Sunday, 7 January 2018

THE DUAL NATURE OF JESUS CHRIST

THE DUAL NATURE OF JESUS CHRIST
Matt.24:36.MK.13:32-34.
INTRODUCTION:
What is dual nature? Let’s define it. It means according to Collins English dictionary, 1.having two parts, 2.functions or aspects, 3. state of having or believed to have two distinct or aspects.
Mathew 24:36 says “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father”. And Mk.13:32-34 says “But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but my father. Take ye heed, watch and pray, for you know not when the time is. For the son of man is as man taking a far journey, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch therefore for you know not when the master cometh, at mid night or at evening or at Cockcrow”. These passages are saying the same thing.  What we are going to find out actually is whether he knew or not about the time of his second coming, as many concluded him saying. Of course he does not tell lies. You will begin to learn about how he used words on his earthly ministry.  He used these words based on his Dual Natures. He had two different natures and was using them at the same time.      
WE SAY THAT JESUS HAS TWO NATURES:
He has 1. A Divine nature and 2. A Human nature. Jesus is the only one with these two natures. The father of Jesus has only one nature which is “Divine” or (Spirit).  The Divine nature of Jesus has to do with the name Christ. And the name Christ in Hebrew or Aramaic is translated as “The awaited King”.   
The question is “Is Jesus actually the anointed king or the awaited king”? We will not give any answer outside of the Bible. To answer this question let’s see Matt. 2:2 “Where is he that is born king of the Jews?” This question showed that a king was born in the city with reference to his birth. This king was born from birth, and from prophecy, not like the worldly king/s. See Isa.7:14. “A child is born to us of a virgin”.
His kingship is Divine Matt. 2: 1-4; Mk. 15:17-18. Read, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying, “Where is he born king of the Jews?” We have established his kingship from the Bible. Any other argument does not hold any waters.  
THE DUAL NATURE:
He had a Human nature which talks about his humanity as a man. And he has a Divine nature which also talks about his nature as God. These two natures were in him and only in him. He has these two natures now and forever.   With these two natures he operated his ministry here on earth. Each of these natures worked for him in his works. For example, he walked upon the waters with his Divine nature.  
The scripture is very clear about this answer. It said when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king; that wise men came and asked for where was Jesus born, king of the Jews? The Bible did not talk of other children who were born at that same time in Bethlehem of Judea as king/s. Yes we know that many children might have been born there at that time. 
We must agree that there were other children born at the same time, but the king of the Jews was mentioned specifically. That reminds me to say that king Herod who was ruling at that time was not a Jewish king, but an “Idumean”, i.e from the lineage of Esau. Of course this birth has been mentioned for over seven hundred years ago by Isaiah 7:14. And before he was even conceived by Mary, the Angel Gabriel also informed his mother about it Lk. 1:26-34.
So it was not a mistake to ask about where the king of the Jews was born, because Herod was appointed by Caesar of Rome and he was imposed on the Jews to rule them.  We have experience such conditions before.
The wise men were emphatic by saying, “For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him”. There has been no man born with a star in the history of the world, and will never be. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born” Math.2:1-4. Even Herod the king knew about the prophesied name Christ.
When it came to pass in his days he was troubled to hear that the king of the Jews or Christ has been born in his days.  He enquired from the wise men when they exactly saw his star and they told him. Then he enquired from the scribes and they informed him according to their own time. He told the wise men to go and search him out and bring him word again. The wise men left and were warned not to go back the same way how much more to bring him word concerning the one he considered a rival?
They found the young king and bowed before him and not only that; they also opened their treasures and blessed the young king.  So Jesus is the king of the Jews, though they rejected him Jon. 1:11. Although this rejection was very necessary in other to allow the Gentiles to come in Rom. 11:11,25. The Gentiles in turn has forgotten what has been done to them by the Jews, and they continue blaming the Jews; for had they received their king, the Gentiles would be lost completely. In commemoration of this kingship, the Jews mocked him  as their king. But in mocking him they acknowledged it, read about it below.
And as they brought him before Pontus Pilate the Bible said in Mark 15:17-19 it reads, “And they clothed him with purple and plated a crown of thorns and put it about his head. And they began to salute him saying “Hail, King of the Jews”. The next verse said they smoke him on the head with a reed and did spit on him and bowing their knees and worshipped him.  When one is mocking himself, does he know it or understand that he is mocking himself? The answer is No. Again I have seen scripture come to pass, both positive and negative alike.
In spite of what they did here, they bowed to him as a king whether in mockery or in truth, worship is worship, and bow is bow. These are the ways a king is greeted.  The Bible said that the wise men came asking where he was born king of the Jews. At least the wise men first bowed to the king and worshipped him in truth before the negative bow to him. This king has a star and it appeared in the east, from where the sun rises.
Since the wise men could seek for Jesus, only foolish men care not where Jesus is or to worship him as a king. And even if they see him, he will not mean anything to them because they are fools. The Jews themselves insulted their king because at this time they were blind Isaiah 6:9-13; Rom. 11:25.
But my concern is that some people even some nations today are joining the “old Israel in their blindness” to reject Jesus. Are you also blind?  When the Jews will come to faith and shall receive him as Lord, will these nations open their eyes also and do like them at that time? God’s programs are going the way it was programmed and people are blindly arguing on what they understand not.
An adage says “When the Rat joins the Lizard to run under the rain, if the Lizard’s body gets dry, will the Rat’s body do so?”  Therefore those people or nations which are saying that Israel has not repented yet; what are you talking about? When the time comes, and God shall take away ungodliness from Jacob and wipe out the sins of Israel, will your own nation and people be among them?  Will your own sins be wiped out as the Israelis own? The Bible has this to say about them, “that their fall is for (you) the Gentiles to come in to faith” Rom.11:11, 25.
Now what is the reason for your own rejection of Christ since Israel has a reason for their rejection of Jesus Christ and their reason is accepted by God as good?  If Israel had accepted Christ immediately as Moses wrote in the law Deut. 18:15, the Gentiles would be lost forever. Moses said that the lord God of Israel shall raise another prophet like himself to them, and that when he comes, they should listen to him and hear him”.
If God had allowed them to receive Christ in his first coming, surely we the Gentiles today would be lost out. But because God had said it to Abraham through prophecy Gen. 12:3 he had decided to bring us in. They had to reject their king so that we could come in.  And we have to receive him as our king and lord before they would realize their mistake and come for him. Then we are joined and called as “Elects” Isa.45:4; 2Tim.2:10. Today, the Gentiles are subscribing and calling themselves as Elects as the Bible had declared Isa.44:5.

