This article will look at passages that highlight the true humanity of Jesus, His true Deity, or a combination of both. I started with phrases or ideas taken from Philippians 2:5-11. I have included additional passages to shed light on which category, either Deity, Humanity, or both, I chose to use. Under each statement and verses, I give my reasoning. Certainly there are other verses that could be used, but since I was studying Philippians at the time, I limited it to that passage.
Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW1, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
I made the following chart, using the Philippians verse numbers in the first column. The other columns are Deity, Humanity, and the phrases in the middle are the ones I put in the both categories.
| Deity | Humanity | ||
| 5 | Correct attitude | ||
| 6 | The form of God | Did not grasp equality w/God | |
| 7 | Emptied Himself | ||
| Became a bond-servant | |||
| In the likeness of men | |||
| 8 | Humbled Himself, obedient | ||
| 9 | God highly exalted Him | ||
| Bestowed the name above every name | |||
| 10 | Every knee bows | ||
| 11 | Every tongue confesses | ||
| Jesus Christ is Lord |
The first phrase to look at is His correct attitude from verse 5.
Correct attitude
Matthew 11:29 “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”
Romans 15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED THEE FELL UPON ME.”
The correct attitude was required from His humanity and is evident when He says that we should take that same ‘yoke’ upon ourselves. On the other hand, the reproaches targeting the Father fell upon Him as the Son, so the first one is both.
The Form of God
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God
Colossians 1:15 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
Colossians 1:19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,
Colossians 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.
I did not think that the fullness of Deity could be contained in humanity, so therefore I placed the phrase ‘The form of God’ in the Deity category.
Did not grasp equality w/God
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
I took this phrase as the ultimate in not grasping -Jesus was not spared, laying down His life for us. Since God cannot die, this must be humanity.
Emptied Himself
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
Matthew 26:53 “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?”
The Son set aside His prerogatives as God. To do this, He must have made the choice as Deity.
Became a Bond-servant
Matthew 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Romans 15:8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers.
Bond-servant is another way of saying slave. I’m thinking here that becoming a slave and giving up His life had to be done as the God/man, so both Deity and humanity.
In the Likeness of Men
Romans 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
If He was doing this as a man, the Scriptures would not say that He was ‘made like His brethren’. Nor would John say that the ‘Word became flesh’. Therefore, His Deity.
Humbled Himself, Obedient
Hebrews 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
John 5:19 Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
It was necessary for Jesus to identify Himself with the Father, making Himself equal with God. The Jews clearly understood this, demonstrating His Deity. It was necessary for Him to learn obedience, but God does not learn, being omniscient, therefore it shows His humanity. Both.
God Highly Exalted Him
Hebrews 2:9 But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted.
Jesus had to become a man in order to die. He had to be Deity in order to pay the penalty for sin for us all. He was exalted because of His sacrifice, so I said it demonstrates both.
Bestowed the Name Above Every Name
Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.
Hebrews 1:3b When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
The name bestowed upon Jesus, Lord, is because of His sacrifice as I previously stated. Therefore I concluded that it is both. (For more on the name bestowed, see my article Jesus is the Kyrios (Lord).)
Every Knee Bows & Every Tongue Confesses Jesus Christ is Lord
Romans 14:11 For it is written,
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”
Isaiah 45:23 “I have sworn by Myself,
The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The only one worthy of bowing to and showing allegiance to by confessing as Lord, is God. Therefore the last one is Deity.
Conclusion
In this article, I looked at passages that highlighted the true humanity of Jesus, His true Deity, and phrases that could be seen as demonstrating both. I used the Philippians passage in chapter 2:5-11 as a basis. My reasoning is my own, and I am certainly open to seeing the various passages differently. Whether I am right or wrong, I believe that the exercise of thinking about this topic is important for spiritual growth in the life of a believer. My prayer is that you have benefited from thinking about this just as I have.
Appendix
Please see my paper titled, Attributes of God, since the attributes also apply to Jesus.
1 Sections of verses with all caps are used to indicate Old Testament quotes.