The Man Christ Jesus E-Book

Bruce A. Ware

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 267

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Liberal attacks on the doctrine of the divinity of Christ have led evangelicals to rightly affirm the centrality of Jesus's divine nature for his person and work. At times, however, this defense of orthodoxy has led some to neglect Christ's full humanity. To counteract this oversight, theologian Bruce Ware takes readers back to the biblical text, where we meet a profoundly human Jesus who struggled with many of the same difficulties and limitations we face today. Like us, he grew in faith and wisdom, tested by every temptation common to man. And like us, he too received power for godliness through the Holy Spirit, and thus serves not only as the divine Lord to be worshiped, but also the supreme Human to be followed.

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“This delightful study of Jesus Christ the man probes deep and complex truths with a lucid clarity designed for ordinary Christian readers. I’m tempted to say that this is Warfield’s christology rewritten for the devout layperson who wants to understand Jesus better and thereby trust, obey, and love him more wholeheartedly. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter promise that the book will be used widely in churches where one of the passions is to understand historic Christian truth in a fashion that is biblically faithful and spiritually nourishing.”

D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“‘Marvel and wonder and worship.’ Bruce Ware rightly suggests that this is the appropriate response as we consider the implications of the humanity of Christ. My heart has been deeply stirred through reading this book and contemplating this oft-overlooked but vital aspect of our Savior.”

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author, Revive Our Hearts; radio host

“Evangelicals who believe the Scriptures to be God’s inerrant Word run the risk of emphasizing the deity of the Lord Jesus and, quite unintentionally no doubt, deemphasizing his humanity. Bruce Ware provides a healthy antidote to this malady. This is a welcome addition to the study of christology and one that will aid in our understanding of and love for the man Christ Jesus.”

Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“In far too many instances, the church is functionally docetic, basically affirming that the divine Christ only seemed to be human. But as Bruce Ware skillfully and passionately explains, the gospel and its implications depend upon the full deity and true humanity of Jesus Christ. Biblically faithful, theologically solid, devotionally heartwarming, The Man Christ Jesus will increase your knowledge of and reverence for our wonderful Savior and Lord, the God-man Jesus Christ.”

Todd Miles, Associate Professor of Theology, Western Seminary

“Many arguments have been developed and many books have been written in defense of the full deity of the Son of God. As for arguments and writings in support of the full humanity of the Son incarnate, less attention has been given. Bruce Ware corrects this imbalance by offering a treatment that is biblical, readable, in tune with contemporary issues, and immensely practical. As readers make their way through this book, they will not only become convinced of the humanity of the God-man and understand why the incarnation was needed; they will also be prompted to offer praise and thanksgiving to God for his wonderful work of salvation through Jesus Christ!”

Gregg Allison, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“A thoughtful, provocative work that considers the grand miracle of the one who is fully God pouring himself out to become fully man. This book will move you to contemplate and marvel at the wonder of it all.”

Mary A. Kassian, Professor of Women’s Studies, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Author, Girls Gone Wise

“The proper understanding of Christ’s humanity is absolutely essential to understanding our calling and ministry. For years I have taught the humanity of Christ, and countless numbers have said that nothing causes them to love Jesus more than a biblical understanding of his humanity. Because of this, I highly commend this book to you!”

Dann Spader, President, Global Youth Initiative; Founder, Sonlife Ministries; author, Walking as Jesus Walked and The Everyday Commission

“Ever since the church confronted Gnosticism, the reality and necessity of Christ’s humanity has been at the heart of Christian orthodoxy. Bruce Ware’s grasp and exposition of this essential doctrine contains a rigorous theological precision, communicates an attractive piety, presses the reader to investigate just how central this is to the entire spectrum of the redemptive work of the Messiah, and opens the doctrine to some thick and provocative applicatory ideas. Both ancient and right up to date, Ware’s treatment deserves a serious reading.”

