The Redeemer

One plus one equals two - doesn't it? When it comes to Jesus Christ - one plus one equals one! It is this mystery, which the next two questions in the catechism touch on.

Q22. Why must the Redeemer be truly human?

A. That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also that he might sympathize with our weakness.

Q23.Why must the Redeemer be truly God?

A. That because of his divine nature his obedience and suffering would be perfect and effective; and also that he would be able to bear the righteous ange of God against sin and yet overcome death.

First, a reminder of the journey we have been on - we need a Redeemer, in order that we can escape the punishment that we deserve for our sin.   Since question 20, we have been exploring what the Redeemer is like, and have discovered that he must be both God and man.  Human and divine.  Why? The Redeemer must be human - because he has come to rescue us.  He has to be like us, to face all the temptations we face.  To be bound by the law that we are bound to keep.   He did that perfectly.   And he did that for us. Yet there is still a debt to pay.  A punishment to face.  The Redeemer takes that punishment.  He bears the full wrath of God.  No human being can do that.  That is why the Redeemer must be divine. There is a danger to avoid when we explore why the Redeemer must be truly human and truly God.  We must never think, sometimes he is God and sometimes he is human.  We must never think, he is doing this as a man now, and this other thing as God.   As if the Redeemer has a split personality, or flips to being God whenever he finds the going as man a little too difficult.   The maths of the Redeemer does not allow this.  One plus one equals one. Truly human + Truly God = One person, Jesus Christ. Listen to how the Westminster Confession of Faith explains this maths.  In Chapter 8 it speaks of Christ saying

'The Son of God...  take upon Him Man's nature... So that two whole, perfect and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition or confusion.  Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and Man.'

WCF Chapter 8.2

'Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet, by reasons of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to one person denominated by the other nature.'

WCF Chapter 8.7

Jesus Christ is a person, who has two natures.  Yet when he does anything, he does it as the person Jesus Christ.  It is not his human or divine nature that is doing any particular thing.  He is doing it - whatever that is - eating, preaching, healing or dying upon the cross. Jesus needed to be truly human and truly God.  If he wasn't he couldn't have lived, died and rose again as our Redeemer.    It is a mystery, we cannot understand it.  But it is the revealed truth of God to us. Our redeemer, Jesus Christ, has two distinct natures, joined together in one person, forever. (Shorter Catechism, Q21).