Person and Natures of Christ-Part 1 of Bible Study Review

Pope John Paul II wrote in his first public writing to the world or an encyclical Redemptor Hominis: Redeemer of Man, “The Redeemer of Man, Jesus Christ, is the center of the universe and of history.” Therefore, by looking at Christ, we can better understand ourselves and the people we are called to be.
Christ shows us two important points in himself: first that our nature cannot be separated from our person. Second, that our personhood has to come before our natures. This may sound strange at first, but once we really think about it, it will tell us a lot about ourselves.

We have to first look at the definitions of person and nature. A person answers the question “who.” A nature answers the question “what.” What you do can help define who you are. For example, if you study a lot, like most of you do, you are known as a student. If you like to dance, you may be known as a dancer. If you like sports you are an athlete. It is the same with Jesus; what he did was save us from our sins and redeem us. So he is known as our Savior and Redeemer.

What we do for the most part defines who we are, but it can’t just stop there because a nature also answers “what you are.” If it did just stop at the natural level, if we failed at various things in life, that would make us failures. If we sinned, we would simply be sinners. We can not stop at the natural level because we are persons and thus called to be supernatural or above or natures. This is because we are called to be with God. Besides, I don’t think any of us want to be labeled as just a sinner or someone who can’t do anything right.

This brings us to the second lesson Christ teaches us, that our personhood, or who we are, takes priority over our nature, or what we are. This is built into us. Again take yourselves for example. To the world you are a: student, athlete, math genius, or just another rebellious teen. This may be true, but you know that you are so much more. You are not just another high school student or rebellious teenager. You want people to see you that and realize you are more than ordinary or the same as everyone else. This is why when a boy likes a girl, he writes her poetry or sends her a sweet text message; why a girl likes to wear a different outfit than everyone else or draws hearts and smiley faces all over her notebook; why boys spike their hair, wear chains with rotating rims on the end, and show off at football practice. You want people to look beyond just what you are (nature) and see you for who you are (person). This is built into us because Christ is built into us. He is a divine person who wants us to see him as more than just “fire insurance” or someone who answers prayers. He is a Person and he wanted us to see him as a person so much that he took on another nature (human). Jesus tells us, “Yes, look at ‘the what’ or my natures. I am your Savior and Redeemer. I am both human and divine, but look deeper and you will see so much more. Look at me as a person and you will see that who I am is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. I am someone who has thought of and loved you from all eternity.”

The challenge that Jesus brings to us in showing that He has two natures (both divine-because he is God- and human-because he became man) in one person (The Second Person of the Holy Trinity) is first, that we are not to separate the nature from the person. This means what we do affects who we are. It also means that if we remember what we are, children of God, what we do will always be right. Secondly, it shows us to always look at the person first and the nature second. This is important because if you do this, you can see Christ in that homeless man on the corner, or the person at lunch who is so annoying, or even that teacher who’s giving a boring lecture, etc., etc. A person does not sacrifice for a nature, a state of being, or for humanity in itself. A person can only sacrifice when he or she sees a person or persons in that humanity; when he or she sees individuals. This is because we are made in the “image and likeness of God” (Gen. 1:26) and this is how God sees each one of us. He says, “Fear not, I have called you by name and you are mine” (Is. 43:1). So let us take up the challenge and try to give ourselves to God everyday, to live in the supernatural. He’s not just a thing, a what, or a nature, He is a Person, a who, a divine Person who loves us so much, that He’d rather die than spend eternity with out you!