Thomas J. Nettles, Professor of Historical Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, By His Grace and for His Glory

OTHER CROSSWAY BOOKS BY BRUCE WARE:

Big Truths for Young Hearts:

Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God, 2009

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

Relationships, Roles, and Relevance, 2005

God’s Greater Glory:

The Exalted God of Scripture and the Christian Faith, 2004

Their God Is Too Small:

Open Theism and the Undermining of Confidence in God, 2003

The Man Christ Jesus: Theological Reflections on the Humanity of Christ

Copyright © 2013 by Bruce A. Ware

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Dual Identity

Cover image: The Bridgeman Art Library

First printing 2013

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from TheNew American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked TNIV are taken from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version. TNIV®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-1305-3 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-1306-0 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-1307-7 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2416-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ware, Bruce A.

The man Christ Jesus : theological questions on the humanity of Christ / Bruce A. Ware.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-1305-3

1. Jesus Christ—Humanity. I. Title.

BT218.W37 2013

2012015396

232'.8—dc23

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers..

To

Wayne and Bonnie Pickens

with deep gratitude for their lives and ministries,

CONTENTS

Preface: Why the Humanity of the God-Man Matters

 1  Taking on Human Nature

 2  Empowered by the Spirit

 3  Increasing in Wisdom

 4  Growing in Faith

 5  Resisting Temptation

 6  Living as a Man

 7  Dying in Our Place

 8  Raised, Reigning, and Returning in Victory

PREFACE: WHY THE HUMANITY OF THE GOD-MAN MATTERS

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

1 TIMOTHY 2:5

I recall a disturbing moment in my young Christian life. I was about ten years old, reading my Bible at home, sitting on the middle of my bed. My pastor and parents had encouraged the youth to be more diligent in Bible reading. Over a period of months I had made it through parts of the Gospels and some of the Epistles, and I now found myself reading 1 Peter. Despite the serious and repeated warnings about suffering for Christ, I was making it through this book pretty well. But then I read 1 Peter 2:21–23, which, in my small, black, red-letter King James Version (I still have it!) says:

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

It is hard to describe how unfair I felt this passage to be. I really was quite disturbed, not about the part that speaks of Christ’s suffering for us and committing his life to the Father, but about his followers’ being called to follow in his steps. No fair, I determined. Especially when the passage says to follow in the steps of one “who did no sin.” This was totally outlandish and unreasonable, and I just couldn’t see how God could really mean for us to take it seriously.

Behind my childish outrage at what this passage commanded was this: I had been taught in Sunday school that Jesus was God. I remember being quite amazed when I first learned this, that even though Jesus walked this earth and ate and drank and got tired and slept, he was nonetheless fully God. I was taught that the Father sent his Son into the world, and when the Son came, born of Mary, he was still the Son and so he was still fully God.

In my ten-year-old mind, I just couldn’t see how it would be fair, then, for God to call us to follow in the steps of Jesus, especially not to sin or to be angry at others who hurt us, since Jesus was God and we are not!

Little did I know how this question would come back to challenge me many years later, when I began to study my Bible more seriously and think more deeply about theological matters. This question returned to my mind during my seminary years, when I learned in greater depth that Jesus was both God and man. And that simple understanding—that he had two natures, one divine and one human—began a process of thinking again about 1 Peter 2:21–23 with new questions in my mind: Could it be that even though Jesus was fully God, he lived his life fundamentally as a man? Could the command to follow in his steps be legitimate because he lived a human life in obedience to his Father as we also are called to do? What, then, happens to his divine nature when he takes on human nature? Could he really have been both fully God and fully man and yet lived as one person?

The book you hold in your hands expresses some of the ways that God, in his abundant mercy, has allowed me to process these questions through deeper and richer study of his Word. I want to present here some of the evidence from Old and New Testaments that the human life of Jesus is real and to show how important it is that he lived our life in order to die our death and be forever “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5) who intercedes for us and reigns over us.

I long for Jesus to be honored through the reflections upon his humanity in this book. Please understand that this is not a complete Christology. I do not in any manner intend to “slight” the importance of the deity of Christ for an understanding of who Jesus was and is, even though his deity is not our focus here. There are a few times when we will examine some aspects of the deity of Christ simply because these must be seen to understand aspects of his humanity. My sense, though, is that evangelicals understand better Christ’s deity than they do his humanity, and so my focus here will be on the latter.1

I wish also briefly to express thanks to some who have assisted and encouraged me in my writing. Allan Fisher of Crossway first suggested the idea of this book, and he has patiently awaited its completion. I am deeply grateful for the excellent team at Crossway and consider it an honor to publish with them. My family members—Jodi, Rachel, Bethany, and Owen—have all been very supportive and helpful. As any writer can testify, time writing means time not spent with others. Writing is a lonely exercise, and my family has shown such understanding and patience with me, for which I am grateful. Southern Seminary also provided a sabbatical in which I was able to get much done on this book as well as several other projects.

