The Dual Nature of Christ: Gethsemane and Beyond

 

Summary

In our exploration of Mark 14:27-32, we delve into the profound theological implications of Jesus' experience in Gethsemane and His predictions about Peter's denial and His own resurrection. This passage challenges us to understand the dual nature of Christ—fully God and fully man—and how these natures coexist without confusion or division. Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, where He asks the Father to take the cup from Him, highlights His genuine human struggle and submission to the divine will. This moment is not a divine plea to alter God's eternal plan but a manifestation of Jesus' human nature grappling with the impending suffering.

The theological exposition today focuses on the mystery of the incarnation, particularly the union of Jesus' divine and human natures. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD addressed the Monophysite heresy, which claimed Jesus had only one nature, a blend of divine and human. Instead, the council affirmed that Jesus is "vere homo, vere Deus"—truly man and truly God, with two distinct natures united in one person. This union is without mixture, confusion, division, or separation, allowing each nature to retain its own attributes.

Understanding this union helps us grasp why Jesus, in His humanity, could express limitations, such as not knowing the day or hour of His return, while still possessing divine knowledge communicated to His human nature. This distinction is crucial to avoid heresies that distort the nature of Christ. The divine nature does not lose its attributes, nor does the human nature gain divine attributes. This balance preserves the integrity of both natures and the truth of the incarnation.

Key Takeaways:

- The dual nature of Christ is central to understanding His actions and words. Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane reflects His human nature's struggle, not a divine conflict. This teaches us about the depth of His humanity and His submission to God's will. [05:43]

- The Council of Chalcedon clarified that Jesus has two natures—divine and human—united in one person without confusion or division. This understanding protects us from heresies that either deny His full divinity or His true humanity. [12:56]

- Jesus' ability to predict future events, like Peter's denial and His resurrection, demonstrates the communication of divine knowledge to His human nature. This does not imply omniscience in His humanity but a unique revelation from the divine nature. [21:43]

- The distinction between Jesus' divine and human natures is crucial. His human experiences, such as hunger and fatigue, do not diminish His divinity. Recognizing this distinction helps us avoid theological errors and appreciate the mystery of the incarnation. [23:06]

- The incarnation's mystery is not fully comprehensible, but the boundaries set by historical councils guide our understanding. We must respect these limits to avoid attributing divine attributes to Jesus' humanity or vice versa, preserving the integrity of His person. [24:49]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:35] - Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
[01:18] - Gethsemane: Jesus' Agony
[01:54] - The Prayer in Gethsemane
[02:33] - Disciples' Weakness
[03:23] - Theological Exposition Introduction
[04:14] - Departing from Expository Preaching
[04:56] - Theological Exposition Necessity
[05:43] - Jesus' Prayer and Divine Will
[06:33] - Jesus' Knowledge of the Future
[07:23] - The Mystery of Jesus' Knowledge
[08:16] - Thomas Aquinas' Interpretation
[09:01] - Communication of Attributes
[10:26] - The Council of Chalcedon
[12:07] - Monophysite Heresy Explained
[13:56] - Two Natures in One Person
[14:50] - Human and Divine Nature Distinction
[15:38] - Jesus' Human Experiences
[16:44] - Chalcedon's Four Negatives
[17:38] - Retaining Attributes in Union
[19:13] - The Limits of Human Nature
[20:18] - Communication of Knowledge
[21:43] - Divine Knowledge and Human Nature
[22:24] - Avoiding Heresies
[23:06] - Gethsemane's Human Agony
[24:49] - Boundaries of Speculation
[25:31] - The Mystery of the Incarnation
[26:11] - The God Man on the Cross
[27:02] - Prayer and Reflection

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Mark 14:27-32

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Observation Questions:

1. What specific predictions did Jesus make about Peter's actions and His own resurrection in Mark 14:27-32? How did Peter respond to Jesus' prediction? [00:35]

2. In the Garden of Gethsemane, what did Jesus ask of His disciples, and how did they respond to His request? [01:18]

3. How does the sermon describe Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane as a reflection of His human nature rather than a divine conflict? [05:43]

