The deity of heaven entered the egg of a woman, so now we've got a man without sin because he's the God-man. Dr. Tony Evans talks about Jesus' dual identity. He's the Son of God, and he's the Son of Man, and he has come to reclaim what the devil stole. Celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, this is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, and president of the Urban Alternative. People whose parents came from different places in the world sometimes say they're part this and part that, but no matter how many parts they list, they only add up to 100%. Today, Dr. Evans explains why that limitation doesn't apply to Jesus.
Let's join him as he begins. In our study, we've been looking at the names of Jesus and what they mean and why they matter. And these two names given to Jesus Christ are staggering in their meaning and in their impact. When we talk about Jesus being the Son of God and the Son of Man, we are talking about him equally partaking of two natures. The word Son does not refer to the fact of origin from a previous source, although that is true of his humanity.
The word Son refers to the sharing of the same nature and the fulfilling of a particular task or role. The Bible declares that Jesus Christ is both the Son of God and the Son of Man equally. That is, he has a divine nature, Son of God, and he has a human nature, Son of Man, and both natures are resident in one person, the person of Jesus Christ. To be the Son of God means he has divine nature.
To have divine nature means to have divine attributes. So all the attributes that make God God, Jesus possesses. So all that is true of God is true of Jesus because Jesus has God's nature. God is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, veracity, grace, mercy, justice, wrath. All of those things are true of God, but since Jesus has his nature, Jesus possesses all of those attributes. One of the other aspects of God's nature is his eternality.
There has never been a time when God has not been. Since Jesus bears his nature, then Jesus Christ is as eternal as God is, which is why when we looked at Jesus the Word, it could say in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh. So all that makes God God is resident in Jesus. But not only is Jesus the Son of God, he is the Son of Man.
So all that makes human beings human beings is resident in Jesus apart from sin. He got tired like any human being gets tired. He had to sleep like any human being has to go to sleep. He had to eat like any human being has to get nutrition from their food.
He had to weep because people cry. He had to be tempted by the devil because temptation is what the devil does to human beings. All the things that make people people, Jesus possessed in his humanity, but he possessed it apart from sin. How could Jesus be fully God, bearing all the attributes of deity, and fully man, bearing all the attributes of humanity, how could both be side by side in one person? The answer to that is the virgin birth. The Bible says that the seed of a woman, Mary, was fertilized by the sperm of the Holy Spirit, that Joseph was not a part of the process, but Mary, being a virgin, found herself pregnant, it says, by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity. He is God. So God impregnated a woman by fertilizing her egg, but a woman is human. So her humanity and God's deity came together to create the most unique person ever to enter into human history, and that is the person of Jesus Christ, so that he could be called Son of God and Son of Man, because both natures were resident in one person, made possible by the virgin birth. We saw in the verse that I read in John chapter 5, verse 18, that the Jewish leaders clearly understood what he was saying when he called God his father.
It says they sought to kill him because he made himself equal with God. They understood that when he said God was his father, he was saying, I have God's nature, and you can't have God's nature and not be God. But there is another concept of the word Son.
Son is sourced in the nature from which it derives. Jesus has divine nature. Jesus has human nature. They are unmixed, walking side by side in one person. One moment he could be hungry, the next moment he could feed 5,000. One moment he could be thirsty, the next moment he could walk on water.
One moment he could die, then he could rise from the dead, because you've got two natures operating side by side in one person. Now, in addition to the two natures, the word Son indicates a function, a function. For example, we have coming out of our ministry what we call sons of the ministry. They're not biological children, but they have been ordained by our church to be able to go authorized by us and minister to another location, to another church in another ministry, and we call them sons of the ministry, not because there is a biological attachment, but because there is a ministry function.
And because of that ministry function, they are viewed as sons of the ministry. Paul called Timothy his son in the ministry. He wasn't Paul's biological son, but he was his ministerial son, designed to fulfill a ministerial responsibility. When we refer to Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of Man, he not only possesses the nature of both, but he is carrying out a responsibility for both. He is fulfilling a job description on behalf of God and on behalf of us. So as Son of God, he is fulfilling what the Father says, and as Son of Man, he is fulfilling what you and I need. And as a result, he can do both in one person because the one person has both operating inside of him. So when we talk about Jesus, we're talking about a whole lot more than a name.
We're talking about two natures and two ministerial responsibilities residing in one person. God has only one plan. The whole Bible is about one plan, and that is His Kingdom.
