Jesus: Man, God, and Son of God
The nature of Jesus Christ is one of the most profound and fundamental aspects of the Christian faith. The Bible presents Jesus as being simultaneously fully man and fully God, the Son of God who affirmed his equality with the Father.
Jesus is Man
The Scriptures clearly affirm Jesus' humanity. He was born of a woman (Galatians 4:4), grew and developed like any human being (Luke 2:52), experienced hunger (Matthew 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), fatigue (John 4:6), and all human emotions, including joy (Luke 10:21) and sorrow (John 11:35). Paul declares that Jesus "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7).
Jesus is God
At the same time, the Bible unequivocally affirms Jesus' divinity. John begins his gospel by declaring: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1), and later identifies this Word as Jesus (John 1:14). Paul writes that in Jesus "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9). Jesus demonstrated divine attributes, such as the power to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7) and receive worship (Matthew 14:33).
Jesus is the Son of God
The Bible often refers to Jesus as the Son of God. At his baptism, a voice from heaven declared: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). Peter confessed: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). This sonship does not imply inferiority or creation, but an eternal and unique relationship with the Father.
Jesus Claimed to be Equal with God
Jesus made several claims that amounted to declaring himself equal to God. He said: "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30), leading the Jews to accuse him of blasphemy for making himself equal to God (John 5:18). He also declared: "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58), using the divine name revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14) and affirming his eternal preexistence.
In conclusion, biblical doctrine presents Jesus Christ as a unique person, fully human and fully divine. He is the eternal Son of God who became man to reveal God to humanity and provide salvation. His divine-human nature is essential to his role as mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5) and to the efficacy of his redemptive work.