Revelation of the God-Man- Hannah Collins
Where does one even begin on the subject of Jesus being fully God and fully man? For even the most elaborate of bindings cannot bring complete knowledge of this infinite Being to the forefront of one’s finite mind. However, what foundational truths are known can be found in the Bible, the Word of God; where He, the Author, brings to life the mystery of His very person and through revelation of His son Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:1-5) Later in the book of John, Jesus testifies of Himself being this Light, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the World; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’” (John 8:12) Great is the revelation to be found in the Word but it should be noted that unless there is revelation through relationship with the Word the vastness of this God-man will never fully be comprehended. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
From the beginning of time He was, to infinity He’ll be; living outside of time yet calling it forth with just one word of His mouth. The greatest Architect of all, He formed the world from nothing and made it His greatest masterpiece. Apart from Him, all was empty and void, the echo of humanity yet to be heard. He longed for partnership and by just one breathe and a little dirt He created life so that such partnership could take root in the soil of a Garden. His divine strategy from the beginning was all on behalf of love and for communion with man who would ultimately bear His image. As the story of humanity unfolds one can see the common thread of love regarding this Person when through the Holy Spirit He brought forth His son of love, a baby, through a young Jewish mother from Galilee. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel-(‘God with us’). He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.” (Isaiah 7:14-15) What humility! In that God would lower Himself to such a means, even in His omnipotence, so that we could learn what true agape love looks like. In Luke 2:52 it says this baby, “...Kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men,” and was given the name of Jesus, which in Hebrew means “the Lord is salvation.” This Jesus took on flesh so that we might know His Father’s love, love Him in return, and so that we might abide with Him forever in eternity. This redemptive plan of salvation took place through the God-man being sacrificed on a cross. This act is the pinnacle of the life of the God-man and will forever mark the lives of those who believe by faith that He is who He says He is.
To even begin pondering this God-man having come and walked among us as Himself a man with flesh and blood is truly mind-blowing! Even more so astounding is the fact that he ate, drank, worked and grew faint and weary just like the rest of us. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) For even in His human frailty He possessed the very nature of One who is sinless, pure, and undefiled. He who to all of humankind is a chief role-model concerning the divine nature, that which possesses no flaws or blemish is to be greatly admired. Knowing that through Him is access to the Father brings great fortitude to those who are broken, weary, and discouraged, for in the Father is the promise of “yolk being easy and burdens being light.” (Matthew 11:30) However and
unfortunately, to most who just give ear to the story of Jesus, the God-man becomes just a cute fairy-tale or fable, but to those that hear, see, and encounter Him through Scripture and by way of revelation, will in turn testify of Him being a reality and not a farce or myth.
So how CAN we know for sure God is who He says He is and that His Son truly is Jesus and One with Him? Prophesies of old through Isaiah, Jeremiah and John the Baptist bear witness of the God-man but the earliest recorded prophesy was from Genesis 3:15 which says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” This was fulfilled by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Also Hebrews 1:1-4 says, “God, after He spoke long ago to the father in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Mystery on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” Lastly, Jesus specifically gives witness to His Oneness with the God the Father in John 14:7-11 when He said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Understanding that Jesus is both fully God and fully man is pertinent because to separate the two negates the entire truth of the Word of God and would be blasphemy. For even in the natural, looking at someone and saying they’re not who they say they are is foolish and demoralizing. Even more so to look at the Words of One who is omniscient and say He is a liar!
As my personal journey with this God-man continues, my heart is increasingly convinced of His validity. Through reading of His Word, I’m moved by the life He lived and the precedence He set for the life I now live. Knowing that He has seen everything from the beginning to end and that the Father gets His heart’s desire by His Son getting a bride, me, is exhilarating. I’m beginning to see the plans and purposes of the Father’s heart being established through my partnership, communion, and relationship with His Son, Jesus. Just like the beginning of the story, I’m discovering Him breathing life into my lungs and fulfilling His desire to walk in the Garden with me both now and for eternity. Knowing that from the beginning of time, before there ever was, I was thought upon and brought forth as part of this divine unfolding fills my heart with awe. What love the Father has lavished on me that I should be called a daughter of the Most High! (1 John 3:1) Finally knowing that in Isaiah 55:11 He said, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it,” and Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good,” reaffirms my heart in following this God-man. As I look to Him, my only hope is that I endure to the end like Him. The more I gaze upon His beauty and radiance, that I become more like Him and am transformed from glory to glory.
