The full dimension of the problem of how to express Who Jesus is, was never directly discussed by Byzantine theologians but there are indications which can help us to understand their position. First their interpretation of such passages as Luke 2:52 (He progressed in age and wisdom). The idea of progress in wisdom implies a degree of ignorance in Jesus, which is confirmed by other well-known passages of the Gospels (e.g., Mark 13:32: As to the exact day or hour, no one knows it, neither the angels in heaven nor even the Son, but only the Father). Byzantine thought on this subject may often have been confused by the Evagrian idea that essential knowledge is the very characteristic of humanity before the Fall. Evagrius also thought that Jesus was precisely a created intellect which had preserved this original knowledge. The search for knowledge was indeed conceived, in the Evagrian spiritual tradition—which remained alive in the Christian East – as the very content of spiritual life. This may have contributed to the fact that a majority of Byzantine authors deny any ignorance in Jesus Himself. St. John Damascene wrote: One must know that the Word assumed the ignorant and subjected nature, but thanks to the identity of the hypostasis and the indissoluble union, the Lord’s soul was enriched with the knowledge of things to come and other divine things.

This text certainly represents a clear case of a representative Byzantine author’s affirming that the hypostatic union modified the character of human nature. But this modification was clearly seen in the framework of a dynamic Christology. The humanity of Christ is paschal, in the sense that in it man passes from death to life, from ignorance to knowledge and from sin to righteousness. However, in many less-justifiable cases, the ignorance of   Jesus, as described in the Gospel texts, is simply interpreted as a pedagogical device or appearance on the part of Christ in order to show His condescension. This obviously unsatisfactory solution is rejected by other authors who affirm Christ’s real, human ignorance. Most of the Fathers of the Church admitted that Christ was ignorant of certain things; since He is in all things consubstantial with us, and since we ourselves are ignorant of certain things, it is clear that Christ also suffered ignorance. Scripture says about Christ: He progressed in age and wisdom; this means that He was learning who He did not previously know. Obviously, Byzantine theologians are authentically concerned about recognizing in Christ our fallen humanity, but their minds are less clear about the moment when, in Jesus, this humanity became the transfigured, perfect, and natural humanity of the New Man.

From this you can see that the assertion that Jesus was fully God and Man caused much debate and thought. If Jesus was truly man, then He had to progress in His knowledge of things. Think about this! We believe Jesus IS the God-Man.