Jesus Christ, Human and Divine What Do You Believe About Him?

Condensed from long article aT.

Article bP

Likely all Christians believe Jesus came forth from the womb and body of Mary. Likely all Christians also believe that Jesus in coming into the world and being born of Mary partook of flesh and blood. Yet surprisingly many Christians still believe that Christ's flesh and blood did not derive from, or have any inheritance from humanity and Mary. They claim it would have been impossible for Jesus to have been a sinless Saviour had He taken upon Himself our very flesh and blood (situation), although He (being a Spiritual Being and Son of God from heaven) could very much have been sinless because of overcoming and conquering our very flesh and situation, rather than been sinless because of not encountering it. If Jesus inherited nothing from Mary, and Mary acted merely as a dwelling (incubator) for Jesus while He developed, how could she truly have personally conceived as the Scriptures teach she did (Isa 7:14, Luke 1:31, 2:21 Matt 1:20)? Mere nourishment or incubation is not a real conception, nor would such have made Jesus a real son of man. Very very many Scriptures speak of Christ as being the Son of Man and three Scriptures particularly speak of Christ being the seed of humanity according to the flesh (Acts 2:29-30, Rom 1:3, Rom 9:5). Strange indeed, and why would Jesus have been born of a woman at all, and appeared like a descendent of humanity, and repeatedly called Himself the son of man, if He inherited absolutely nothing from humanity? God had a vivid reason for not sending Jesus straight from heaven in a heavenly body. God in sending Jesus forth from the body and womb of Mary was not acting a hoax! bP-1

The belief that Jesus received nothing from Mary but mere nourishment was strongly advocated by Menno Simons, whose belief is spread abroad among many of his followers in our day. It is sad the Menno Simons quite foolishly advocated that all children only receive nourishment from their mother (while developing in the womb) and that no child inherits any physical element from it's mother, even though children's facial appearance obviously often resemble their mother's (Menno Simons, Herald Press, Page 767-769). Note the John F. Funk translation of Menno's writings does not include this teaching of Menno's, because the translator thought it not edifying to include it (Funks translation, last half of book page 99). Menno strongly emphasized two points which were, firstly that Jesus could not have been sinless and qualified to redeem us had He inherited and encountered our very flesh and situation, and secondly that the "Word" of God Himself became and turned into Christ's flesh rather than Christ's flesh deriving from Mary. Did Menno not consider that it really honors Christ more, to count Him sinless because of fully overcoming, conquering, and having a remedy for our very flesh and situation, rather than to count Him sinless simply because of never encountering it? One should be aware that the church fathers who immediately followed the time of the Apostles such as Ignatius, Irenaeus, and Tertullian, opposite of Menno, very strongly advocated Jesus did receive His flesh and humanity from Mary. bP-2

Jesus in John chapter six extensively spoke both of His flesh being bread from heaven and of Christians needing to eat His heaven sent flesh to be saved. It is strange and without basis that many Christians firmly believe Jesus was not speaking of his literal flesh with respect to eating it, but yet firmly believe he was speaking of his literal flesh with respect to it being from heaven. As Jesus knew His teaching about His flesh and blood was difficult to understand, He latter clarified Himself to His disciples saying "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63). It was the Word and quickening Spirit of Christ that dwelt within and gave life to Christ's flesh and blood, which came from heaven, and which needed to be eaten and drank to attain eternal life. Note if Christ's flesh would have consisted of the Eternal Word, Himself having turned into flesh, Christ's flesh would have been very important, rather than being something of which Jesus said it profiteth nothing. Note numerous Scriptures speak of Christ's flesh as a weak or negative element. bP-3

Christians should remember that God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and that a Spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), and remember that Jesus before coming to earth was a Spiritual Being like His Father. Us humans who tend to look too much at the things that are seen (physical), and not enough at the things that are not seen (Spiritual), should consider that the whole Jesus as born from Mary consisted firstly of the greater and powerful part from heaven (Spiritual and invisible), and secondly the lessor part (flesh and blood and visible) which He took upon Himself. bP-4

The fleshly aspect which Jesus acquired in His earth life was not a positive element, but was a weakness which our powerful Jesus (invisible Spiritual Son from heaven) overcame and provided a remedy for. The Bible speaks about Jesus' flesh as something weak and subject to death reading, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, ...being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" (1 Pet 3:18), "In the body of his flesh through death..." (Col 1:22). "For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God..." (2 Cor 13:4). bP-5

If our great Spiritual and invisible Jesus from heaven could not have grafted upon Himself our very flesh and situation, because of not being able to be sinless by overcoming it, and because of having no remedy for it, how could He be able to redeem us from our very flesh and situation?! Heb 2:14 rather teaches that Jesus took upon Himself our very flesh and blood (situation) to thereby encounter it in Himself, solve the problem, and develop a remedy for it for us, reading, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" bP-6

