One of Us

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." -- Heb 4:14-15 RSV

This verse has always been meaningful to me, but all the more powerful in the past couple of years since coming to the truth that Jesus is not God. As a "recovering" Trinitarian (lol), I always believed Jesus to be fully human and therefore capable of temptation, but I never thought too deeply about His Deity co-existing with His humanity because doing so inevitably led to questions I couldn't answer. Since I couldn't answer the questions without denying Christ (at least, that was my thinking at the time), I just accepted it without trying to explain it. But we have  the God-given gift of thought, the ability to analyze and discern, which brings to light some serious weaknesses in the doctrine of Christ's "dual nature". How difficult could it have been for a "God-Man" to overcome temptation? Is it even possible for Jesus to have been tempted at all, let alone in the same sense that I experience temptation? 

'Yes', people say, 'He was a man, but He was also God... no wonder He could be sinless... no wonder He could exercise such virtue and self control... how else could he have done all those miracles?' Without even realizing it, subscribing to a belief in the Trinity and the dual nature of Christ places a barrier between us. We take refuge in His humanity because we can relate to weakness and temptation, but we separate Him from ourselves via His Deity! It has been said that virtually all Trinitarians are practicing Monotheists, because it is impossible to hold a rational thought of three persons in One God without being guilty of worshiping three Gods. So, we can think of, and focus on, only one Divine Person at a time. And it is likewise impossible to hold a rational thought of a God who became fully man, yet is still no less God. That is mysticism.

It is Jesus' genuine humanity that the Bible writers want us to see! (Acts 2:22; Rom 5:14-15 RSV; 1Tim 2:5) It is that very humanity that allows Him to be a high priest who can really "sympathize with our weaknesses," because He truly is one of us! The orthodox Jesus, although claiming to be fully human, cannot possibly sympathize with my weaknesses, if he is at the same time conscious of being God. 

Let's be real. We haven't a clue what it is like to be God. If Jesus was both God and man, how is it possible for him share in our "'weaknesses"? And yet, if the Scriptures plainly stated His dual nature, if they unequivocally declared the Trinity of orthodoxy, then I would believe it. But the truth is there are no such Scriptures, and they make no such unequivocal declarations! What the Bible does say clearly, however, is that He was "born" of a virgin - He had a beginning (Luke 1:35; 2:7 RSV); He grew in every way like any normal human being, developing and cultivating His relationships (Luke 2:52); and He related to Jehovah not only as His Father, but as His God (Mat 27:46; John 20:17; Rev 3:12; Eph 1:3; 1Pet 1:3). 

Jesus prayed to His God and Father constantly, sometimes rising early and at times all night. I imagine His prayers were for, among other things, strength and guidance and wisdom. I suggest that it was this intimate relationship He held with His Father, along with a revelation and understanding of His life's mission and purpose, that strengthened Him to always make the right decisions and to keep from sinning (Heb 2:10; 12:2). The impressive truth is that we are likewise expected to pray and keep ourselves from sinning! Most Church goers, I think, are keenly aware of the high moral standard to which we are called. But is it in vain that these demands are placed upon us? Should we just "'give up" and forget about ever living without sinning? 

I don't want to suggest that it is possible for us to be sinless in the same way that Jesus was, it's too late for that even if we never sinned again! But the fact is, we must keep on striving to make the right choices and keep ourselves from falling into willful sin. However, this is only possible so long as we believe it is possible; and it is much easier to believe it possible when we see that Jesus is authentically human, and not also God.

Let's read the Bible for what it actually says instead of reading through the lens of tradition. And let's give the highest praise to God, the Father, for His "unspeakable gift" through Jesus Christ, His highly exalted Son (2Cor 9:15).