The deity and humanity of Jesus
The deity of Jesus speaks of His divine status.
Jesus is God.
An understanding of this should help our walk with God. We can become more godly because God became one with us.
Jesus is the exact representation of God (Hebrews 1:3). Little wonder then that Jesus reserves the title and majesty due only to God (Hebrews 1:8). As God, Jesus is a perfect High Priest who represents us before the Father. We can approach God with the confidence that the perfect man, Jesus, represents us (Hebrews 4: 14-16).
On the other hand Jesus became a man (Hebrews 2:9). He lived and suffered as a man (Hebrews 2:10). God did not have to become a man in order to understand us, yet we would never have been able to relate to God if he had not become a man. The contrast between the old way of approaching God and the new way, through Jesus, is laid bear in Hebrews 12:18-24.
In becoming a man, Jesus brought God and man back into one. Jesus is the God-man. Without Jesus Christianity would simply be another ?religion? trying to access a ?God? we hardly know. In Jesus we can really know God.
Permit me to borrow a few verses from Timothy to elaborate this mystery.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
Hebrews does not stand in isolation in attesting to the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. Below are a few of the numerous references
His deity
Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Romans 9:5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
John 1:1-2
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:13
His humanity
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know--
Acts 2:22
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
Romans 8:3
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Phil 2:8
These vital truths sets Christianity apart from any other religion.
1. You can come to God because He first came to you.
2. You have a man in heaven representing you before God.
3. Jesus completely understands all the struggles and temptations you face.
4. His grace and mercy for the human race is limitless. You can confidently come to Him.
5. Jesus is the perfect mediator between you and God.
He who faced the ultimate humility of becoming flesh in order that you might relate to Him, and then paid the supreme sacrifice of dying for you will not withhold any good thing from you.
Approach His throne of grace in confidence and faith.
Recognizing that Jesus is fully God and fully man should have bolstered your confidence.