Numerous Scriptures pertain to the great kindness and humility of Christ in that He was willing to take upon Himself our lowly situation, in the process of redeeming us (Phil 2:5-9, 2 Cor 8:9). Hebrews chapters 1-5 speak much about Jesus coming in the flesh. As a result of Jesus coming in the flesh, Christ and the Christian share many common experiences. A very significant portion of the New Testament, pertains to how Christians suffer and die together with Christ, are tempted together, overcome together, are quickened together, and resurrected together. If Jesus did not take on Himself our very flesh and situation, how could we in truth share so many common experiences, and how could Jesus truly be the firstfruit of the resurrection as numerous Scriptures speak of (Acts 26:23, Col 1:18, Rev 1:5, 1 Cor 15:21-23)? 1 Corinthians 15:21-23 particularly speaks of Christ being the first to resurrect from the very death that came upon all through Adam, and how could He truly have been first to resurrect from it if He never encountered it? Christ's resurrection from our very flesh and blood is God's wondrous proof to humanity that we can do the same. How sad it is that many have lived and died and have never understood the proof! Apostle John said that every spirit that denies that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" but is the spirit of the antichrist (1 John 4:3, 2 John 1:7). Denying Christ's human aspect distorts a very significant portion of the New Testament, and distorts very basic principles of the Christian religion. Note the fact that Apostle John speaking of those who deny Christ's human aspect, said we should not bid them God speed or freely receive then into our houses, further reveals this subject is of vivid importance (2 John 1:7-11). How can it be that greatly respected Menno Simmons, so greatly misinterpreted this vital subject and even very strongly condemned those who believed that Christ had a physical inheritance from Mary and humanity? bP-7

Apostle Paul after speaking extensively of the divinity and humanity of Christ (as in Hebrews chapters 1-2&4-5) then says "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God..." (Heb 5:12). How many Christians in our day still do not understand these first principles of the oracles of God? bP-8

Who is the Christ you believe in? Do you believe in a Christ that didn't inherit anything from Mary, and didn't encounter your very flesh and situation, because He couldn't overcome it and been sinless had He encountered it, although He very much made it look like He encountered it? Or do you believe in a Christ that really encountered your flesh and situation and by His divine power overcame and resurrected from your situation, and paved the way for you to do the same? Or will you casually believe in whatever Christ your peers or church will believe in? Please reread the first two paragraphs. Farewell. bP-9

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Special excerpts from long article aT

Concerns Christ's Experience in the Flesh

V In further considering Christ's experience in the flesh the following parable should yet be considered; In the jungles of Africa a barbarous tribe of savages developed a dreadful disease of their skin, which resulted in grievous boils and caused it victims tremendous suffering and pain and eventually death. You and your son knew that you, by grafting a significant section of their black and diseased skin on your own body, could here in America with modern medication develop a vaccine for their skin disease, afterwhich you could then deliver those victims from their disease. You then in love for these helpless people sent your son to Africa, and there had a significant portion of their diseased and black skin grafted upon himself. Your son then, through tremendous suffering, pain and difficulty, in due time provided a healing for this barbarous tribe. You then in telling these savages about what your son did for them said, "Wherefore he took not on him the skin of an American but took on him the skin of an African, and was made in the likeness and fashion of the African", and together with many other clear statements concerning your son's painful experience, further said, "Forasmuch then as the Africans are partakers of skin and boils, he also himself likewise took part of the same, and in all points suffered and was inflicted like the African" Now years later, although you had informed these savages that nothing is impossible for you, these savages have concluded that it would have been impossible for your son to have grafted on himself their black and diseased skin, and yet been fit or qualified to develop a remedy for them. They now say, that even though your son clearly had black skin grafted on himself and had come to Africa to do it, that yet such skin was not their very own skin but rather it was a skin like to their skin. They now, even use your comment to them, about your son being made like to an African, to prove that your son's engrafted skin, was a skin like to their skin, rather than being their very own skin. Do you think these savages are giving you and your son proper love, respect, honor, and appreciation for what you did? One might say how foolish, absurd, and ridiculous could those savages get! Yet is not the same largely being done, by us or those who deny that Christ took upon Himself our very flesh and situation? aT-34:78

V To redeem mankind that sinned from death, God seen fit that the very same flesh and humanity which sinned in Adam and mankind, must be born upon the person of Christ, and live without ever sinning, and then although being sinless as such, yet die for the sin's that were done by others of the same flesh and humanity. Possibly in God's sight, the creating of another flesh (humanity) like to man's flesh (humanity), and then having that duplicated or substituted flesh (humanity) die in a sinless state for us, could not have truly vented or appeased His Holy wrath which was kindled against our very flesh (humanity) which sinned. The sacrificial death of Christ, through being the Son of God and through being without sin was thereby qualified to pay and remove our sin debt. It appears the sacrificial death of Christ through being man's very flesh (humanity), thereby also could fully vent or satisfy God's judgments and wrath which was kindled upon that very flesh (humanity) and remove such wrath from us! Truly Christ was made a curse for us, as Paul teaches saying, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" (Gal 3:3). Isaiah speaking of the sacrifice of Christ satisfying God's law and judgments said "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied..." (Isaiah 53:11). Truly God's law has placed a dreadful curse upon mankind, which curse affected both man's flesh and spirit, and Christ took that very curse upon Himself and opened a way for us to be totally delivered from it! Oh that men would not under estimate the humiliation that Christ was willing to experience to save us. Oh may it become real to us, what Christ suffered in rescuing us from that death and punishment we deserve, for our sin's which we have done in our flesh. aT-34:80

One should consider that the Scriptures in speaking to us of our Saviour, repeatedly speak of Him, being made like to us and experiencing that which we do, to thereby, draw us to Him, motivate us to love Him, and cause us to believe that we can resurrect from our lowly situation, such as He the firstfruit of the resurrection did! Oh how God calls man to believe that he can be saved, and can resurrect to a new body free of all mortal ailments, using His Son's clear example of such resurrection as proof, and oh how important is to truly and fully believe that Jesus came in the flesh! Jesus in the resurrected form of our flesh, is now at the right hand of the Father making intercession for man. As Jesus and you are all of one, He is not ashamed to call you His brother (Heb 2:11)! Jesus invites you to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:9)! Will you dwell with Him in those heavenly realms throughout eternity? You can! Christ death paid your sin debt, and has erased you penalty of death and eternal damnation! His example teaches you that can experience what He did! Oh how great a salvation! aT-34:79

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