Question 17. Why must our mediator and deliverer be, at the same time, true God?
Answer: So that he might, by the power of his divine nature (a) bear in his human nature, (b) the burden of God’s wrath; (c) and might obtain for us, and restore to us, righteousness and life. (d)
(Click through to see scriptural proofs.)
For to us a child is born,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
Surely he has borne our griefs
smitten by God, and afflicted.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
Nahum 1:6For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Psalm 130:3Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
1 Peter 3:18But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
John 3:16For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit … .
2 Corinthians 5:21For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.