By: Lee Davis, Berlin Church
The deity (or God/divine nature) and humanity of Jesus Christ are two of the most fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. To deny them is to deny the faith delivered to us (Jude 3). Much of the focus of the earliest conversations of the Church in the first several centuries following the ministry of the apostles centered around the biblical teaching surrounding the two natures of Jesus, one person who was both fully divine and fully human. Such doctrines can, however, be challenging to understand at worst and impractical at best. They can seem like academic considerations for the halls of seminaries, not sources of hope for us in real life where we often face the confusion and heartbreak of suffering related to sickness like cancer.
The truth is that the doctrines of the two natures of Jesus are incredibly relevant for us. Without them there is no Gospel (good news) and we remain lost and without hope. John 11 is an incredibly provocative passage of Scripture which brings us face to face with Jesus, the God-man. In this passage Jesus reveals with no confusion that He is fully divine and fully human, realities that resulted in miraculous intervention and life-altering hope for suffering people.
Jesus had three dear friends named Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (all siblings) who lived in a village near Jerusalem called Bethany. Jesus was informed by messengers sent from the sisters that Lazarus was very ill. Jesus could have set out at once to heal Lazarus, but delayed. During this delay, Lazarus succumbed to his illness and died.
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, he encountered Martha and Mary in the throes of their grief. They each said to him in turn, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (verses. 21, 32).For those of us who have lost people we love, we can sense their sorrow, bewilderment, and anger. Jesus responded to Martha with these incredible words: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die (verses 25-26a).” Jesus was not untouched by their pain, but was “deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled (vs. 33).” In verse 35 we find that “Jesus wept.” These are visceral reactions to the loss of His friend, the grief of the sisters and their friends, and the groaning of a cursed world.
Jesus then went to the site of the tomb (a cave with a stone to cover it) and ordered that the stone be removed. Martha protested that this would be improper and undesirable as her brother had been dead for four days and the stench of his decay would be overpowering. Jesus responded to Martha’s understandable objection by saying, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God (vs. 40)?” He then prayed to God the Father and “He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out (vs. 43).” Lazarus did just that, healed from sickness and rescued from death.
It’s an amazing story. But do you see how the deity and the humanity of Jesus are more than doctrines to be merely believed? Rather, they are soul-animating realities that prove that Jesus can actually do something about our suffering and that He actually cares about us, whether we are suffering from cancer or anything else that threatens our well-being. Let us take each truth in turn, briefly.
Jesus is fully God and can actually do something about our suffering. God made all things through His Son (John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-3a). In Acts 17 we are told that God is the Lord of heaven and earth, that He gives to all mankind life and breath and everything, and that in Him we move and live and have our being. Jesus, fully divine, is the source and sustainer of all life.
Doctors and medicine are common graces of a gracious God. It is wise and appropriate to avail ourselves of their aid. And yet, whether by medical intervention or divine miracle, all healing comes from Jesus our “Lord and God” (John 20:28). Nothing is too hard for Him. Nothing, including our failing bodies, is outside of His control. Let us pray confidently to the One that made us and holds us together. Will He always heal us in the way that we desire? Sadly, no. But He can. He often does. And whether He raises us up in this life or perfectly and eternally in the one yet to come, we will marvel that Jesus our God will “wipe away every tear from their (our) eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Jesus is fully human and actually cares about us. Jesus is our good shepherd that is with us in the valley of the shadow of death and lays down His life down to rescue His lost and suffering sheep (Psalm 23:4; John 10:11, 14). He is our friend that fully knows and fully loves us (John 11:11; 15:13-15). He is our brother that is not ashamed of us despite our rebellion against Him and the sin that yet remains in us (Romans 5:6-11; Hebrews 2:11-18).
The real and unspoiled humanity of Jesus assures us that He who is actually able to do something about our suffering actually loves us enough to do so. Let us cling to Him, praying without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17) to the One that is never annoyed by us and loves to hear from us.
Take heart, dear ones, Jesus delights in leveraging His divine power on behalf of His beloved—you and me. Let us trust His heart.
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