That's His plan. God has a kingdom up there. It's called the Kingdom of Heaven. There's a kingdom up there where He rules. There was a rebellion against the kingdom up there by Lucifer, who became Satan.
He rebelled against God, and God decided to have a plan of creating a lesser creature, an inferior creature. Psalm 8 says He made man a little lower than the angels, constitutionally inferior. We don't fly like angels can fly. We don't disappear like angels can disappear. We don't have the mentality of angels. We are lower, that is, inferior to angels. And God decided that He would create a lesser creature and call him man, and He would create this lesser creature to demonstrate what He could do with less when less was dependent upon Him than He could do with more when more was in rebellion against Him. So He created an inferior being called man, and He placed him on the third planet from the sun, third rock. He placed it on the third planet from the sun, and He says, I want you, man, to establish My Kingdom on earth like it is in heaven. You remember the Lord's Prayer? Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Now here's the kicker. The way My Kingdom will work down here, like it works up there, I will only do through man. I will not do it apart from man. So God restricted Himself, not because He couldn't do it, but He chose not to do it.
He only would work through man. He tells Adam, okay, every tree in the garden you're free to eat, tree in the midst of the garden, don't eat it, because if you eat it, you're going to die. Satan dupes Adam and Eve.
They eat of the fruit. So Adam and Eve, who's been handed the earth, turns the earth over to the devil. That's why the Bible says this world lies in the hands of the wicked one.
Satan owns this world, but he only owns the world because Adam handed it to him. So God wants His world back. But to get His world back, He can't do it directly, because He restricted Himself to only do it through a man. So in restricting Himself, that means He had to find a man through whom He could do it. But every man born since Adam failed. Every man born since Adam did not meet the righteous standard to be the one through whom God could reclaim the earth and bring the kingdom up there and manifest it down here.
He has to have a man because He's doing it among men. So God gave a prophecy in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15. He says that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the devil. The seed of the woman, because it's got to be a human being. But it's an interesting prophecy because when it comes to birth, it's the man that has the seed and the woman that has the egg. But since God knew in advance that the one He was talking about would not have a human father, He gives the woman the name of the seed. So He says the seed of the woman, not the man, is going to crush the head of the devil because it's got to come through a human being. The problem is, where are we going to find this man, who's the seed of a woman, who has no sin, thus qualifies to bring God's kingdom from heaven to earth? So what God decided to do was become a man. So He became a man. The deity of heaven entered the egg of a woman. So now we've got a man without sin because he's the God-man.
So that's why you've got a dual name. He's the Son of God, and He's the Son of Man, and He has come to reclaim what the devil stole. More about what happened when heaven saw earth through human eyes, when Dr. Evans returns in a moment. First, though, I want to tell you about his engaging large-format book, Experiencing Israel. Through stunning photos and insightful commentary, you'll get to relive one of his recent tours of the Holy Land.
You'll walk in Jesus' footsteps, seeing what He saw, going where He went. Tony will teach you about the history, the geography, the customs, the people, everything you need to know to bring a whole new dimension to your Bible study time. This coffee-table-style book will be a keepsake you'll want to display, as well as a resource you'll want to consult over and over again.
It also makes a terrific gift. We want you to have a copy of Experiencing Israel as our gift. All we ask is that you include a donation to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station. Your contributions are the only way we can continue our outreach on radio and TV, our work with pastors, their families, and with local church congregations around the world. So contact us today, let us know you can help, and we'll send you the book along with all 11 lessons in Tony's current series, Encountering Jesus' Names. It's a comprehensive study of what the Lord's various titles tell us about His nature and character.
As you explore the deep meaning behind the many ways Jesus is referred to in the Bible, you'll find out that there's a description that matches up to any situation you find yourself in. Visit us today at tonyevans.org for details, or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222. That's 1-800-800-3222. I'll have that contact information for you again after Part 2 of today's message.
Here's Tony. So Jesus is Son of God and Son of Man. This is why Isaiah 9-6 says, unto us a son is given and unto us a child is born. The son wasn't born. The son was given because the son existed before the child was born. So the child was born, not the son.
The son was just handed over in the birth process for the birth of a child. And when you understand this, then you come to understand that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the expectation of human history. That there would be a man, a human, who would bring God's kingdom to earth. And that's why Paul calls him the last Adam. Because the first Adam messed us up, but the last Adam brought us back into God's kingdom.
So here it is. You are not just saved to go to heaven, you are saved to live out God's kingdom. Salvation only got you into the kingdom door. But you were brought into something bigger than a door. You were brought into His house, His kingdom, His rule, His authority, His dominion.