THE HUMAN NATURE STATESMENTS:
The Bible is a great book, in the sense that it contains certain mysteries especially words spoken by Jesus. There are statements which Jesus made with his human nature and some actions backing them. Certain statements like “My father is greater than I” Jon.14:28. Here the Watch Tower Society uses it against Christ, to say that he is not God. They said that Jesus by this word acknowledged that someone sent him which is the father. We are not arguing on that.
But we see it as a statement made with his human nature only.  He was on earth and was seen as a man, and for him to claim that he is God would make no one to listen to him.  At that time only his disciples knew him well and others saw him as a man or one of the prophets. And it will be reasonable enough for a man not to claim that he is God, while he was on earth and having flesh.
Yes because there’s no way a human being could claim that he is God, even people would stone him for blasphemy. But this statement was made with his human nature.  Many people do not understand it this way. He made a lot of statements with his human nature, and many people even Pastors fail to understand it that way. We know that Jesus is God/man, why don’t we understand it well? We should understand that he has two natures and that he worked and spoke with the two natures.
            ANOTHER HUMAN NATURE STATEMENT:
Jesus made many statements with his human nature, see another one. “The son of man does not know the time of his coming, no one, even the Angels of heaven, but my father only”.  This word was spoken with his human nature. How do we know?  He did not use his Divine nature here but his human nature. No (human being) no man knows the date including the son of man, he didn’t say the son of God didn’t know, no not son of God. He knew the time of his second coming with his Divine nature as son of God.
With his Divine nature he was teaching the disciples that he will set out for his second coming “Immediately after the Tribulation of those days” Matt. 24:29-31, why didn’t he say “Before the tribulation of those days”. Was he not the one who taught these things to his Disciples? He knows. But we should understand our master’s word at any time.     
He was teaching his disciples about the secrets of the kingdom in Lk.8, and all of a sudden the Pharisees and their company came in where he was teaching. You know what? He didn’t stop talking but he changed the topic of his message immediately, but only the disciples understood it but the visitors did not know. See, he said “The Sower went out to sow, some fell by the way side and the birds of the air picked them up. Some fell on stony ground and have no much earth, they sprung up quickly but because it had no much soil, it withered away.  Some fell on the Rock and some fell among thorns and the thorns choked them up and others fell on good ground and produced 30s, 60s and 100%.
As the Pharisees listened to him, they thought this was what he was teaching, and because they didn’t understand that message, they left him and his disciples immediately. Afterwards the disciples asked him about the Parable and he said “Unto you it’s given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but to them, in Parable” Lk. 8:9-15.     
HIS DIVINE NATURE AT WORK:
With his Divine nature he walked upon the waters. No man or human can walk upon the waters, no, no one. He walked upon the sea with his legs and his disciples became afraid and said “It’s a Ghost” but he said no it is I do not be afraid” Jon.6:20. This is his Divine nature at work. We shall try and show you another Divine work.
After a crusade that lasted a whole day people began to faint for food. He asked the disciples saying “where could we get something for this great multitude? But the Bible said he knew what to do. One of his disciples () said, “There’s a little child here with two fishes and 4 loaves of bread, but what can it do to this great multitude?”
He took it and after prayers he divided it and gave the disciples to share among them. They started sharing and never knew how the bread was producing and increasing till the whole multitude were satisfied, including the disciples and a leftover of about twelve baskets remained.  This was an act of his divine nature.
In fact all miracles which did were from his Divine nature because it added no sorrows to it. Even his first miracle at Cana of Galilee was an act of his Divine nature. His ascension into heaven was from his Divine nature. He is the only being who lived on earth with these two natures. So some statements were from his human and some from his divine nature.
We should understand which is which between these two natures. If no other people should know this, surely we his own people have his Spirit in us which teaches us and also reminds us of his teachings and Doctrines. We should not be confused like the people of the world.  So when the “Watch Tower Society” misunderstands him, misinterprets and misapplies him, we should not follow their mistakes.  It’s like they have scores to settle with him.  In their midst proper, they never arrogate to him as the Lord Jesus Christ. Even in prayer this is the way they pray, they say, “In Christ name we pray, Amen”.
It seems they are just using his name by force because there’s no other name to use. But one thing they are careful about and never do is to call him “Christ our lord”. Then the big question is who do they call their lord? It’s a question they have to answer at the great white throne judgment, where the same Christ shall judge.
God bless.

           

No comments:

Post a Comment