The Trinity and The Crucifixion

[Greg_McPherran]

The Holy Trinity is a union. Did the Father suffer the pains of the crucifixion since He lives in Jesus?

Greg

 

[Servulus]

The short, and overly-simplified, answer is: No, He didn’t. The hypostatic union (the joining of the human and the divine in Christ) means that our Lord was one Person with two natures. He suffered all in His human nature. His divine nature, shared with the Father, cannot suffer, for it is perfect and unchangeable.

Hope that helps.

 

[Greg_McPherran]

Thank you for the answer. I seek to understand how Jesus’ humanity and divinity are united, yet His humanity suffered and His divinity did not. I understand that the crucifixion and resurrection are redemptive because Jesus is God. I seek to understand how Jesus’ sacrifice is redemptive because of His divinity and He suffered in His humanity only.

Thank You,
Greg

 

[JimG]

I think of it this way: God the Son as a divine Person, had to take upon himself a human nature in order to suffer and die. In His divine nature He could not.

 

[Greg_McPherran]

JimG:

God the Son as a divine Person, had to take upon himself a human nature in order to suffer and die.

Thanks much Jim,

I see your point. I also think this mystery may best be read about and contemplated over time. I think perhaps only in heaven does anyone fully understand.

One concept that I have is that we see the Father in Jesus even as a man, and therefore I consider that the Father is on the cross united with Jesus’ humanity. This is an image I have, but I don’t claim to have full understanding.

 

[Teresa9]

Dear all

I don’t know the absolute doctrine on this as mystery in Christ, is mystery and some things have to be accepted as a matter of faith, that after all is what faith is, believing in obedience. But here are my thoughts on this…

If Divinity, God, can humble Himself to share in our humanity, then Divinity died, descended into hell, bore witness to the truth in hell (the dead), and then rose again. No-one could take Jesus’ life unless the Father willed it, He is Divine and man. In short God in His in His human form was crucified, God died and God rose again and in sharing in our humanity and death, He destroyed death for those who love and believe in Him and try with a sincere and contrite heart to abide by His laws and they will rise again.

The Trinity has three distinct persons but they share the same Divine nature, so God the Father was not crucified, it was God the Son, Jesus, but the Father must have shared in the suffering of Jesus as all three are one.

Hmmm I need to pray and think on this more

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa