The Way: Jesus as God who took humanity

The Way: Jesus as God and as human

For the earliest followers of "

," the question of whether

was

God

is complex because they didn't use modern theological formulas. However, historical and biblical evidence suggests they treated and worshipped him as a divine figure from the very beginning.

⚖️ Did they believe he was God?

The early disciples were monotheistic Jews, meaning they believed there was only one God (Yahweh). Their belief in Jesus’ divinity developed through their direct experiences:

Worship: They offered Jesus "divine honors" typically reserved for God alone, such as praying to him and singing hymns to him "as to a god".
Titles: They applied the title Kyrios (Lord) to him, which in their Greek scriptures was the substitute for the sacred name of God, YHWH.
Attributes: They believed he pre-existed the world, created the universe, and had the authority to forgive sins—powers only attributed to God.

🔄 Two Perspectives on "The Way"

Scholars today debate exactly how and when this belief solidified:

High Christology ("The Big Bang"): This view argues that the disciples believed Jesus was divine almost immediately after the resurrection. They saw him as the "radiance of God's glory" and the "exact imprint of his nature".
Low Christology (Evolutionary): Some scholars, like Bart Ehrman, suggest the earliest followers initially saw Jesus as a human "adopted" or exalted by God, and that the idea of him being "fully God" was a later development.

🛠️ The "Definition" Came Later

While the first disciples acted as if Jesus was God—worshipping him and calling him Lord—they did not have the word "Trinity".

Their Focus: He was the Messiah (the promised King) and the Son of God who had returned from the dead.
The Struggle: They spent the first few centuries trying to explain how Jesus could be divine while God is still "One." This eventually led to the creeds (like Nicaea) that formally stated Jesus is "of the same substance" as the Father.

Essentially, for "The Way," Jesus was "God" in the sense that he shared God’s identity, throne, and authority, even if they hadn't yet written the technical "operating manual" for how that worked.

John 1:1, 14: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us".

John 20:28: Thomas declares to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!".
Titus 2:13: "...our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ".
Hebrews 1:8: The Father says to the Son, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever".
1 John 5:20: "...[Jesus Christ] is the true God and eternal life".
Romans 9:5: "...Christ, who is over all, the eternally blessed God".

Divine Nature and Titles

Colossians 2:9: "For in him [Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily".
Isaiah 9:6: The Messiah is called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace".
John 8:58: Jesus claims divinity by saying, "Before Abraham was, I am".
John 10:30, 33: "I and the Father are one," which the crowd understood as claiming to be God.
Philippians 2:6: "[Jesus], being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to grasp".
Revelation 1:17-18: Jesus identifies as "the First and the Last," a title for God in Isaiah.

Jesus Doing What Only God Can Do

Forgiving Sins: Mark 2:5-7.
Calming the Storm: Matthew 14:33.
Raising the Dead: John 11:43-44.
Creator/Upholder: Colossians 1:15-17 and Hebrews 1:3 indicate he created and sustains all things.

Incarnation (God with Us)

Matthew 1:23: Jesus is called Emmanuel, which means "God with us".
1 Timothy 3:16: "...He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit...".

Scripture Suggesting Jesus on Earth was God who took human form:

Subordination to the Father: Jesus states, "My Father is greater than I" (John 14:28) and "I can of myself do nothing... I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me" (John 5:30).
Limited Knowledge: Jesus states that only the Father knows the time of the final judgment, excluding himself and the angels (Mark 13:32, Matthew 24:36).
Direct Distinction: Jesus asks, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19).
The Father as the "Only" God: Jesus refers to the Father as "the only true God" (John 17:3) and "the only God" (John 5:44).
Worship and Submission: Jesus prays to God (Matthew 26:39), and Paul writes that God raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:24), implying a distinction between the worshiper and the worshipped, and the creator and the resurrected.
Different Identity: Jesus speaks of "my God and your God" (John 20:17).

⚖️ Two Natures, One Person

This view suggests that Jesus had two "operating systems" in one person:

Divine Nature: Remained infinite and eternal. Through this nature, he still "sustained all things" (Hebrews 1:3).
Human Nature: Through this nature, he could feel hunger, tire out, and honestly not know the timing of his return (Mark 13:32).Some scholars argue that the "limited flesh" concept is a bit of a Greek philosophical idea that might have been foreign to the first disciples' more physical, Jewish worldview. For them, Jesus' humanity wasn't a "limit" so much as it was the point—it was as a man that he had to live and die to represent humanity.

To die: As God, he couldn't die. As a man, he could.
To represent: As a man, he could sympathize with our struggles (Hebrews 4:15). As God, his sacrifice had the "infinite value" needed to pay for all sins.

