The Son of God will be human forever. Therefore God has made an everlasting commitment to humanity.
The story of Jesus and his resurrection has one element that has sunk in for few people.
People who know the rudiments of the gospel know that the second person of the Trinity—the eternal Son of God—at a point in history became a man. He did not stop being God but was fully God and man. He died to save us, then rose from the dead, and forty days later ascended to the right hand of God. But the rest of the story has not registered for most people.
The rest is, the Son of God is still a resurrected man and will be a resurrected man forever. That means the second person of the Trinity will be a human forever, a God-man forever. Humanity has become part of God forever. In a sense, in the resurrected Son of God, the Trinity has taken in humanity.
That did not begin at the resurrection of Jesus, but rather in the incarnation, when the Son became a man in Mary’s womb. But the resurrection and the ascension “sealed the deal” because the Son of God did not leave behind his humanity when he died on the cross. He rose from the grave in the body that had died and that had now been glorified with immortality. Although he was immortal, he was still the God-man—still one-hundred percent God and one hundred percent man, glorified man.
God’s everlasting commitment to humanity
What does that mean for you and the rest of those who believe in Jesus? It means God is committed to mankind forever. He is not turning back. Jesus will never leave his resurrection body and forsake his humanity—or forsake the rest of redeemed humanity.
That implies something enormously significant about God: he wanted to become a man. That is how he planned the story before time began, so it was his idea, not an afterthought, not plan B. God wanted to create mankind (that is, men and women). He wanted to create mankind in his image—so much like him that he could become a man himself without shedding his divinity. And he wanted the second person of the Trinity to become a God-man permanently.
And what that means is, God is permanently committed to humanity.
Nine ways God has made an everlasting commitment to humanity
All this is part of the Lord’s wider commitment to humanity displayed in these decisive actions:
- God made humanity in his image, an honor he gave to no other living thing in creation. He thus made mankind the pinnacle of his creation. (Genesis 1:26–28)
- When humanity fell into sin and death, God immediately promised to redeem us. (Genesis 3:15)
- God made an eternal covenant with Abraham to bless him and all the nations of the earth through him, making an eternal, covenant people for himself. (Genesis 12:1–3)
- In the incarnation of God in the womb of Mary, the second person of the Trinity became the God-man. (John 1:1–18)
- On the cross the God-man atoned for human sin and reconciled believing mankind to God forever, fulfilling God’s promise in Genesis 3:15.
- Jesus rose from the grave as the firstfruits of the new humanity, the beginning of the new creation. (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23)
- Jesus ascended to the right hand of God as ruler and only savior of the new humanity. (Acts 5:31; Ephesians 1:20–23)
- At the Second Coming of Jesus to earth, he will raise the dead and bestow immortal, resurrection bodies like his own to all his faithful believers. (1 John 3:2)
- After the Final Judgment, God will create new heavens and a new earth in which to live with his people forevermore. (Revelation 21)
Our way and God’s way
Our way: Humans like the notion of mankind being gods, but they belittle the idea of God becoming a man.
God’s way: Jesus, the unique Son of God, the second person of the divine and holy Trinity, will be human forever. God has irrevocably committed himself to humanity for eternity.
Life principle: In the resurrection of Jesus, we see our future beyond our resurrection. Jesus became like us so we would become like him, ruling forever on earth with him in a resurrection body. Knowing God’s commitment to and love for humanity, we should honor and love our fellow humans and respect ourselves. And we should reciprocate God’s commitment to us by committing ourselves wholeheartedly to him.
Next week we will look at the third implication about God from the resurrection of Jesus. Last week we saw the first implication: The Vindication of the Son of God.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)