“Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,”
concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
The Scriptures are about Jesus Christ our Lord. They are Christ-centered. The gospel is about the person and work of Jesus. The word “concerning” means around. This is the Greek word peri (around) from where we find part of the English words “perimeter” and “periphery.” The gospel not only concerns Jesus Christ but it surrounds Him. It all about Him; He is the very substance of the gospel.
Jesus was both God (Lord) and man. The title “Son” shows the unique relationship between the Father and Christ as the Son. This title places Him within the Trinity. This passage reflects God’s estimate of His Son.
who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
Christ was not only God but also genuine humanity. This phrase demonstrates the weakness of Jesus’ earthly life. Jesus entered into time and space by human birth. We call this His humiliation. He was born in the lineage of David. He was a true human being. This verse declares the humanity of Christ. He was more than human, as we will see in the next verse.
Jesus was born into the royal family of David. This was affirmation of Jesus as Messiah. The words “was born” come from a term meaning to come into being. The idea is that He became something He was not previously. These words imply prior existence. They imply transition from one state to another. The Son of God became the Son of Man without divesting Himself of His deity. Jesus at His birth came into a new condition—membership in the human race. He was eternal God trillions of years previously ad infinitum, but at His birth He became a human being. John used this term in the important verse 1:14,
Jn 1:14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
“Of the seed of David” means that Jesus had a legal mother and father. He had a real mother but not a real earthly father. Mary was a descendant of David through Solomon’s younger brother Nathan.
“Flesh” refers to the physical body of Christ. “Seed” refers to the genealogy of Jesus. His genealogy harks back to David in ancestry.
God portrays the gospel by both a Person and His work. This Person from eternity was born of a Jewish family of royal lineage. He was also God almighty. If we diminish either His deity or his humanity, we damage the gospel. We value Jesus’ work by His person. If I were to expound on physics, my expostulation would be of little value, for I know very little about physics. Jesus’ credentials as Savior rest on His person.
PRINCIPLE:
We should not confound the deity with the humanity of Christ.
APPLICATION:
We must be careful not to confuse the humanity with the deity of Christ. We cannot mix the two. They stand as genuinely separate categories. Deity is not humanity nor is humanity deity. However, the same Person exists in both the humanity of Christ and the deity of Christ. Christ is one in person.
The reason Jesus came as man was to die in his body for our sins. He became the true mediator between God and man. As man he represents man and as God he represents God in the mediating process.
1 Ti 2:5, For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus . . .
Hi Dr. Grant,
“As man he represents man and as God he represents God in the mediating process.”
Please based on this is it right to say that on Earth, Jesus was 100% man and 100% God?
Freeman, no, that would not be correct. When the Son of God stepped foot into a human body He became 100% man. However, when He did that He set aside the voluntary USE of His incommunicable attributes (everywhere presence, omniscience, etc.). The Son could never stop existing in eternity or cease being omniscient but He did not function with those attributes in His humanity. He was truly tested as a real person in His humanity. He remained undimished deity during the time of His humanity but not in His humanity. Go to my study on Philippians 2:5-8.
Freeman, one more point of clarification: Jesus was the same PERSON both in His humanity and deity.
Freeman, note this study: http://versebyversecommentary.com/articles/doctrine/relation-of-the-two-natures-of-christ/
Wow, I get it now Sir. God bless you.