4. What theological issue does the sermon address regarding Jesus' knowledge of future events, and how is this explained? [06:33]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does understanding the dual nature of Christ help us interpret His actions and words in the Gethsemane narrative? [05:43]

2. What significance does the Council of Chalcedon's declaration of Jesus having two natures hold for contemporary Christian theology? [12:07]

3. How does the sermon explain the communication of divine knowledge to Jesus' human nature without implying omniscience in His humanity? [21:43]

4. Why is it important to distinguish between Jesus' divine and human natures, and what are the potential theological errors if this distinction is not maintained? [23:06]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to submit to God's will. How can Jesus' example in Gethsemane inspire you to trust and submit to God's plan in your life? [05:43]

2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding Jesus' dual nature to avoid theological errors. How can you deepen your understanding of this concept to strengthen your faith? [12:07]

3. Consider a situation where you felt limited by your human nature. How can recognizing Jesus' human experiences, such as hunger and fatigue, help you find comfort in your own limitations? [23:06]

4. How can the knowledge that Jesus predicted future events, like Peter's denial, encourage you to trust in His divine wisdom and guidance in your life? [21:43]

5. The sermon discusses the boundaries set by historical councils to guide our understanding of the incarnation. How can respecting these boundaries help you avoid attributing divine attributes to Jesus' humanity or vice versa? [24:49]

6. In what ways can you apply the lessons from Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane to your own prayer life, especially when facing difficult decisions or challenges? [05:43]

7. How can you use the understanding of Jesus' dual nature to engage in meaningful conversations with others about the mystery of the incarnation and its significance in Christian faith? [12:07]

Devotional

Day 1: The Humanity of Christ in Gethsemane
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' prayer to the Father reveals the depth of His human experience. He asks for the cup of suffering to be taken from Him, yet submits to the divine will, demonstrating His genuine human struggle. This moment is not a conflict within the divine plan but a profound expression of Jesus' human nature grappling with the impending suffering. Understanding this helps us appreciate the depth of His humanity and His obedience to God's will. [05:43]

Hebrews 5:7-8 (ESV): "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered."

Reflection: Think of a time when you struggled to submit to God's will. How can Jesus' example in Gethsemane inspire you to trust and obey God in your current circumstances?


Day 2: The Chalcedonian Definition of Christ's Natures
The Council of Chalcedon clarified the mystery of the incarnation, affirming that Jesus is truly God and truly man, with two distinct natures united in one person. This understanding protects us from heresies that deny His full divinity or true humanity. The union of these natures is without confusion or division, allowing each to retain its own attributes. This theological foundation is crucial for a correct understanding of who Jesus is and how He operates in the world. [12:56]

Colossians 2:9 (ESV): "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."

Reflection: How does understanding the dual nature of Christ impact your view of His work and presence in your life today?


Day 3: Divine Knowledge Communicated to Human Nature
Jesus' ability to predict future events, such as Peter's denial and His resurrection, demonstrates the communication of divine knowledge to His human nature. This does not imply omniscience in His humanity but a unique revelation from the divine nature. This distinction is essential to maintain the integrity of both natures and to avoid theological errors that distort the nature of Christ. [21:43]

John 5:19-20 (ESV): "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.'"

Reflection: In what ways can you seek to discern and follow God's guidance in your life, trusting in His divine wisdom and timing?


Day 4: The Distinction of Jesus' Natures
The distinction between Jesus' divine and human natures is crucial. His human experiences, such as hunger and fatigue, do not diminish His divinity. Recognizing this distinction helps us avoid theological errors and appreciate the mystery of the incarnation. This understanding allows us to see how Jesus fully identifies with our human condition while remaining fully divine. [23:06]

Philippians 2:6-7 (ESV): "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

Reflection: How does knowing that Jesus fully understands your human experiences encourage you in your walk with Him today?


Day 5: Respecting the Mystery of the Incarnation
The mystery of the incarnation is not fully comprehensible, but the boundaries set by historical councils guide our understanding. We must respect these limits to avoid attributing divine attributes to Jesus' humanity or vice versa, preserving the integrity of His person. This respect for the mystery encourages humility and reverence in our approach to the divine. [24:49]

1 Timothy 3:16 (ESV): "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory."

Reflection: In what areas of your faith do you need to embrace mystery and trust in God's greater understanding beyond your own?

