to be made like his brothers in every respect” (Hebrews 2:17), and yet He is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3).

Any voice that denies the Biblically testified and verified identity and work of Jesus cannot be trusted to accurately describe or teach about God, no matter how appealing or persuasive it may sound.

The spirit of the antichrist is not only a future figure described in 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13; it is already active in the world, working to deceive and lead people away from Christ. This does not mean that everyone who rejects Jesus is the Antichrist, but it does mean their unbelief is influenced by, and aligned with, the same spirit of opposition to Him.

Eyewitnesses to the Messiah

The apostles, chosen by Christ to be His twelve disciples, were given a unique calling and responsibility: to witness and learn from Jesus personally and in close proximity for about three years. Their divine task was not only to learn from their Rabbi but also to become like Him and to serve as faithful witnesses of His identity, character, humanity, divinity, teachings, and works.

They saw Him perform astonishing miracles, healing the lame (Matthew 9:2–7), giving sight to the blind (John 9:1–7), enabling the mute to speak (Matthew 9:32–33), and even raising the dead (John 11:43–44; Luke 7:11–17). He calmed the wind and the waves with a word (Mark 4:39–41). He proved that His authority and power surpassed the laws of nature, physics, and biology. In all these things, He revealed Himself as the Lord of creation, the Giver of life, and the One before whom all nature must bow.

They ate with Him, laughed and cried with Him, saw Him tired and hungry, and watched Him sleep. The Apostles also witnessed Him sweating and bleeding, nailed to the cross, breathing His last breath, and then lovingly prepared His body according to Jewish burial customs before laying Him in a tomb.

Yet, on the third day, they saw Him alive, triumphantly risen from the dead, walking and talking with them, and even eating with them (minus Judas, who had died). Finally, the eleven disciples watched Him ascend into heaven as the glorious King of kings, after forty days of appearing to them and to over 500 others, with angels promising that He would return in the same way He went up.

This is why the early church, and the church throughout history, must devote itself to the teaching of the Apostles, and not allow anyone to distort the truth about who Christ is and what He has accomplished. Even if an angel or some supernatural being were to appear and preach a different message, we must not believe it (Galatians 1:8). This is why Christianity stands alone as the only true faith, while all other religions, though they may contain elements of truth, ultimately cannot save and mislead people away from God.

These struggles are not new. In the first century, people also wrestled with the same questions: Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Is He truly the promised Messiah, God in the flesh, and the only way to God?

Wrestling with the Mystery

When Jesus was twelve years old, He stayed behind in the temple in Jerusalem. His parents were confused and did not understand His words: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Later, His own brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5).

Even His own village of Nazareth, the neighbors and children He had grown up with, could not believe that Jesus was more than an ordinary man. Noble, trustworthy, and kind, certainly, but not a prophet of God or God Himself (Mark 6:3). This demonstrates that He was truly and fully human, for those who had known Him personally for thirty years did not recognize that He was anything more than a very good human being. His humanity is further confirmed by His growth, learning, and dependence on His parents (Luke 2:52).

The early disciples also wrestled with the truth of Jesus’ identity (Luke 24:13–35; John 20:24–29; Mark 8:31–33). They had witnessed His miracles, heard His teaching, seen Him crucified, and then encountered Him alive again. Yet the mystery of His identity and mission required faith, careful study of Scripture, deep reflection, prayer, and ultimately a supernatural unveiling by God.

After Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles and Jesus’ own family were fully convinced of Christ’s identity and mission as the risen Son of God and Son of Man—both Lord and Messiah, truly divine and truly human (Acts 2:32–36).

This conviction and faith, empowered by God’s Spirit, not only enabled them to boldly proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior despite persecution and threats to their lives, but also compelled them to preserve the truth and expose false teachings about His identity and works (Acts 4:18–20; Galatians 1:6–9; 1 John 4:1–3).

That is why the church throughout history has gathered in councils such as Nicaea (325 AD), Constantinople (381 AD), Ephesus (431 AD), and Chalcedon (451 AD) to affirm what the Bible clearly teaches, that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9). These councils created documents called creeds or definitions that affirm biblical positions and rejected others that did not line up with the biblical historical Apostolic teachings.

If you find yourself wrestling with these questions today, take comfort. You are not alone.God welcomes your questions and invites you to seek answers in His Word and His Church, then respond in faith. As Paul writes, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

If you are new to Christianity and reading this blog, you might want to join an Alpha Course, where you can bring your hard questions, explore the basics of the Christian faith, and discover who Jesus really is in a welcoming environment.

Remaining in unbelief, denying Christ’s true identity and refusing His call to follow Him, is to stand in opposition to Him rather than in the life He offers. For the Bible tells us that “whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life” (1 John 5:12). To have eternal life and not perish, you must be forgiven of your sins and justified. To receive this, you must have the Son as your Lord and Savior. To have the Son, you must believe in who He is and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection, and submit to His authority, offering Him your trust, allegiance, surrender, love, devotion, and worship.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

Jesus Himself asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27). Some said He was a prophet, others a teacher, even a deceiver. But Peter, by the revelation of God, confessed: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). This confession is still the foundation of the Church.

Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He came not to condemn the world but to save it from sin and judgment, for the world was already under the wrath of God when Jesus took on flesh, assuming a second nature by becoming truly human (John 3:17; 3:36).

In some ways, it is easy to focus on Jesus’ humanity while struggling to fully acknowledge that He is also divine. As we have seen, everyone who met Jesus recognized that He was truly human, yet many wrestled with His claims of divinity.

Yet His divinity was always on display, from His miraculous virgin birth, to His flawless and sinless morality, to His perfect fulfillment of countless prophecies, to His authority over nature, disease, and death, to His ability to forgive sins and conquer the grave. His divine nature is vital for our salvation, just as His humanity was essential for Him to live, suffer, die as our sacrifice, and be raised on our behalf.

The Scriptures show us His humanity and His divinity side by side:

• He experienced human weakness: hunger (Matthew 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), fatigue (John 4:6), sorrow (John 11:35), and even the agony of betrayal (Matthew 26:47–50).
• He lived a sinless life: “In Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5; Hebrews 4:15).
• He taught with divine authority: “No one ever spoke the way this man does” (John 7:46; Matthew 7:28–29).
• He claimed unity with the Father: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
• He died for our sins: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8; Isaiah 53:4–6).
• He rose from the dead: “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses” (Acts 2:32; 1 Corinthians 15:17).

The resurrection is the ultimate confirmation of His identity: “declared to be the Son of God in power … by His resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

So who do you declare Jesus to be? This answer will shape not only your view of God, but also how you live your life now, your values, your relationships, the purpose you pursue each day, and your eternal destiny.

Why God Became Man

Because Jesus was truly human:

• He could experience temptation and yet remain without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
• He could identify with our pain and weakness (Hebrews 2:17–18).
• He could perfectly keep and fulfill the Law and the prophets as a human (Matthew 5:17).
• He could represent us as our Mediator before God, take our place on the cross, die for our sins, and conquer death (2 Corinthians 5:21).

To know that God in Christ became physically weak and vulnerable is deeply comforting, for each of us will at some point face pain, trauma, rejection, abandonment, or shame. The truth of Christ’s humanity assures us that He understands us. He knows what it is to be weary, to be tempted, and to be grieved.

He does not stand far off. He is near to the brokenhearted and the broken in body. He knows what it is like to feel anxiety and intense mental anguish (Luke 22:44). In His human nature, God the Son experienced bleeding and dying. He entered our world fully so that He could redeem us completely. Through His death, we are given life.

If He were not truly human, He could not die in our place. If He were not truly divine, His sacrifice would not be unblemished and sinless, and therefore could not be sufficient to save us. But because He is both fully human and fully divine, He is our Savior and High Priest, able to save completely all who come to Him (Hebrews 7:25).

The mystery of the incarnation—God becoming man—is not easy to fully grasp. In fact, the Holy Spirit must bring each person this revelation (1 Corinthians 2:10). Here lies the glory of the Gospel: that God Himself came to dwell among us and reconcile us to Himself.

As John testifies:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

In the Greek, the phrase “dwelt among us” conveys the idea of “pitching His tent,” signifying God’s intimate presence among His people, just as He once dwelt in the tabernacle in the Old Testament. This time, God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, dwelling fully among us as one of us, yet without sin, reconciling humanity to Himself in a way never before experienced.

Through Christ, we become temples of God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), carrying His presence into the world to help reconcile others to Him through our proclamation of the Gospel in words and deeds, and through careful and intentional preservation of the Gospel message of Jesus, keeping it from being hijacked, diluted, muddied, or distorted by false teaching (2 Corinthians 5:18–19).

This reveals that God cares deeply for His creation and is actively pursuing the salvation and redemption of humanity. He is the one who has taken the initial step towards reconciliation. The Father sent His Son without us asking. The Son laid down His life willingly. This is called grace, the unmerited and undeserved favour and love of God towards you and I, who are sinful and broken people in need of divine forgiveness and restoration.

The hypostatic union is not merely a doctrine to affirm and safeguard; it is an invitation to trust God with your life, entering into an everlasting and loving relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Incarnate and eternal Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.