And finally I wish to express my love and appreciation to the two people to whom this book is dedicated: Wayne and Bonnie Pickens. Bonnie is my sister, my only sibling, and I have long loved and admired this godly woman. She is one of the finest pastors’ wives I’ve seen in operation, and I am deeply grateful for her commitment to Christ, to her family, and to the ministry God has given her serving alongside of Wayne. Wayne currently pastors First Baptist Church, La Grande, Oregon. I grew to love Wayne early in his being my brother-in-law, because he loved the Bible, loved theology, and loved to talk and laugh, and he has loved my sister so well. He’s an excellent pastor, preacher, and lover of souls, and I count him among my dearest and closest friends.

Jesus Christ is truly amazing. I know only too well my own inadequacies in conveying the depth and breadth and height and length of his greatness, but my hope is that the pages of this book will point, at least, to some of the ways and reasons he should be praised and thanked and honored and obeyed. My prayer is that the Spirit, who came to glorify Jesus (John 16:14), will be pleased to help all of us know him better, that we may do now what all will do one day in the future: bow our knees and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord, “to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11).

___________________

1For an excellent treatment of the deity of Christ, see Murray J. Harris, Jesus as God: The New Testament Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1992).

1

TAKING ON HUMAN NATURE

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

PHILIPPIANS 2:5–8

Whereas the eternal Son of the Father, the second person of the Trinity, had no beginning and will have no end, the incarnate Son—the son of David, the son of Mary, the Messiah—had a beginning in time and space. This Son,1 Jesus the Christ, was brought into being through the power of the Holy Spirit, as the divine nature of the eternal Son was miraculously joined together with a created human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Luke’s account of this miracle—the grand miracle, as C. S. Lewis rightly called it—is riveting. Luke writes:

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:26–35)

The conception of Jesus in the Virgin Mary was unique in the history of humankind. Not only did the Holy Spirit supernaturally bring about conception within her apart from the involvement of any human father, but even more remarkable was the uniting of the divine and human natures in Jesus, such that this one would be born the son of Mary (Luke 1:31) and the son of “his father David” (v. 32) while also being “the Son of the Most High” (v. 32), “the Son of God” (v. 35). That is, he would be fully human (son of Mary) while also being fully divine (Son of the Most High). The miracle the Holy Spirit brought to pass, then, was to conceive in Mary none other than the God-man, the theanthropic person, Jesus Christ, son of David and Son of God.

THE NATURE OF THE KENOSIS (SELF-EMPTYING) OF THE ETERNAL SON

Given that the divine nature in Jesus was eternal and infinite while the human nature in Jesus was created and finite, one of the questions we ponder is just how these two natures could coexist in the one person. Could Jesus as both fully divine and fully human be, for example, simultaneously omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent—qualities of his eternal, divine nature—while also possessing a limited and finite human power, a limited yet growing knowledge and wisdom, and a restricted ability to be only in one place at one time—qualities of finite, human nature? It seems clear that some qualities of his eternal, divine nature are simply incompatible with his true and genuine human nature, such that it would be impossible for him truly to live as a human if that so-called human life was also one in which he exhibited fully divine qualities such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. In other words, would Jesus be truly and genuinely human if in his human experience he had limitless power, knowledge, wisdom, and spatial presence?

The crux of the answer to these questions comes in how Paul in Philippians 2:5–8 expresses the kenosis, the self-emptying, of the eternal Son as he took on human nature. Here Paul writes:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Notice some crucial features of this important passage.

