Four successive Roman emperors, beginning with Constantine, sent him into exile for insisting that Jesus was both perfect God and perfect man. He was not afraid of emperors or any other men. He always kept in the mind the words of our Lord to his first disciples: “You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and before the pagans.”
Centuries have passed, and one challenge remains the same for Christians in some countries. The political leaders persecute anyone who, like Bishop Athanasius, insists on calling Jesus Christ “perfect God and perfect man”. Even if you are not a bishop and even if you are not living in a country whose government persecutes Christians, you may encounter some form of opposition. Some people in the modern world don’t mind hearing you say that Jesus was a good man who preached a message of peace; they feel uncomfortable when someone insists: “Yes, he was a good man, but he was also the Son of God. He was sent by his Father in heaven to die on a cross and rise from the dead in order to forgive our sins.”
When Jesus was baptised, God himself spoke so that all people would know the truth. God said, “This is my Son, the One that I love.” St John wrote: “Who can overcome the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Whether 2000 years ago, or 2000 years from now, faith in Jesus Christ demands a declaration from every Christian. I must be ready to state that I worship the carpenter from Nazareth because he is God. Jesus is man, because he was born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, but he is also God. The Bible states: “If you lips confess that Jesus is the Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved.”
We do not say that our Lord and Saviour is more or less equal to God. We say that Jesus Christ is equal to God, pure and simple. The Bible tells us the “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Jesus is this Word of God. Jesus is equal to God. Jesus is the “Word made flesh”. Even when the Christmas season comes to an end, we can continue singing: “Come let us adore him!”
The Church celebrates the memorial of St. Athanasius on 2nd May.
This article by Fr. Joe Babendreier first appeared in the Sunday Nation on 12th Jan 2014