Christology has been one of the most controversial subjects in Christian theology. Was Jesus really God Himself in a human body? Was he only a man? If the former, how could God so limit Himself? If the latter, how did Jesus differ from other men? Was he half divine and half human? Did he exist before his birth? When did he become aware of his Messiahship? What is his relationship to the Holy Spirit? The Principle will shed light on these age-old questions and clarify them.

None of Jesus' contemporary followers thought he was God Himself. St. Paul also knew that Jesus was a man and said so in several of his epistles:

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (I Tim. 2:5)

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous. (Rom. 5:19)

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. (I Cor. 15:22-23)

Paul called Jesus the last Adam. (I Cor. 15:45) Because Adam, the first man, did not fulfill his mission of reaching perfection, another man has to come in his place-as a man.

Jesus made a sharp distinction between himself and God and said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." (Luke 18:19) The God of infinite spirit never takes a finite form by confining Himself to the body of one man. Thus it is a great error to think that Jesus was God Himself. Jesus was no different from other men. Therefore, even his own brothers failed to recognize his identity. Because of his human qualities, Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. He often went to a lonely place to pray, because, as a man, he needed strength from God. As anyone else, he was hungry, sleepy, and tired at times. Jesus was disheartened at the disbelief of his people. He was filled with distress when his followers betrayed him and the chosen nation rebelled.

If Jesus -- as a human being -- were not subject to the temptations of Satan, how could Jesus overcome him and free mankind? If Jesus were not a man, his words, his life, and his example would hold no meaning for humanity. Jesus was morally flawless because he never allowed himself to transgress God's law or will. Jesus was different from other people in his mission and not in his human nature. The most important fact is that Jesus was to accomplish his Messianic role as a human being. This does not contradict the fact that the Holy Spirit was instrumental in Mary's conception of Jesus. (The Holy Spirit referred to here is the Spirit of God, and not the Holy Spirit which descended to the disciples after Jesus' resurrection.) We must remember, however, that other chosen men were also conceived by the Holy Spirit, including Isaac, Samson, Samuel, Elijah, and John the Baptist.

However, Jesus was different from other people in that his spiritual background was unique. Jesus' ancestors formed a special lineage in which enough indemnity had been paid to make condition for Jesus to be free from original sin. Nevertheless, Jesus' human quality remained intact. His mission as Messiah was to subjugate Satan and be the first man to attain perfection by fulfilling the three blessings which Adam failed to fulfill. He would then be the Everlasting Father prophesied in Isaiah, and all other men would be perfected only through him. Jesus referred to himself as the true vine and to his followers as its branches; only as part of the tree could they bear good fruit. He was the temple of God, and all others could become temples by uniting with him. In this divine mission Jesus was unique; but this mission he was to fulfill as a man.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1-3)

That the Word was with God in the beginning does not mean that Jesus, the man, had pre-existed his birth. It means that the Word, God's idea of perfect man, had pre-existed its expression into human form. The Word or Logos was God's idea for His creation. Since God has polarity and all things created by Him have polarity, the Word must also have polarity. Adam and Eve were created by the Word and were to be the incarnation of the Word. Because of their fall, however, they could not fulfill the Word nor realize the Tree of Life.

God created one man, Adam, for whom he made a woman, Eve. God must, then, restore one man first in Adam's position and, through him, one woman in Eve's position. Adam and Eve were to marry with God's blessing, thus to be the perfected Parents of mankind. Coming in Adam's place, Jesus was to take -a bride in Eve's place. Thus, he referred to himself many times as the Bridegroom (Mark 2:19; Matt. 25:1), and hinted of his role in a parable:

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. (Matt. 22:2-3)

If Jesus' marriage had been realized, Jesus and his Bride would have been the true Parents of mankind. Because of Jesus' premature death, he could not fulfill his mission of blessed marriage. However, after his resurrection God gave him the Holy Spirit with whom to fulfill his mission spiritually.

The Holy Spirit is a mother spirit or female spirit, who works with Jesus in Eve's place. She cleanses sins which originated from the first Eve. To make restitution for Eve's sinful act, the Holy Spirit moves and comforts the hearts of people, thus leading them back to God. Children are born through the love of parents. Through the give and take of love, Jesus and the Holy Spirit give spiritual rebirth to those who follow them.

Through divine marriage in Perfection, Adam and Eve would have formed a trinity with God. This trinity was to be the pattern for all future marriages. A single person, even though bearing within himself masculine and feminine qualities, cannot fulfill this ideal of trinity.

Having united with Satan, Adam and Eve failed to establish the trinity with God. By uniting with the Holy Spirit, Jesus established the trinity for the first time-but only in spirit. The divine ideal of trinity will be completely realized when the Lord comes in the glory of his Father (Matt. 16:27), and fulfills the Tree of Life in the midst of the City of God. Then he will be with his Bride, inviting all people to the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Rev. 19:7-9) He and his Bride will be the true Parents. All mankind will be restored to God by forming trinities with Him. All will then be trees of life themselves. All will then fulfill the ideal of creation. In this way, one family will be established on earth.

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