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JESUS CHRIST: GOD-MAN - Vital Christianity

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157<br />

Jurgen Moltmann in his book, The Crucified God, states:<br />

". . . a God who cannot suffer is poorer than any man. For a God who cannot suffer<br />

is a being who cannot be involved. Suffering and injustice do not affect him. And<br />

because he is so completely insensitive, he cannot be affected or shaken by anything.<br />

He cannot weep, for he has no tears. But the one who cannot suffer cannot love<br />

either. So he is also a loveless being.<br />

Aristotle's God cannot love; he can only be loved by all non-divine beings by virtue<br />

of his perfection and beauty, and in this way draw them to him. The 'unmoved<br />

Mover' is a 'loveless Beloved'.If he is the ground of the love (eros) of all things for<br />

him (causa prima), and at the same time his own cause (causa sui), he is the beloved<br />

who is in love with himself; a Narcissus in a metaphysical degree: Deus incurvatus<br />

in se. But a man can suffer because he can love, even as a Narcissus, and he always<br />

suffers only to the degree that he loves. If he kills all love in himself, he no longer<br />

suffers. He becomes apathetic. But in that case is he a God? Is he not rather a<br />

stone?"4<br />

Jesus, because He came as a man, came to know all the vicissitudes of life: trials, joys,<br />

losses, gains, temptations, griefs, disappointements, misunderstandings, etc. He entered into<br />

them, understood them, and thereby became a paradigm for us that we should go through these<br />

experiences as He did. It is also an encouragement to us to go to Him in prayer, knowing that He<br />

understands what we are going through:<br />

"For surely it is not with angels that He [Christ] is concerned but with the<br />

descendants of Abraham. Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every<br />

respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service<br />

of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself has<br />

suffered and been tempted He is able to help those who are tempted" (Heb 2:16-18).<br />

HU<strong>MAN</strong> DEATH<br />

Jesus had to become a man in order to be able to die. The incarnation made it possible for<br />

Jesus Christ to die:<br />

"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.<br />

Wherefore, when He [Christ] comes into the world, He says, 'Sacrifice and offering<br />

is not Your desire, but a body have You prepared for Me for in burnt offerings<br />

and sacrifices for sin You have no pleasure.' Then said I, 'I come (in the volume of<br />

the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God'" (10:4-7).<br />

A "body" made it possible for Jesus Christ to die. A physical body is essential since that<br />

is very much a part of who or what a person is: body and soul. Only a human being can die a<br />

physical death (except for an animal which also has a physical body).

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