The Savior – The Person of Jesus Christ

The Humanity of Christ   

 

Hebrews 2:17

Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things,

that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,

to make propitiation for the sins of the people. NASB

 

The Humanity of Christ – What Does the Bible Say?

Most people agree that Jesus was a man. This is one of the most widely embraced facts in all of history. Hardly anyone would question this because the historical evidence is overwhelming. However the theological implications regarding Jesus humanity have been questioned and scrutinized for centuries. It is important for us to understand how the Scripture reveals the Humanity of Christ so that we can have a biblical and therefore accurate view of who Jesus Christ is. In this consideration it is important to understand that even though Jesus was God incarnate as we have seen, He was also born of a woman and was fully man. The Scripture makes this very plain.

Luke 2:7 – And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. NASB

Galatians 4:4 – 4 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, NASB

Jesus was seen and known as a man by those around Him and He is spoken of in the Scripture as a man. This is a very obvious fact. In Matthew the folks from His own hometown speak of Him as the man everyone knows.

Matthew 13:54-57 – 54 And coming to His home town He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? 55 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” NASB

Because Jesus was a man, He had a normal human body just like all men. He was born as a baby, grew up with a normal childhood and matured as a man. Jesus had the regular human weaknesses that accompany all human beings just like us. He is spoken of in Scripture as being thirsty, becoming tired and sleeping and also became hungry. In fact, after being beaten and crucified, He died just like all other people.

John 4:6 – and Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. NASB

Matthew 4:2 – 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. NASB

John 19:28 – 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.” NASB

Luke 23:46 – 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.” And having said this, He breathed His last. NASB

Along with His normal body, He had a normal mind and emotions which are seen in many places in Scripture. He faced the whole range of human emotions just as we have. This is also clear in Scripture.

Hebrews 2:17 – 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. NASB

 

Tempted yet Sinless

In fact, even though Jesus possessed a fully divine nature, the Scripture affirms that he was tempted “in all things as we are” and yet was “without sin.”

Hebrews 4:15 – 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. NASB

Matthew 4:1-4 – Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'”  NASB

Hebrews 2:18 – 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. NASB

But how can this be? If Jesus had a divine nature and was fully God, does not the Scripture affirm that God cannot be tempted by evil. Indeed it does….

James 1:13 – 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. NASB

There has been much debate over this question through the ages, but the dilemma is not unclear in Scripture. It is clear that in His divine nature, Jesus could not be tempted, therefore we must conclude that He was in fact tempted in His human nature. It must be very much like the temptation of Adam, as Adam had not sinned prior to the fall, yet when tempted he fell. Jesus unlike Adam, did not fail in His temptation, but triumphed over the works of the devil, remaining steadfast in His obedience to God, and was “yet without sin.” Scripture plainly declares that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life.

1 Peter 2:21-22 – 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; NASB

1 John 3:5 – 5 And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. NASB

In fact this is a very important part of our salvation in the fact that Jesus possessed for us what we call “representative obedience” before God as our substitute. Thus Jesus is able then to impart to us through “imputation” His perfect righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. NASB

Romans 5:18-19 – 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. NASB

Because Jesus was sinless, He was therefore able to offer Himself as a “substitute sacrifice” on our behalf, because He did not need to die for His own sins. Therefore when He offered Himself for us, He was able to atone for all sin, including all the sins of all the people.

Hebrews 7:26-27 – 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. NASB

So then Jesus has become for us a High Priest who is able to “sympathize with our weakness,” having experienced our humanity and the sufferings and weaknesses that accompany our daily lives. He is the perfect “mediator between God and man,” being fully human and fully God.

Hebrews 4:15 – 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. NASB

1 Timothy 2:5 – 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ

Jesus, NASB

 

Jesus our Example

More than this, He has also become for us an “example of obedience to God” in all of life. He came and faithfully revealed God to us in a way that makes it crystal clear to us what God is like, and how God would desire for us to respond to the daily circumstances that we face in life. In Jesus example we learn to live and to love in the way God intended for us from the beginning.

John 13:15 – 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. NASB

Ephesians 5:1-2 – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. NASB