“..the Christian meaning of the term “deity of Christ” is fairly clear. The Christian believes that there is a personal God, Creator and Ruler of the universe, a God who is infinite, eternal and unchangeable. So when the Christian says that Jesus Christ is God, or when he says that he believes in the deity of Christ, he means that that same person who is known to history as Jesus of Nazareth existed, before He became man, from all eternity as infinite, eternal and unchangeable God, the second person of the holy Trinity.”
- J. Gresham Machen
_____________________________________________________________________Scripture - http://www.esv.org/ (1/13/09)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” - John 1:1-2
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” - John 1:14
“This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” - John 5:18
“Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!'” - John 20:28
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” - John 20:30-31
“...waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” - Titus 2:13
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For 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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” - Colossians 1:15-17
“...who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” - Philippians 2:6
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Significance - http://www.fpcjackson.org/resources/apologetics/deity_of_christ.htm (1/13/09)
The Westminster Larger Catechism(Question 38)
"Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God?"
Answer:
"It was requisite that the Mediator should be God, that He might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death; give worth and efficacy to His sufferings, obedience, and intercession; and so satisfy God's justice, procure His favour, purchase a peculiar people, give His Spirit to them; conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation."
Here we detect at least eight theological reasons for the indispensability of the deity of our Lord:
(1) Christ's divinity was necessary to bear the force of the atonement. Only a divine Savior could have survived it.
(2) Christ's divinity was necessary to imbue His mediatorial labors with limitless value. No finite being could pay such a price and thus answer the full requirements of strict covenantal justice.
(3) Christ's divinity was necessary to quit God's punitive wrath. Only the Father's costly sacrifice of His beloved only begotten Son was adequate fulfill the just sentence due us all from the Almighty.
(4) Christ's divinity was necessary to secure the Father's favor. Once God set His love on us to redeem us, an infinite penalty and positive righteousness was required to secure His eternal benediction. Such an accomplishment required the divine Savior.
(5) Christ's divinity was necessary to redeem a people for Himself. Only a divine Savior could have paid the costly purchase price for redeeming us from our bondage to sin and death.
(6) Christ's divinity was necessary for the pouring out of the Spirit on His people. Christ told His disciples that it was necessary that He ascend to the right hand of the Father in order to send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). Only the eternal God-man holds the right to send the Spirit where He will, that His salvation might be applied to all His people.
(7) Christ's divinity was necessary for the conquest of all His people's enemies. Our Lord, the Captain of our Salvation, not only made satisfaction for the condemning power of sin, but also decisively destroyed the might of Satan, the world and death. This destructive work of redemption required the infinite capacities of the divine Captain of the Hosts of the Lord.
(8) Christ's divinity was necessary to accomplish our everlasting salvation. Our eternal blessedness essentially consists in the enjoyment of our Savior. He is not merely the means of our salvation, He is the goal of it. In glory we are not only made happy by Him, but in Him. Only a divine Savior could serve as the great fountain of blessedness for all redeemed humanity.
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