The objection
God is immortal and is not tempted to evil. Jesus, by contrast, is tempted, dies and is raised by God. Are these facts not incompatible with his deity?
1. The contradiction arises only through an equation
“The Son is immortal according to his deity” and “the Son dies according to his humanity” do not deny the same sentence in the same sense. The statements apply to the same person but on the basis of different natures. Incarnation means precisely that the Son assumes a real human way of life without ceasing to be God.[1]
This distinction is no escape route added afterward: Hebrews 2 expressly explains why he shares flesh and blood in order to redeem through death.
2. Dying does not mean ceasing to exist
Jesus' death is a real human death. His divine nature does not disintegrate, and the Trinity does not temporarily lose a person. Classically, death is understood as separation of human soul and body while both remain united with the one Son.[2]
We may therefore say that the Son of God died for us. We must not turn this into deity as such having become mortal. Conversely, it would be wrong to let only a human separated from the Son die.
3. Temptation presupposes no inward sinfulness
Hebrews 4,15 connects Jesus' real temptation with his sinlessness. External attack, hunger, suffering and the costs of obedience are real human burdens. They do not presuppose that the Son in his deity is attracted to evil. James 1,13 describes God's inaccessibility to evil enticement; it does not prohibit the incarnate Son's exposure to such attacks.
Even certain victory does not make an attack suffered unreal. The reality of the trial is measured by its actual burden, not by a necessary inward desire to sin.
4. Resurrection is no external rescue maneuver
The New Testament describes resurrection as God's action, speaks of the life-creating Spirit and has Jesus announce that he will raise up the temple of his body again. John 10 connects his voluntary death with his authority to take life again.
These statements do not compete like three reports of different perpetrators. They attest the one divine action. Jesus' real death and resurrection therefore show the depth of his incarnation; they do not refute his divine identity.
Biblical texts in context
Sources and further study
- Council of Chalcedon, Definition of FaithChrist's one person in two unmixed and unseparated natures.
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiaeIII, q. 50, a. 2–3: Death separates body and soul; it does not dissolve their union with the divine Son.