I and the Father are one. John 10:30
Jesus has always been and always will be. Not only has He always been – before time – and will be forever, but He has also always been and will always be fully God and fully man. Hypostasis is the term that describes this unity in Jesus in one individual existence. He is both fully God and fully man. He is both perfectly divine and perfectly human, having two complete and distinct natures at once. But what exactly does that mean – fully God and fully man? And why is it important to us?
Fully God
Jesus is the second person in the trinity – the Father (God), the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. He has been with God and the Holy Spirit since before time began and He has all the same qualities – or attributes – as God. I and My Father means that the Father and the Son are not the same Person. Are one means that the Father and the Son are equal in nature. God and the Jesus have this unique unity because they are equally and totally God. The Bible identifies God the Son (Jesus) as the Creator of all things. Referring to Him as the Word, John 1:1-3 says In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
And Fully Man
Jesus was born of a virgin to provide redemption for all. He lived a sinless life and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for our sins. Only Jesus could be the sinless substitute for us. He died the death we deserve, and He redeemed us and gave us righteousness and eternal life. He was crucified and buried but rose again on the third day. He ascended into Heaven and is now exalted on the right hand of God.
The fact that Jesus is both God and man is very important for us.
· It makes Him relatable to us. He understands us as humans since He was fully man, and we can trust Him.
· It assures us that He understands everything we go through. He shares in our human weaknesses; He knows what it is like to be human and tempted.
· He shows us what our Heavenly Father is like. We can learn about God the Father through Jesus’ life.
· He is able to pay for our sins and reconcile us to God.
Jesus (fully God) is the only one who can bear the penalty for our sins. When He came to earth, He did not surrender or set aside His Deity. Instead, in submission to God the Father, He gave up His glory for the pain and brokenness of this world. This did not make Him any less God. He is the only pure and spotless sacrifice to cover sin. Our sin alienates us from God and Jesus can fix it for us because He is both man and God.
