Jesus: Human and Divine
A Sermon on Hebrews 2:14
Originally preached Dec. 25, 1960
Scripture
14Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Sermon Description
Listen to this Christmas message on Hebrews 2:14 as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones remembers He who is our Savior and salvation. Do not think of the Christian life in any general way apart from Christ. Through death, Christ destroyed him who had the power of death. Death lost its sting! Man's greatest temptation is to leave out the “wonderful works of God.” Salvation is the result of God’s activity. There is great trouble when we become doubtful of the person of Christ. Look at the two heresies of Christ. The mystery of godliness is Jesus' being truly man and truly God. We are all sharers of human nature, but Christ's manhood was entirely different. God voluntarily added to what He already was – adding flesh and blood to the Divine. Two natures in the One. He who made all things now knew what it was like to be weak, misunderstood, and even to die. Christ became the captain, author, and composer of our salvation. God had to become man. Christ had to die to save us from the condemnation of the Law. He robbed the devil of the power of death and is our representative at the right hand of God. He can sympathize with you, blessed be His name.
Sermon Breakdown
- We are all partakers of flesh and blood, sharing in common human nature.
- Jesus did not simply partake in human nature like us. He took part of human nature unto himself.
- Jesus was pre-existent as the eternal Son of God. He voluntarily added human nature to his divine nature.
- Jesus had to become truly human to save humanity. He had to add human nature to experience human life and death.
- Jesus had to become human to die and conquer death. Only by dying could he destroy the devil who had the power of death.
- Jesus had to become human to become a merciful and faithful high priest, able to sympathize with our weaknesses.
- Jesus had to become human to give us his human nature, enabling us to become children of God.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers about Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Christmas Sermon on the Incarnation
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the real meaning of Christmas?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christmas is about Christ, not just a season of goodwill or fellowship. He states, "This is the meaning of Christmas, my dear friends. It's not just a matter of fellowship and goodwill and kindness and bonhomie. No. It is this tremendous thing that's happened that he who is God eternal, the son everlasting has taken unto him human nature, joined it to himself and is born as that helpless babe." The real meaning is that God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between how humans "partake" of flesh and blood versus how Christ "took part" of it?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a crucial distinction between these terms. He explains that all humans are "partakers" of flesh and blood, meaning we share in human nature through natural birth and generation. Christ, however, "took part" of the same, which indicates a voluntary action. Christ existed eternally as God and then deliberately added human nature to Himself. Lloyd-Jones states, "He has taken part of human nature and added it to the divine so that in him there are these two natures in the one person."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the greatest danger for both Christians and non-Christians?
According to Lloyd-Jones, "Perhaps the greatest danger that confronts everybody, those who are Christian as well as those who lay no claim to be Christian. The greatest danger of all, it's almost incredible, but it's true, is the danger of forgetting him." He explains that the devil wants to turn Christianity into a philosophy or general teaching to take away attention from the Son of God himself.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christ had to become human?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several reasons why Christ had to become human: 1. To be the captain (author) of our salvation 2. To be able to die, since "God cannot die" 3. To destroy the devil who had the power of death 4. To become a merciful and faithful high priest who understands human experience 5. To give us a new nature - His own perfect human nature
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the difference between Christ's human nature and ours?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that while Christ truly took on human nature, His was different because it was sinless. He states, "The human nature that you and I all partake of is a sinful and is a fallen human nature," but Christ is described as "that holy thing" in Luke's gospel. His human nature was purified by the Holy Spirit: "This human nature that was in Mary was cleansed, was purified by the Holy Ghost. The seed of human nature that he received was purged of sin, cleansed from all pollution, made perfect."
What were the two main heresies about Christ's person that Dr. Lloyd-Jones mentions?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two main historical heresies: 1. That Christ was the eternal Son of God but never truly became man - only took on a kind of phantom appearance 2. That Christ was only a man - denying His deity and claiming He was just a man with more divinity in Him than others
Why is Christ's role as high priest significant according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christ's role as high priest means He can truly understand and sympathize with our human struggles. He states, "He knows all about it. He was in this world and not in a phantom body but in a human body like yours and mine. He did hunger. He knew what it was to be thirsty... He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin." This makes Him a "sympathetic," "merciful," and "faithful high priest" who can represent us before God.
What final encouragement does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give to those who might be suffering?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes with this pastoral encouragement: "Have you come into this service even on a Christmas morning, burdened with some grief or some sorrow, some loneliness, some distress, some unhappiness, some overwhelming problem? My dear friends, remember that he took unto himself human nature. Go to him. Don't be afraid. He knows. He understands, and he will sympathize with you as no one else can."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.