1. "The Father is greater than I" (John 14:28 / 5:30)

The Way (Early Disciples): They would likely see this as a statement of functional hierarchy. Jesus is the Sent One (the Messiah), and the Father is the Sender. In their Jewish context, a king’s messenger has the king's full authority but is still "lesser" than the king who sent him.
Trinitarians: They use the concept of Functional Subordination. They argue Jesus is equal to the Father in nature (being God), but chose a "junior" role on Earth to complete the mission of salvation. He is "lesser" in rank for a time, but not "lesser" in essence.

2. "Only the Father knows" (Mark 13:32)

The Way: This would reinforce that Jesus was truly human. They saw him grow in wisdom and experience limitations. They would conclude that while Jesus has God’s spirit, some "top-secret" information remains exclusively with the Father until the proper time.
Trinitarians: They point to the Two Natures (Hypostatic Union). They argue that Jesus, in his human mind, did not know the hour. His divine nature is all-knowing, but he "filtered" his knowledge through a human brain to truly live a human life.

3. "Why do you call me good?" (Mark 10:18)

The Way: They might conclude Jesus was being humble or pointing people away from himself and toward the source of all holiness (God). It emphasizes that his mission is to honor the Father, not to build a reputation for himself.
Trinitarians: They interpret this as a riddle or a "check your premises" question. They argue Jesus isn't saying "I'm not good," but rather, "If only God is good, and you see that I am good, do you realize who I actually am?"

4. "The Only True God" (John 17:3 / 5:44)

The Way: For a Jewish follower, this was a standard Shema-style statement (God is One). They would see the Father as the "source" of divinity and Jesus as the unique "extension" of that God. They didn't see Jesus as a separate god, but as the one who makes the one true God visible.
Trinitarians: They argue that the term "God" here refers to the Person of the Father, not the definition of the Godhead. They believe that since Jesus is "in" the Father (John 10:38), when the Father is called the "only true God," it includes the Son who is of the same substance.

🏁 Summary of the Two Views

Verse Category	Perspective of "The Way"	Perspective of Trinitarians
Authority	Jesus is God’s appointed King and Representative.	Jesus is God the Son, equal in power but submissive in role.
Knowledge	Jesus is the Son of God, God himself revealed in the flesh, whose faith towards his Father was completed	Jesus is God, but limited his human mind for our sake.
Nature	He is the "perfected man" filled with God's Spirit.	He is the "God-Man"—two natures in one person.

💡 The Big Difference

The Way focused on Relationship: "Jesus is the Son who brings us to the Father."
Trinitarians focus on Ontology (Being): "Jesus is the same 'stuff' as the Father."

The "Logos" factor is the strongest piece of evidence used to bridge the gap between "Jesus as a man" and "Jesus as God." When the Apostle John used this term in John 1:1, he was using a "loaded" word that meant something massive to both Jews and Greeks.

🏛️ The Meaning of "Logos" (The Word)

In the ancient world, Logos wasn't just a spoken word; it was the Logic or Reason that held the universe together.

For Greeks: It was the divine "mind" or the blueprint of the cosmos.
For Jews: It was the Memra (the Word of the Lord) through which God created everything (e.g., "God said, 'Let there be light'").

🔍 Breaking Down John 1:1

John uses three distinct phrases to define how the disciples viewed Jesus:

"In the beginning was the Word": This indicates Pre-existence. Before the world began, the "Word" already existed. He wasn't a created being.
"The Word was with God": This indicates Distinction. You can’t be "with" someone if you are that same person. This shows that the Word (Jesus) and the Father are distinct personalities.
"And the Word was God": This indicates Nature. While they are distinct persons, they are the same "kind" of being.

🧬 The "Flashlight" Analogy

Think of the Logos like the beam of a flashlight:

The Flashlight is the Father (the Source).
The Beam is the Word (the Expression).
The Beam is distinct from the Flashlight, yet the Beam is the light of the Flashlight. You cannot have one without the other.

🛠️ Why did the disciples use this term?

By calling Jesus the "Logos made flesh" (John 1:14), the disciples were making a revolutionary claim:

God is no longer silent: The "Mind of God" isn't just an abstract idea or a book of laws; it has a face and a name.
The Creator became a Creature: The very power that designed the stars "pitched his tent" (the literal meaning of "dwelled") among humans.
The Ultimate Revelation: If you want to know what the "Logic" of the universe looks like, look at the life of Jesus.

