Calvin’s explanation of Christ’s humanity is still a classic. The hypostatic union truly is a miracle! Hypostatic union?! What is that? The hypostatic union is a biblical doctrine which teaches that in Christ there is a perfect union of a perfect human nature with the eternal God.
1. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14). Does this mean Jesus changed? Was He made flesh (man) and consequently ceased to be divinity? NO!
2. Calvin explains. “He chose for the Himself the virgin’s womb as a temple in which to dwell, He who was the Son of God became the Son of man - not by confusion of substance, but by unity of Person. For we affirm His divinity so joined and united with His humanity that each retains its distinctive nature unimpaired, and yet these two natures constitute one Christ” (Pg., 482).
3. There is what is called the community of attribute or the community of properties. This means that in the one Person of Christ the attributes of man and divinity commune together. Now, Christ’s humanity is perfect not fallen, and Christ’s divinity is perfect not fallen though he has taken on flesh. An example of this is in Matthew 8:23-27. Here God was sleeping on a boat.
4. Jesus Christ possesses the attributes of deity because he is the eternal Son of God. The bible ascribes divine attributes to him. Jesus has existed forever as God’s Son and will exist forever as God’s Son. Scripture speaks of the pre-incarnate Christ who was eternally with God the Father, co-equal with God the Father; and of the exalted Christ who is with God, co-equal with the Father. True, he did veil his deity during the incarnation but that did not mean he was no longer God. All the divine attributes attributed to God the Father are also attributed to God the Son. Here is a list of them.
1. Eternality (Jn 1:1,14,18; Jn 17:5; Heb 13:8; Col 1:17a;
Heb 1:10- 12; Rev 22:13)
2. Immutability (Heb 1:10-12; 13:8; Col 2:9)
3. Omnipresence (Mt 28:20; 18:20)
4. Omniscience (Jn 2:24-25; Rev 2:23)
5. Omnipotence (Is 9:6; Phil 3:20-21; Rev 1:8)
Scripture says he does divine works.
1. Creation (Jn 1:13; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2, 10)
2. Providence (Lk 10:22; Jn 3:35; 17:2; Eph 1:22; Heb 1:3)
3. Resurrection & Judgment (Mt 25:31-32; Jn 5:19-30; Acts 10:42;
17:31; Phil 3:21; 2 Tim 4:1)
4. Power to give eternal life (Jn 10:28; 17:2)
5. Power to forgive sins (Mk 2:5)
6. Power to renew all things (Heb 1:10-12; Rev 21:5; Col 1:19-20)
Scripture says Jesus receives divine worship (Matt 28:9; Lk 24:52; Phil 2:10)
John Stott in Basic Christianity said: “To know this Christ is to know God; to see his is to see God; to believe in him is to believe in God; to receive him is to receive God; and to honour him is to honour God.”
5. Jesus Christ possesses the attributes of humanity because He took upon Himself human nature. [Is 42:1; Is 53; Lk 2:52; Jn 8:50; Mk 13:32 cf. Matt 24:36; Jn 14:10; 6:38; Lk 24:39]
6. “In so far as He is God, he cannot increase in anything, and does all things for His own sake; nothing is hidden from Him; He does all things according to the decision of His will, and can neither been seen no handled. Yet He does not ascribe these qualities solely to His human nature, but takes them upon Himself as being in harmony with the Person of the Mediator” (Pg., 484).
7. These two natures work and communicate together perfectly. This is particularly seen in the work of atonement, which was the sole reason for the incarnation. [Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 2:8; 1 Jn 1:1; 3:16]
8. There is a glorious unity of the two natures in the Mediator, Jesus Christ. Many passages in John’s gospel, “comprehend both natures at once and set forth His true substance most clearly of all” (Pg., 484). [see Jn 1:1, 29; 5:21-23; 9:5; 8:12; 10:11, 9]
9. Jesus Christ is no mere man; He is both God and man.
10. But what about those passages that tell us that in the end God will be all in all? [1 Cor 15:24-28 cf. Mk 16:19; Rom 8:34]. Is Christ not God and all in all? Calvin explains this misunderstanding. “Those things which apply to the office of the Mediator are not spoken simply either of the divine nature or of the human. Until He comes forth as judge of the world Christ will therefore reign, joining us to the Father as the measure of our weakness permits. But when as partakes in heavenly glory we shall see God as He is, Christ, having then discharged the office of Mediator, will cease to be the ambassador of His Father, and will be satisfied with that glory which He enjoyed before the creation of the world” (Pg., 485).
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