Jesus and Fallen Man

Christology

Section III

Jesus and Fallen Man

Fallen man, lacking the value of the original man who has fulfilled the purpose of creation, fell to a lowly position in which he looks up to the angels, who were created to be lower than himself. But Jesus had the value of a man who has accomplished the purpose of creation, and this qualified him to dominate the entire cosmos, including the angels (I Cor. 15:27). Meanwhile, fallen man, still having the original sin, remains susceptible to Satan's invasion. But Jesus, having no original sin, is without any such susceptibility. Fallen man does not know the heart and will of God. If he had ever had such knowledge, it would be extremely limited. However, Jesus was living in the position in which he knew God's heart completely and experienced His feeling as if it were his own.

Accordingly, man has no value as long as he remains in a fallen state; but when he is reborn through Christ, the True Parent, and when he thus becomes a child of goodness, cleansed of original sin, he is restored as a man who has fulfilled the purpose of creation, like Jesus. This is similar to the relationship of father and son, in which the original values of both do not in the least differ; only their order is different, one being the father and the other the son.

Therefore, Christ is the head of the church (Eph. 1:22), and we are his body and members (I Cor. 12:27). Accordingly, Jesus is the main temple and we are the branch temples. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5); and we, as wild olive shoots, should be grafted into Jesus, the true olive tree, in order to become true branches (Rom. 11:17). Thus, Jesus called us friends (John 15:14). Again, the Bible says that when Jesus appears, we shall be like him (I John 3:2). The Bible also says that Christ is the "first fruits", and we who belong to him will be the next, indicating only a difference of time and order (I Cor. 15:23).