The Doctrines of the Trinity & The Deity of Christ as revealed in John’s prologue

The Word’s Retained Humanity After resurrection He is glorified and exalted, yet the incarnate Word retains His humanity for all eternity.

Truly human After the Resurrection The morning of His resurrection, Mary recognized the accent of His voice. When the two met Jesus on the Emmaus road, they recognized Him as a fellow Jew. The disciples recognized His appearance, but not believing in His resurrection, they thought He was a ghost. They later agued to Thomas that they had seen Jesus. The 500+ witnesses of 1 Cor. 15.6 recognized Him. Humanity proved by retained scars.

Truly human at His Ascension Acts 1.3: To [the apostles] He presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs… Acts 1.11 (NIV): “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Truly human presently at the Father’s right hand Daniel 7.13-14: “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming… and to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom… His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” Psalm 110.1: The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.” Acts 7.56: Stephen saw Jesus in heaven standing at the Father’s right hand.

Truly human presently at the Father’s right hand Jesus, from heaven appeared to Paul on the Damascus road. 1 Cor. 9.1, Paul stated, “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” Acts 9.27, Barnabus stated that Paul had seen the Lord on the Damascus road. Acts 26.16, Paul testified to Agrippa that on the Damascus road Jesus spoke to him saying, “For this purpose I have appeared to you.” 1 Cor. 15.8, Paul wrote that Jesus appeared to him as He had to James and the apostles.

Truly human presently at the Father’s right hand Paul affirms Jesus is a man when he is writing to Timothy. 1 Timothy 2.5: “For there is on God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus affirms His humanity when giving the Revelation to John. Revelation 1.17-18: …“Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

Truly human, scars intact at second coming Zechariah 12.10, proves that at His second coming, Jesus will bear the scars inflicted upon the cross. Philippians 2.10, quoting Isaiah 45, proves that deity will be in human flesh when every knee bows and every tongue confesses to Him.

Truly human from birth through eternity Jesus was fully human, at birth during His youth during His public ministry upon the cross when entering the tomb at resurrection during the 40 days at ascension during His present session with the Father and will be at His second coming!

Three key ways His eternal humanity is essential for the Christian His physical, bodily resurrection proves ours It is essential to His intercessory ministry It demonstrates the eternal scope of His sacrifice for us

His physical, bodily resurrection proves ours 1 Corinthians 15.12 & 16-18: Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

His physical, bodily resurrection proves ours Romans 8.29: For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren… 1 John 3.2: Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.

His eternal humanity is essential to His intercessory ministry Heb. 2.17-18 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest… For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Heb. 4.15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

His eternal humanity is essential to His intercessory ministry Hebrews 7.24-25 …but [Jesus], on the other hand, because He abides forever (because of an indestructible life), holds His priesthood permanently. Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

His eternal humanity is essential to His intercessory ministry Romans 5.10: For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 8.34: …Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

His eternal humanity demonstrates the extent of His sacrifice for us When the eternal Person of the Word added to Himself human nature, that union was for all eternity. After resurrection, His humanity is glorified and immortal, yet He retained His scars so you and I will recognize Him just as Thomas did. When He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, and made the decision to no longer exist only in the form of invisible deity, but took on visible human nature, the resulting change was eternal. His becoming flesh was irreversible.

But His sacrifice for us continues forever. At death, His suffering ended. At resurrection, He was glorified. At ascension, He was exalted. At His coming, He will be worshipped by all. But His sacrifice for us continues forever. He will be the only person in eternity bearing the wounds of sin and the curse.

Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”