First, Paul makes clear that Christ Jesus, as the eternal Son of the Father, is fully God. He offers two expressions, each of which conveys the full deity of Christ. Paul writes that Christ existed in the “form of God” (v. 6), using the term morphē, which refers to the inner nature or substance of something, not its external or outward shape. So, while the English word form can convey merely the outward appearance of something (i.e., the shape or contour or façade of some object), not its inner reality, the Greek word morphē conveys just the opposite, as can be seen with Plato’s “forms”—i.e., those substances of ultimate realities such as beauty, truth, justice, goodness, etc., that Plato thought existed eternally and apart from any material representation. The Greek morphē, then, is the inner substance or very nature of a thing, not its outer shape or appearance.

That Paul intends this understanding can be seen further in his second use of morphē, when he says that Jesus took the “form [morphēn] of a servant” (v. 7). Surely it is evident that Paul does not mean that Jesus took on merely the outer appearance of a servant, implying perhaps that though he looked like a servant, he was not in his own heart and life a true servant. Just the opposite: Jesus took on the inner substance and very nature, i.e., the form (morphēn), of what it means to be a servant, and that to its highest expression. As a servant, he served to the utmost, as he was obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. So again, “form” (morphē, v. 6, and morphēn, v. 7) must mean the very nature of something, not merely its outer appearance. Therefore, Paul’s point in 2:6 is clear: Jesus, being the “form of God,” exists in very nature as God, with the inner divine substance that is God’s alone. He is fully God since he exists “in the form [morphē] of God.”

Paul also refers to Christ as possessing “equality [isa] with God” (v. 6), which likewise makes clear his full deity. Nothing is equal to God except God! As God declares of himself, through the prophet Isaiah, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me” (Isa. 46:9; cf. Ex. 8:10; 15:11; Deut. 3:24; 2 Sam. 7:22; 1 Kings 8:23; Ps. 71:19; Mic. 7:18). Indeed, there is no god other than the one true and living God—so God is exclusively God—and there is no god who is like the one true and living God—so God is incomparably God. With this background in mind, Paul’s declaration that Christ possesses “equality with God” is stunning. It can mean only one thing: by virtue of the fact that no one can be equal to God but God himself, Christ, who possesses equality with God, must himself be fully God. Of course, as we often find where the deity of Christ is expressed, we see hints or outright declarations that someone other than Christ likewise is God. Since he is equal to God, this means that there is another who is God, in relation to whom Christ is his equal. So, as John puts it, the Word is both “with God” and is “God” (John 1:1), and Hebrews declares that Christ is the “exact imprint” of the nature of God (Heb. 1:3). Likewise here in Philippians 2, Christ is other than the one who is God (understood as the Father, no doubt) while he is also equal to this other one who is God and so is himself fully God.

Second, when Paul writes that Christ “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Phil. 2:6), he cannot mean that Christ gave up equality with God or that he ceased being fully God. Since he is fully God, he cannot cease to be fully God. God is eternal, self-existent, immortal, and immutable, and thus he cannot cease to exist as God, nor can he fail to be fully God. Surely what Paul means is this: Christ being fully God, possessing the very nature of God and being fully equal to God in every respect, did not thereby insist on holding onto all the privileges and benefits of his position of equality with God (the Father) and thereby refuse to accept coming as a man. He did not clutch or grasp his place of equality with the Father and all that this brought to him in such a way that he would refuse the condescension and humiliation of the servant role he was being called to accept. Just how he could accept his calling to become a man while being (and remaining!) fully God, we’ll explore next. But here it is crucial to see that Christ’s not “grasping” equality with God cannot rightly be taken to mean that Christ gave up being God or became in any way less than fully God when he took on also a fully human nature. No, rather, he did not grasp or clutch onto the privileged position, rights, and prerogatives that his full equality with God, his Father, afforded him, in order to fulfill his calling to become fully a man who would be, amazingly, servant of all.

Third, as one who is fully God, Christ Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant” (v. 7). The word that here is translated “emptied himself,” ekenōsen (third aorist indicative of kenoō), means literally just this: that Christ “emptied himself” or “poured out himself.” Note that Paul is not saying that Christ emptied something from himself or poured something out of himself, as if in so doing he became less fully God than he was before (which, as we have seen, is impossible). Rather, he emptied himself; he poured out himself. That is, all of who Christ is as eternal God, all that he is as the one who is in the form of God and is equal with God, is poured out. Christ, then, as God remains fully God. He loses nothing of his divine nature, and no divine qualities are removed from him as he pours himself out. No, Christ remains in his divine nature fully who and what he is in his existence as the eternal second person of the Trinity. He has eternally been fully God, and now in the incarnation he pours out fully who he is as God, remaining fully God as he does so.

