The apostle Paul, in Hebrews 2:7, wrote: “You have made him a little lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands.” But the Scriptures tell us that in heaven and before the incarnation, the Son of God was infinitely higher than the angels (Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2). Thus, the Son is no less God than is the Father (John 14:9, 11). For He was one with the Father from the days of eternity (Psalms 90:2; Proverbs 8:22–30; John 1:1–3).
Christ had a human nature and a divine nature
However, when the Son of God became a man, He voluntarily became a human and necessitated no special treatment. But even under these conditions He did not renounce His Divinity. He knew whence He came (John 13:3). He had power to forgive sins (Matt. 9:6). He could call to His aid more than twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53).
Evidences for the divinity of Christ are indisputable. These may be summarized briefly as follows: (1) the perfect life He lived (Heb. 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22), (2) the heavenly message He gave (John 7:46; 14:10; Matt. 7:29), (3) the miracles He performed (John 5:20; 14:11), (4) the prophecies He fulfilled (Luke 24:26, 27, 44; John 5:39).
Although He had divine power, at no time did Jesus attempt to save Himself, except as led by God. To do this would have annulled His work. “Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5–8).
Christ’s incarnation and victory saved mankind
It is Christ’s humanity that enables Him to be the kind of high priest men need. “For we have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Christ experienced the feebleness that are mutual to man—though without committing sin.
For this reason, He understands fully the problems and difficulties that the honest believer has to face. In fact, one reason for the incarnation was that Deity might come so near to people as to experience the very same afflictions that they experience. By so doing, Christ is capable to become our High Priest and to bring our cases before God the Father.
Through Christ, our human nature gained access to victory over its natural tendency to sin. Because of Christ’s victory over sin, humans may have victory over sin as well (Romans 8:1–4). In Him, believers can be “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37), for God gives” the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). This victory is over both sin and its wages of death (Galatians 2:20).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
