The person of Jesus Christ – human and divine Learning objective: To understand the belief that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine; To consider the extent of Jesus’ own self-knowledge Key Words

Jesus was… How many words can you list that could describe Jesus?

What questions about Jesus do you have? Did he even exist? Was he the son of God? Was he just a good moral teacher? Was he really raised from the dead? Was he a political revolutionary?

Did Jesus really exist? The vast majority of scholars do not doubt that a man named Jesus lived. Roman and Jewish historians mention him. The question of who he actually was, can of course be debated.

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day.“ Josephus, a Jewish historian, Antiquities 18.3.3

“But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the Bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements Which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero From the infamy of being believed to have ordered the Conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumour, he Falsely charged with the guilt, and punished Christians, who were Hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was Put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign Of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time Broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief Originated, but through the city of Rome also, where all things Hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their Center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first Made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an Immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of Firing the city, as of hatred against mankind.” Tacitus, Annals 15.44

Fully human and fully divine For each statement or bible extract, decide what it tells you about Jesus and add it to the divine or human column. Jesus as human being Jesus as divine being

How can Jesus be fully human an fully divine? The first council of Nicea (325) resolved that Jesus was homoousios – of one being or substance with the Father. The council of Chalcedon (451) affirmed that Christ is acknowledged in two natures which come together into one person and one hypostasis (underlying substance). Read the quote at the bottom of p.364 blue book. List some of the words or phrases used to describe the nature of Jesus

If Jesus had two essential natures a number of questions and problems arise. List some in pairs. Did he have omniscience or limited human knowledge? Did he know he was really the saviour? Did he realise the extent of his divinity? Did he really weep and suffer as a human being would?

How do we solve these questions? Karl Rahner thought of it like an onion. Human self-awareness is layered. We have deep within us, understanding of our self which is not always on the surface of out consciousness. Jesus may have experienced fear when his human self-consciousness was closer to the surface and his divine nature deeper. How satisfying do you think this solution is?

Read the quote from Gerald O’Collins on p.366 blue book. Summarise it in your own words. Read p.383 blue book. How far do you think it matters for the core beliefs of Christianity that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine? How far do you think it matters that he was aware of this identity?