 | Pastor Dave grew up in northern New Jersey in a very diverse cultural area. He attended Central College in Pella, Iowa received a BA in sociology and psychology. He was an offensive guard for their NCAA Div III National Championship team in 1974. In speaking for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he sensed a call to full time ministry. Meeting is future wife Sandy at Central, went to Michigan to finish her college while Dave started Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Dave married Sandy in 77 and completed his Masters of Divinity degree in 78. Pastor Dave’s first church was in Fort Lee, New Jersey, home of the George Washington Bridge. Their three children were born there and he also served as a Police and Fire Chaplain for the city. In February 1991, they came to Wichita to start Harvest Community Church. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in St Louis. During that year he gained a daughter-in-law with now 2 grandsons of 3 years and 6 months old. Besides Pastoring at HCC for the past 20 years, he has been Director of the SCSD & WPD Police Chaplains for 11.
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Religion
2010-11-01 13:31:00
The divine and human nature in Jesus
Answer: In trying to get our minds around this set of questions, we need to begin with the pre-existence of Christ in heaven to His coming to earth as a man (incarnation). Paul uses tremendous theology about Christ in Philippians 2 as an example of practical importance of true humility and sacrifice that should take place in Christian relationships. Verse 6 tells us before Christ came to earth, “He existed in the form of God.” The word “form” means He was the same “essence” or “substance” meaning that He was God. When He came to earth He didn’t hold on to His equality, even though He remained God, He “emptied Himself” (verse 7) or set aside the privilege position and became a bondservant to die for our sins and glorify the Father in heaven.
This is where the root of the question asked sits. In His “emptying,” how much limitation did Jesus have on His divine powers? Being fully man and fully God, how much of the knowledge Jesus possessed was learned as a human and how much was already divinely possessed? Was there a time, fore instance, that Jesus came to realize He was the Messiah or did He always know it?
Now the portrait we get of Jesus in the gospels is growing up in a very spiritual home as we see Mary and Joseph both in tune with the Lord. They both heard from the Lord and were obedient to God’s calling. Mary accepted the news of her impregnation by the Holy Spirit by faith as a true bond-servant {Luke 1:26-38; 46-56} and trusting God all the way through it and through out her life. {John 19:26}
Joseph was also a man of God who before the angel revealed God’s plan of birth of Jesus the Messiah through Mary, the scriptures tell us how this Godly man was going to handle it. {Matthew 1:19} But when the angel of the Lord reveals to Joseph God’s plan of Jesus’ birth, Joseph obediently did everything the angel commanded {1:24-25}. Joseph also obeyed God when the angel of the Lord warned him to go to Egypt to avoid Herod’s massacre of infants trying to eliminate Jesus. He obediently took Mary and the Baby to Egypt. {Matthew 1:13-15}
Together, after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary presented Him for circumcision on the eighth day {Luke 21:1-7}. They also took Him for Passover to Jerusalem every year {Luke 2:21-24}. We see so far that Jesus grew up in a God centered home and the scripture affirms that in Luke 2:39-40. Together they did a great job of parenting Jesus in the ways of God and as the scriptures tells He continued to grow.
But I also believe that Jesus’ divine nature shows through as {2:40b} says, “the grace of God was upon Him” and we see this when He was 12. When the family was on their way home from Jerusalem and Jesus turned up missing because He was at the Temple for 3 days learning and teaching. Still adding to the human side, listening and asking questions,” {vs 46} but then imparting to them some deep stuff they had never heard. This is why it says in verse 47, “And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.” You see, I think God did exactly what He planned to revealed through Him using both means in unveiling Jesus’ humanity and deity to mankind.
This debate and speculation of what Jesus knew will go on until we will all know it someday perfectly {1 Corinthians 13:12} at His feet in heaven. In the mean time there are four things we can glean from all this. First, that in our relationships we need to practice the humility of Jesus in our minds and “regard one another more important than ourselves.” {Philippians 2:3b} Marriages and friendships would be very different. Secondly, our need as parents for consistency of spiritual matters both by teaching and modeling the faith {Deuteronomy 6:4-9}. Thirdly, the importance of going to and being involved the faith community of the church {Hebrews 10:23-25}. Finally, being open to the movement of God’s grace and truth in our lives every day {2 Timothy 2:1-2}. May God grow you everyday as He does me, Pastor Dave.
