It was an intimidating setting. I sat before the ordination council with only my Bible and statement of faith. For several hours, ten men questioned me about my beliefs. The time became a blur, but there was one moment that stuck out among the rest. Dr. Duane Litfin — former college president, pastor, and professor — took a moment to clear his throat. He began by complimenting my statement of faith. It was orthodox. It was clear. It was good. He then transitioned to make his point.
“Don’t neglect the lordship of Jesus Christ,” he said. He went on to say that my statement of faith was relatively thin on the deity of Christ compared to the humanity of Christ. He emphasized how transformative the lordship of Jesus had been for him, sharing that he had failed to fully grasp this doctrine for the first 25 years of his ministry. And he exhorted me, young pastor and ordinand: grasp the bigness of Jesus.
I have long forgotten most of the ordination exam. But this moment still resounds: grasp the lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not only our Savior; he is Lord over all creation.
Our Human Christ
In recent years, many good books have emphasized the humanity of Jesus. He is gentle and lowly. He is tenderhearted. He will not blow out the smoldering wick or break the bruised reed. He is kind, gracious, and meek. He sympathizes with us in our weaknesses. He is patient and long-suffering toward his people. His steadfast love never ceases. Yes and amen. These biblical truths are worth rejoicing in and meditating upon. Praise God for the patient, gentle love of Christ for sinners!
But could this emphasis on Jesus’s humanity lead some of us to neglect his divine nature? Do we think of Jesus only like us? Is he the friend who hears our confessions and offers merely comfort? It’s natural for us to dwell on Jesus’s humanity since we too are human. Jesus did come to earth as man, died as man, rose as man, and now reigns as man. The incarnation is a glorious truth. He is Immanuel, God with us.
And Jesus is the God-man. Do we subtly and unintentionally undercut the divinity of our Lord? Do we accidentally minimize his divine nature?
Good News of Divinity
Jesus’s humanity is indeed good news — but not apart from his divine nature. Yes, we marvel that God sent his Son into our world. But before the incarnation, the divine Son was there. He has been working since eternity past and works now in redemptive history.
The Jesus we know was instrumental in the world’s creation: “By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). Nothing exists apart from the creative power of Christ. Right now, he holds all things together — every atom and molecule (Colossians 1:17).
Jesus, like the Father, is the great I Am (John 8:58). Jesus reveals the Father. He is not some poor facsimile, a knockoff version of the original. Rather, as the eternally begotten Son, Jesus is distinct from the Father yet fully God, perfectly revealing the Father’s nature (John 14:9). He is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).
It is this Lord — this Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign — who comes to us. He calls us friends. He loves us. He draws near to us. To use David’s words, these things are too marvelous for me (Psalm 131:1)!
Isn’t it remarkable when paradoxical qualities hold together? We delight to see a strong and intimidating man who speaks tenderly with his wife and children. We admire a petite woman who exhibits feminine courage in the face of fear. A celebrity who takes an interest in a lowly stranger makes us marvel. A man with great riches who lives generously and sacrificially impresses us.
So it is with Jesus’s humanity and divinity, perfectly embodied together. Imagine the disciples in the boat with Jesus as the storm raged. Their fear dissipated when they realized that Jesus commands the wind and waves. Their anxiety over having no food left when they discovered that Jesus feeds thousands from a few loaves. This was no mere teacher, but God in the flesh. The Lord of the universe allowed wicked men to crucify him for his Father’s glory and the redemption of mankind. Marvel at the humanity and divinity of Jesus.
Recovering His Lordship
Recovering the lordship of Jesus is critical in our man-centered age. Jesus’s lordship makes his humanity a comfort. If Jesus is only human, he is weak and powerless. He can sympathize with us in our weaknesses but cannot grant forgiveness. He can try to give comfort but cannot save. He offers us a shoulder to cry on, but he cannot wipe away every tear and bring us into his heavenly kingdom. He is patient but cannot rescue us from the wrath to come. He can encourage us but cannot bring real hope to bear upon our lives.
But when we recover his lordship, we see the wonder of his incarnation. Jesus is God incarnate. The Creator and Sustainer of everyone and everything condescends to his people. The Holy One who dwells in unapproachable light beckons us into his presence. The fearsome and awe-inspiring Lord, who rules and reigns over all, is gentle and lowly with his own.
His name is Faithful and True. He will return to make war, his eyes like flames of fire. Clothed in a robe dipped in blood, he will lead the armies of heaven with a sword protruding from his mouth, treading down his enemies in the fury of the wrath of God (Revelation 19:11–16). This Almighty One is King of kings and Lord of lords. But he is the one who right now says to any and all who will hear, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). This is the remarkable lordship of the God-man.
Resting in His Lordship
To this day, I find myself needing to come back to Dr. Litfin’s words again and again: grasp the lordship of Jesus Christ. I default to Christ as near, comforting, forgiving, and kind. But those qualities are good news because he is the one who holds me fast in his sovereign hand. He made heaven and earth and every cell in my body — even if some turn cancerous against me. He ordains all my days — even the ones when I walk through the valley of death. He knows my frame — even when it crumbles under external pressure. He numbers my days — whether they are many or cut short. He is Lord, and he draws near to his beloved children.
So how does Christ’s lordship transform how you approach him? Hold together his divinity and humanity. Meditate upon his greatness, power, and holiness, even as you rest in his gentleness, kindness, and long-suffering. Let the truth of his humanity and divinity lead you to entrust yourself to his tender and sovereign hands. There is no better place to be. Come and rest in Jesus, a big God who delights to comfort his children.
Desiring God