The question then becomes just what this means—that Christ, the one who exists in the form of God (morphē) and as equal (isa) to God, pours himself out (ekenōsen). The answer comes, amazingly, in the three participles (particularly the first one) that follow ekenōsen. Christ poured himself out, taking the form of a servant. Yes, he pours out by taking; he empties by adding. Here, then, is a strange sort of math that envisions a subtraction by addition, an emptying by adding. What can this mean?

In brief, what this must mean is this: Christ Jesus, existing and remaining fully who he is as God, accepts his divine calling to come to earth and carry out the mission assigned him by the Father. As the eternal Son of God, who is himself the form (morphē, i.e., very nature) of God, he must come in the form (morphēn, i.e., very nature) of a servant. That is, he must come fully as a man, and as a man he must live his life and give his life as one of us. In so doing, Christ pours himself out (all of who he is) as he takes on, in addition to his full divine nature, a full human nature. Again, it is crucial to see that in the self-emptying (ekenōsen) of the eternal Son, Paul does not say that he poured something “out of” himself. No, absolutely not! Rather, he poured out himself. All of who he is as the eternal Son of the Father, as the one who is the form (morphē) of the Father, is poured out fully. Here, then, is no subtraction, strictly speaking. It is a “subtraction” (i.e., a pouring out, an emptying) by adding human nature to his divine nature. He came, then, to become the God-man—the one whose very divine nature took on fully the existence of a created human nature. He poured himself out by adding to himself the nature of a man, indeed, the nature of a servant par excellence who would give his life in obedience on the cross to fulfill the will of his Father.

Perhaps a couple of illustrations will help in seeing just how Christ could empty himself by adding something else to himself. Imagine, first, going into a new car dealership for the purpose of test-driving a brand-new car. As you are looking around the showroom floor, a salesman approaches and talks to you about several models on display. Your eye lands on a particularly bright and shiny car, brilliantly reflecting the sunlight streaming in. You ask if you can test-drive this beautiful, shiny car, and the salesman agrees. As you leave for your test-drive, you decide to drive out in the country for a bit, and in doing so you come upon some unpaved dirt roads. It so happens that this area had received torrential rains for the past several days, so these dirt roads are extremely muddy. Nonetheless, you drive this new shiny car on those muddy back roads for several miles, spinning the tires and enjoying how the car handles in these slippery conditions. Returning the car to the dealership, you pull into the lot and drive it right back onto the showroom floor—now caked all over with mud! When the salesman sees you and his car, he comes over and exclaims, “What have you done to my car?” At this you calmly reply, “I haven’t taken anything away from your car; I’ve only added to it!” And of course, the point is correct. The beautiful shine of the car is still there. Its luster and beauty haven’t been removed. But what has happened is that something else has been added to the car that prevents these qualities from being able to shine through. The beauty of the car has not been destroyed or even diminished, but that beauty has been covered over by the mud. One might even say this: the glory of the car is every bit as much present as it was previously, but this glory cannot be seen for what it is because of the covering of mud. Taking on the mud, then, had added something that results in its appearing less, while in fact it is only more.

This illustration seeks to help show just how Christ could, on the one hand, retain full deity while taking on humanity, yet, on the other hand, why it was that his deity, while fully possessed, could not be fully expressed due to his having taken on human nature. The human nature added to Christ’s deity is like the mud added to the luster and brilliance of that bright and shiny car. Apart from the incarnation, there was nothing to “hide” or conceal his full deity, so it could show forth in full brilliance. But when he became also a man, he “covered” himself with a created, limited, and finite human nature. So, even though Christ is fully God in the incarnation, he cannot express the full range of his divine qualities or attributes owing to his having also taken on full human nature. While the glory of Christ’s deity is still fully present and intact, the manifestation of that glory is not allowed full expression, covered as he is, in human nature.