Hypostatic Union the Question of the Nature

Hypostatic Union

The question of the nature of Jesus has plagued the Christian community from the inception of Christ into the world. The Jewish community was the first to be confused by the deity of Jesus. While Jews were certain that he was a man they faced the challenge of understanding that He was also God. This combination of God and man at once in an individual is unprecedented and there is no comparison for such a combination. After the death of Jesus the problem was exacerbated because the thinking of many persons is that if he was God he could not die. So that his death is a clear indication that he was not God. This thinking is manifested in many theological traditions as heresies. As a response to the individuals who believe that Jesus was only man this essay will demonstrate through the use of scripture that Jesus is both God and man, divine and human. That is the mystery that will never be completely understood by finite human beings.

One of the clearest statements in scripture that states the divinity of Jesus is the words of the Apostle John in the Gospel of John. John 1:1 and 14 are crystal clear statements that the "Word was God" and, 14 states that the same "Word" became flesh (Two natures 2012). This description from the gospel of John can only be applied to Jesus. There is also the fact that Jesus accepted worship that was only due to God alone (Matt 2:2, 11). Jesus also forgave the sins of individuals and in Colossians 2:9 the bible notes that in Jesus dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. These statements are clear indications that the biblical writers believed that Jesus was God in the flesh.

The humanity of Jesus is also clearly stated in scripture. Luke 2:52 speaks of the child Jesus growing in many key developmental areas. This is an indication of His human nature, since he came to earth as a baby and grew normally as other children. On indication of his real humanity is that he died (Romans 5:8). This statement while it may seem contradictory is the clearest indication of his humanity since the experience of all humans became his experience.

The fundamental conundrum center on the question is this possible? The answer to this question is descriptive rather than explanatory. We can describe what that union is but we cannot completely explain it. Jesus was always God; from eternity to eternity he was God. He therefore existed before he came to earth and took the form and life of humans. The divine nature of Jesus did not experience any change, rather the human nature was added. The hypostatic union is a theological term that refers to the truth that the essential nature of Jesus is two natures (Pace 1910). Several key theologians such as Augustine, and the Christian council of Chalcedon addressed these issues and determined that Christ possessed two natures. Each nature is distinct and Christ is not a fusion of the two natures. It should be noted that the process for this remains a deep mystery knowable only to God (Allen 2006).

Jesus becoming man was an essential feature of the salvation plan. The plan of salvation called for the death of God. The nature of sin is such that the redemption of man could not be achieved without the death of an individual. The only individual, who could legitimately live a life and then die as the substitute of humanity, would be someone who was both God and man simultaneously. As God he was linked to heaven and as man he could die as the propitiation for sins.