🏁 How "The Way" vs. Trinitarians see this:

The Way: They saw the Logos as God’s "Self-Expression." Jesus is the physical manifestation of God's wisdom. He is God "acting" in the world.
Trinitarians: They see the Logos as the "Second Person of the Trinity." It is their primary proof that Jesus has always been God and is equal to the Father.

⚡ The "I AM" Statements: Claiming the Sacred Name

In the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14), God reveals his personal name to Moses as "I AM WHO I AM" (YHWH). This name was so holy that Jews wouldn't even pronounce it.

When Jesus uses "I AM" (Ego Eimi in Greek), he is doing more than identifying himself; he is claiming the "I AM" status of the Burning Bush.

The Absolute "I AM" (John 8:58)

The Statement: "Before Abraham was, I AM."
The Deep Dive: Notice he didn't say "I was." By saying "I AM," he claimed timelessness. He was claiming to exist outside of human history.
The Reaction: The listeners immediately picked up stones to kill him. Why? Because they knew exactly what he was saying: "I am the God of Moses."

The Seven "I AM" Metaphors

He used the Name to show he was the source of everything humans need to survive:

Bread of Life: The source of spiritual hunger.
Light of the World: The source of truth.
The Door: The only entry to God.
The Good Shepherd: The divine protector.
The Resurrection and the Life: The power over death.
The Way, Truth, and Life: The exclusive path to the Father.
The True Vine: The source of all spiritual energy.

🍷 The First Miracle: The Creator’s Authority (John 2)

The turning of water into wine at Cana is often called the "Prototypal Sign." It reveals the Logos power—the same power that created the world in Genesis.

1. Bypassing Time

How Wine Works: Normally, God makes wine through a long process: rain, soil, vines, growth, harvest, and fermentation. It takes months or years.
The Logos Factor: Jesus bypassed the "process" of time. He did in an instant what he normally does through nature over seasons. It showed he was the Author of Time.

2. Creating from "Nothing"

The Master of Molecules: He didn't just add food coloring. He changed the molecular structure of H2O into complex organic compounds (sugars, tannins, alcohols).
The Message: This told the disciples, "The one standing in your kitchen is the one who spoke the oceans into existence."

3. The "Best for Last"

Symbolism: The wine Jesus made was better than the wine man made.
The Meaning: In "The Way," this signaled that the old system (the water of ritual washing) was being replaced by the new, vibrant life (the wine) of his kingdom.

⚓ The "Loop" Connection

These two elements—the Name and the Power—prove why the disciples' "Way" was so radical.

In the "I AM" statements, they heard the Voice of the Creator.
In the Water to Wine, they saw the Hand of the Creator.

🌿 The "I AM" in the Garden (John 18:6)

This is perhaps the most overlooked "power move" in the New Testament. It shows that even in his "limited flesh," the raw power of the Logos was barely contained.

The Scene: A battalion of soldiers (potentially hundreds of men) comes to arrest a humble teacher in the dark.
The Question: Jesus asks who they want. They say, "Jesus of Nazareth."
The Blast: Jesus replies, "Ego Eimi" (I AM).
The Result: The text says they "drew back and fell to the ground."
The Meaning: This wasn't a trip or a stumble. It was a physical reaction to the unveiled Name of God.
- For "The Way": It proved Jesus wasn't being captured; he was surrendering. He showed that one word from his true identity could level an army.

📖 The Logos in Genesis: The Mirror Effect

John 1 is a deliberate "remake" of Genesis 1. By mimicking the opening of the Hebrew Bible, John is telling the reader that the "Jesus Story" is actually Creation Part II.

Genesis 1 (The Beginning)	John 1 (The New Beginning)
"In the beginning..."	"In the beginning..."
The Spirit hovered over the dark void.	The Word was with God in the beginning.
"Let there be light."	"The light shines in the darkness."
Life is created through God's speech.	All things were made through Him (the Word).
Darkness cannot overcome the light.	The darkness has not overcome it.

The Deep Dive: In Genesis, God creates by speaking. In John, we find out that the "Speech" itself is a Person.
The Conclusion of "The Way": If the Word (Jesus) was the "tool" God used to make the world, then the world belongs to Him. When he walked on water or changed wine, he wasn't "breaking" laws—he was reminding the elements who their boss was.

💡 The Final Thought: The "Completed" Circle

This brings us back to your earlier point about completed faith.

The Logos (who leveled soldiers with a word) chose to become the Lamb (who remained silent before his shearers). He used his infinite "I AM" authority to submit his "limited flesh" to the Father.

This is the heart of "The Way":
The One who made the world (Logos) is the same One who saved the world (Jesus), by walking the human path of faith to its very end.