That's where you're supposed to be operating now. As Son of God and Son of Man. God's goal is to replicate Jesus. Galatians chapter 4 verses 4 and 5 says that at the right time, Jesus Christ came into the world for the adoption of many sons. God does not want Jesus to be an only child. He is a unique child, unique son, but He's not to be an only child. He is to replicate Himself over and over and over and over and over and over again.
Every time a person gets saved, that is accepts Jesus Christ as Savior, and are therefore born again, they have begun the process of hanging out as Jesus' brother or sister. To be conformed to the image of Christ so that what Christ was to His Father, we are to Him as well. So that we are experiencing the life of God through the life of His Son by the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Okay, so what do we do with the fact that He's called Son of God, Son of Man? Why does it matter? Turn your Bibles to John chapter 1 verse 45.
Watch this. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote. Because the whole Old Testament was writing about this One who was to come. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. He's Joseph's stepson. Nathanael said to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Nazareth had a bad reputation. Philip said, Come and see.
Come see for yourself. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said to him, Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no deceit. Nathanael says to Jesus, How do you know me? You act like you know me.
We've never met. How do you know me? Jesus then answers and says to him, Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree and I saw you. Nathanael says, Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. You are God in the flesh and you are the prophesied King that the Old Testament promised. It promised it in Daniel chapter 7 verses 13 and 14, that the Ancient of Days, the Father that would be a Son of Man who would come and reign as King in dominion.
So they knew this prophecy was out there. But now he says, You're it. You are the Son of God. I declare you are the Son of God. Now, stay with me here. Jesus now answers him, because you confessed that I am the Son of God, because you have accepted my deity, you will see, watch this, the Son of Man.
Okay, don't miss that. Jesus doesn't take his phrase. Jesus switches it. You called me the Son of God. Now I'm going to show you what man can do. Because you recognize my deity, you will watch my humanity go to work. Because verse 51 says, I say unto you, truly, truly, show, no, show enough, you will see heaven open and angels of God descending and ascending, not on Jacob's ladder in the Old Testament, but on the Son of Man in the New Testament, who is Jacob's ladder. You're going to see, watch this, heaven open. I know we got some folk here waiting for heaven to open.
You want to see something from up there, come down here and show you a little something, something. Now let me give you a little Greek lesson right quick, because in verse 51, he says, truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven open. The Greek lesson is the word in verse 51 pronounced you, somebody say you, is in the Greek plural, not singular. He's only talking to Nathan or Nathaniel. He says, Nathaniel, because you declared what you just declared, y'all will see.
So he moves from you to y'all. In other words, you and I just showed up in the passage. It's not just related to that one man, it's related to any Christian where Jesus Christ is the connecting point from your history to God's heaven. You'll see the Son of God work as Son of Man. Making that personal connection to God begins with the understanding that Christianity isn't about bad people becoming good, it's about dead people becoming alive through the forgiveness of sins.
That can happen for you today, and there's nothing more important you can do than to find out how. Visit tonyevans.org today and follow the link that says Jesus. There, Tony will explain everything you need to know about what it means to be a real Christian and how to start a brand new life. That's tonyevans.org where you can also get the latest on Tony's ministry and resources and sign up for his free email devotional. Also, while you're there, don't forget to take advantage of our current special offer, Tony's book Experiencing Israel, plus all 11 full-length messages in his current teaching series, Encountering Jesus' Names.
As I mentioned, they're yours with our thanks for your donation to keep this listener-supported program coming your way. Again, visit tonyevans.org before time runs out to make the arrangements, or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222 any time of the day or night. That's 1-800-800-3222. When Moses asked God what name he should use to describe who sent him, the answer was simply, I am.
But that simple answer really isn't so simple at all. Be sure to join Dr. Evans tomorrow when he'll talk about the incredible significance packed into that name. Right now, though, we'll close out our time today with this quick shout-out to celebrate the Urban Alternative's 40th anniversary. Hi, Pastor Skip Heitzig here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I want to say congratulations to Dr. Tony Evans. He is one of the most remarkable and respected leaders in the ministry in this generation. Not only is he a remarkable pastor and teacher and author, but he stayed at the task and is celebrating 40 years in the ministry this year. A wholehearted congratulations from me and from our fellowship. We consider you a hero in our common faith, Tony, and thank you for upholding the standard of Biblical expository preaching and exalting the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your years of service to the Lord and to his people. Congratulations. The alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by the Urban Alternative and is celebrating 40 years of faithfulness thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you.
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