Quotes


This morning I’m going to depart from my normal method of preaching, which method is called expository preaching, where I look at the text and try to unpack the text for you in a verse-by-verse sequence. That is the style of preaching that I believe that we are called to and that I pray that would happen in every pulpit in America that people might be fed on a regular basis by an exposition of the Word of God. [00:03:44]

And so the couple of questions that I want to address today with you are these that come out of this record. First of all, what is going on when Jesus goes into the garden and prays earnestly that that cup would be removed from Him? Questions come out of this text like this. If Jesus is God incarnate, how do we have God pleading with God to change the decree of God? [00:05:22]

He said in verse 32, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Do you feel the difficulty of that, where here Jesus says, “Even though I may predict My coming, even though I may predict the destruction of Jerusalem, even though I may predict the destruction of the temple, even though I may predict with uncanny accuracy the denial of Peter, the betrayal of Judas; nevertheless, there are some things I don’t know.”? [00:06:58]

This really vexed Thomas Aquinas, the angelic doctor of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the most brilliant and astute theologians the world has ever known. Aquinas came to this text where Jesus limits His own knowledge, and he said of it, “That can’t be. This is the God Man, that the divine nature and the human nature are in perfect unity. Jesus had to know the day and the hour.” [00:08:16]

Now, in the fifth century, the year 451, the church called a great ecumenical council at Chalcedon, one of the most important ecumenical councils of all time. That council was called to combat several heresies, and the most significant heresy that was facing the church in the fifth century was what was called the Monophysite heresy. [00:11:48]

The Monophysites claimed that Jesus did not have two natures, a divine nature and a human nature, but He had only one nature. So far so good, you understand everything? Not so hard. One nature, one nature only. Now that one nature was neither completely divine or completely human. It was a single nature that involved, however you look at it, a deified human nature or another way to look at it, a humanized divine nature. [00:12:56]

Now here’s the difficulty, how do we understand the union of a human nature with a divine nature? Going back to the Scriptures, the Bible says that in the incarnation, God or the second person of the Trinity, the Logos, took upon Himself a human nature. Now when the Word took upon Himself flesh, a human nature, He didn’t deify that human nature. That human nature remained human. [00:14:32]

Now at Chalcedon in dealing with the mystery of the incarnation, affirming the two natures of Jesus, the church said that the two natures, divine and human are perfectly united in such a way that they’re not confused or mixed, divided or separated. Let me say it again, that the two natures are without mixture, confusion, division or separation. [00:16:44]

And then the kicker, those four negatives of Chalcedon are further qualified by this phrase, “each nature retaining its own attributes,” that is in the incarnation God does not surrender any of His attributes. The divine nature is still eternal. It’s still infinite. It is still omniscient. It is still omnipresent. It is still omnipotent. It is all those things that belong to deity. [00:17:47]

If we understand that we distinguish between the human and the divine nature, it is obviously the human nature that is going through this agony at Gethsemane. It is the human Jesus praying to the divine for relief from this agony, and yet at the same time indicating His perfect commitment to obeying the Father’s will. The two natures without mixture, confusion, separation, or division remain intact, but there are certain things that manifest the divine nature, other things that manifest the human nature. [00:23:06]

Now having said that, we don’t know all there is to know about the mystery of the incarnation. Notice that what happened at the Council of Chalcedon is that Chalcedon drew the boundaries. They set the limit of our speculation. They said, “If you go over this boundary, you’re going to end in the Monophysite heresy. If you go over this boundary, you’re going to end up separating the two natures as Nestorius had done.” [00:24:49]

The God Man dies on the cross, but the divine nature doesn’t die on the cross. Good heavens. If God actually died on the cross, what would that mean? Not only would Jesus die, but the Holy Spirit would die, the Father would die, the cross would perish, Jerusalem would fall into oblivion, the whole universe would cease its existence because the universe depends for its moment-to-moment existence by the upholding hand of God. [00:26:11]

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Transcript
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