The Necessity of Jesus' Humanity
The Necessity of Jesus’ Humanity
Why did the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, have to become human? Since God is all-powerful, could He not have simply saved mankind by saying so? This is a question that the church has wrestled with for centuries. As we approach our annual celebration of His birth, Scripture and a church father can help us answer this question.
St. Gregory of Nazianzus (329–390 AD) was one of the foremost defenders of Je-sus’ human nature. He understood that if the church does not defend Jesus’ humanity, then mankind’s redemption would also be at stake. The Athanasian Creed confesses, “Although [Jesus] is God and man, he is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God.” This assumption of the humanity is necessary because, as St. Gregory wrote, “The unassumed is the unhealed, but what is united with God is also being saved” (Letter 101, para. 5). In other words: Only what was assumed was healed. If Christ does not assume humanity, humanity cannot be healed from sin.
In Genesis 3, mankind fell into sin when both man and woman ate the forbidden fruit. God then stripped them of eternal life, cursed their activities upon earth, and declared that mankind is condemned because of unbelief. In other words, mankind completely corrupted itself in mind, soul, and body. We have inherited this condemnation because we are descended from that first man: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…” (Rom. 5:12). This is the problem of sin, death, and judgment.
None of us can live perfectly because our entire nature – mind, soul, and body – is corrupted by the same sin that Adam and Eve committed. To resolve this problem, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). The only way to resolve the problem of sin was to fix the corruption that mankind had brought upon itself. Gregory argued that the only way to fix that corruption was for God Himself to assume human nature.
He drew this conclusion particularly from Hebrews 4:15–16, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus was tempted in everything that you and I face. You and I are tempted in body (gluttony, sexual immorality, etc.), mind (anger, jealousy, etc.), and soul (unbelief, despair, etc.). Therefore, Jesus Christ must have also had a body, mind, and soul.
This conclusion was very important for Gregory of Nazianzus. Only what is united with God is being saved. Otherwise, whatever part of humanity Jesus lacked would not be saved. This was a huge issue in his day. The Docetists argued that Jesus did not have a human body. According to Gregory’s rule, this would mean that our bodies are not actually saved. The Apollinarians argued that Jesus did not have a human mind. According to Gregory’s rule, this would mean that our minds are not saved. To refute these heresies, we must confess with Gregory that only what Christ assumed was healed.
So, if anyone asks you this holiday season why God had to become man to save us, you can remember what St. Gregory of Nazianzus so succinctly argued. Remember that God Himself was born completely human just as you are: soul, mind, and body. What an incredible mystery to celebrate this season!
A blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas to you all.
Vicar Mars