Did Jesus set aside His Divinity?

7 Aug 2014 by Lim Poh Ann-

 

A prominent leader, Bill Johnson, teaches that Jesus operated only as a man and not God during His earthly ministry.*

But did Jesus set aside His divinity when He came down to earth?

 

 

Here are nine reasons why Jesus was not a mere man when He came down to earth.

1. His conception was supernatural. He was not the product of the fusion of a sperm and ovum. It was the Holy Spirit who caused Jesus to be formed within Mary’s womb (Luke 1:35).

2. God the Father endorsed Jesus as His beloved Son when He was baptised in the river Jordan (Luke 3:21-22).

3. Jesus commended Peter for the latter’s confession that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16-17).

4. God the Father again endorsed Jesus as His beloved Son by when the latter was transfigured (Matthew 17:5).

5. In Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John chapter 17, Jesus asked God the Father to glorify Him with the glory they both shared before the world was made (John 17:5). Jesus also prayed that believers will be one, just as He and the Father are one (John 17:11). Can a man share God’s glory before the world was created? Can a man be equal in standing with God the Father?

 

 

6. Now this is the clincher. You hear it straight from the horse’s mouth:

 

And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

(Mark 14: 60-62).

 

7. Jesus predicted His forthcoming resurrection from the dead—that it would vindicate the special claim He made for Himself (Matthew 12:38-40). Can a mere man predict his own death and resurrection and then bring it to pass?

8. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, can He change? If God is immutable, can the Son of God, Jesus, put off and then put on His divinity again?

9. Lastly, which I believe is the most important reason: POWER TO FORGIVE SINS.

Jesus has the power to forgive sins. A man filled with the power of the Holy Spirit can perform miracles. But can a mere man forgive sins?

Before healing the paralytic who was brought to Him on a stretcher from the roof, Jesus demonstrated His authority and ability to forgive sins (Mark 2:1-11).

Jesus forgave the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8: 10-11).

If Jesus was merely a man filled with the power of the Holy Spirit—as some illustrious leader would have us believe when He walked on this earth—then we would still be dead in our sins.

 

 

How can he save us when he himself is a sinner? Even if he is filled with the Holy Spirit and absolutely righteous, he will not have the power to forgive our sins.

The conclusion is this: Jesus humbly gave up His rights and privileges, not His divinity when He came down to earth.

This is the danger. In our mad scramble to see and experience signs and wonders, we are willing to “go off the map”.

Are we willing to exalt supernatural experiences over and above sound doctrine? 

 

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*Quotes from Bill Johnson’s books:

Jesus did everything as a man, laying aside His divinity in order to become a model for us.

…Jesus did everything in His earthly ministry as a man who had set aside all His divine privileges and power in order to model the Christian life for us.

..Jesus set aside His divinity, choosing instead to live as a man completely dependent on God.

The above 3 quotes are taken from:

 

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Note: Dr Lim Poh Ann is a medical practitioner. He was the former editor of Asian Beacon magazine (December 2008 – October 2011). He can be reached at his blog, Porridge for the Soul:http://limpohann.blogspot.com/

Source: http://limpohann.blogspot.com/2014/05/did-jesus-set-aside-his-divinity.html