Where
the Bible is concerned, Jesus, God's anointed one is firmly in the
realm of humanity, a genuine human being. We can be sure that we are
on firm Scriptural ground when we affirm that Jesus is truly and
certainly man. Is this to say that he is “just” a man like the
rest of us? Not at all. No? But did we not say just now that he is
truly human? Certainly, but which of us can be described as a
“perfect man” or a “sinless man”? None of us. So it is clear
that in this most important sense he is unlike us. Since he alone is
a perfect man, does it not follow that he alone is perfectly human?
Does it not likewise follow that in the light of Jesus’ unique
perfection, all mankind must admit to being not perfectly human?
Thus, human beings are not truly human in the way they were created
to to be until they too are finally “made perfect” (cf. Hebrews
5:9; 7:28; 11:40; 12:23).
The
great Apostle obviously did not consider this a possibility in this
life when he said, “Not that I have already obtained this or am
already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because God's
anointed one Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12). This
means that Jesus is the only true man who has ever existed on the
earth because he is the only perfect, sinless person who has ever
lived.
Where
Scripture is concerned, there is therefore no question about Jesus
being human and, indeed, the only truly human person. Herein is his
absolute uniqueness; he is incomparable. This is precisely why he
alone could be the savior of the world. For the problem with humanity
is that because of its self centeredness and sin it has behaved as
less than human, less than what God intends man to be. This is,
sadly, something many people experience all too painfully on the
personal and social levels, as also on the international level;
something we are reminded of daily by simply turning on the world
news reports and hearing about the interminable conflicts and wars
going on in the world. But there is hope in God's anointed o ne,
because in him Yehovah God will reconcile all things to Himself
(Colossians 1:20).
The
Biblical revelation brings us to the realization that there is only
one true God and there is also only one true man. Moreover, between
them, as might be expected, there exists a unique relationship of
oneness, which Jesus repeatedly spoke about. This oneness or union he
described in terms of a mutual “abiding” or indwelling: “I am
in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:11). Because Jesus
alone was sinless, he alone was the “place” (John 2:19) where the
holy God could dwell in His fullness. This divine fullness is
represented by God’s Word (John 1:1) which, as words do, might be
described as having welled up from the innermost depth of His being –
and having come forth to dwell in the one true man, and in His
anointed one to dwell among us (John 1:14).
In
the early church there was a description of this oneness of God in
His anointed one in terms of the picture of a piece of iron placed in
the fire until it glows in the fire; thus the iron is in the fire,
and the fire is in the iron, yet the fire is still fire and the iron
is still iron, the one does not change into the other, but it
beautifully and effectively illustrates Jesus’ words, “I am in
the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:11). The union is such
that Yehovah could freely speak and work through His anointed one to
accomplish His eternal purposes in the world, and His anointed one
could speak and act for Yehovah as His fully empowered
plenipotentiary. That is why there are some places in Scripture where
it is not always clear whether the reference has to do with Yehovah
or with His anointed one. Yet it must be remembered that the union of
iron with fire does not mean that the iron becomes fire, or that the
fire becomes iron; they are united but remain distinct. Likewise, the
union of Yehovah with the anointed one does not mean that the
anointed one is Yehovah or that Yehovah is the anointed one.
So
the Biblical revelation reveals not only that Jesus is the only true
man, which in itself would be marvelous enough, but just as
amazingly, that Yehovah God came into the world in His anointed one
to reconcile the world to Himself, that is, to save it.
Jesus,
therefore, is uniquely Yehovah’s “temple” (John 2:19) in the
world where atonement for sin was made through his truly human and
sinless blood, and from which Yehovah God's truth is proclaimed to
the ends of the earth. And because Jesus is the only true man, he is
the only mediator acting on man’s behalf (1 Timothy 2:5), just as
Moses mediated on Israel’s behalf. His is also the only name
effective for mankind’s salvation: “there is salvation in no one
else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by
which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Given” by whom? Who else
but by Yehovah God Himself?
Since
it pleased Yehovah God, the Father, to exalt Jesus over all other
beings, such that every tongue should confess him as “lord,” that
is how he is to be regarded and honored “to the glory of the
Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
We
are eternally grateful that he is the perfect man who “loved us and
gave himself for us” in order “to bring us to God” (1 Peter
3:18). And now we are united with God and with His anointed one in
“the body of God's anointed one,” which is the called-out
Assembly of God, and of which God's anointed one is the head and we
are the members. In this new life we now learn to relate to Yehovah
God as the center of our lives, while always gratefully remembering
and honoring His anointed one, the perfect sacrifice (as at the
Communion, or lord's supper) that Yehovah provided for us. God's
anointed one Jesus, the only perfect man, made the salvation of
mankind possible.
Written by Eric Chang... edited by Bruce Lyon
The Only True God: http://www.christiandc.org/content/only-true-god
Written by Eric Chang... edited by Bruce Lyon
The Only True God: http://www.christiandc.org/content/only-true-god
