Question: I’m having difficulty explaining to a friend that Jesus is both fully God and fully human in the present tense. She can understand ‘was’ human, but not "is". Any suggestions?

Don

Answer: Dear Don,

It may be that your friend is having difficulty with the Biblical teaching of the bodily resurrection. The bodily resurrection simply states (according to 1 Cor. 15 and many other texts) that a resurrection is a resurrection of the body. That the body of Jesus, which as the second person of the triune Godhead he did not have – before the incarnation – did not decay (passages about that as well) or remain in the tomb. Paul says that our hope is that we will be like him, in the sense that our bodies will be glorified and made immortal.

Jesus’ body, before the resurrection, was subject to death – obviously. But the resurrection body is not – thus, it is correct to say that Jesus "was" and to say that he "is". He still has that body, (while as God he does not need it) – but he has it – he has not jettisoned it along with Sputnik and other "outer" space debris, but it is a glorified body. He does not need a body to inhabit eternity – because he always did, and still does, as the Eternal Son. But our hope is wrapped up in the resurrection, and the glorification of the body. For that is the only way that the Bible provides for us to be with God for all eternity.

Hope this helps!

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht