Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As another year is rapidly coming to an end, the Christmas season will soon be upon us. We celebrate the greatest event of history—when God entered into humanity. He not only visited our planet, but He also became one of us. He did this by becoming a baby in a manger. This is the miracle of the Incarnation—God becoming man.
In this series on the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been examining the magnificence of the person of Jesus Christ. Thus far, we have seen the fact that Jesus is eternal—He has always existed. Closely related to this truth is His identity—Jesus is God. We have seen how He as God took on humanity—Jesus was and is the God-man. Last month we saw how He became the God-man—by means of the virgin birth. The Bible teaches that Jesus had a divine nature. But what about His humanity: “Is Jesus Truly Human?” To many, this question does not seem significant, relevant, or even important. Many, even those who deny that He is God, declare emphatically, “Of course, He was human!” Some would say that He took on the appearance of being a man without being truly human. Others, even some who believe that He is God, think that God could not become a man without being tainted by it. The apostle John confronted the Gnostics, who believed that, since matter is evil, God could not take on humanity and become “material.” John confronted this heresy in I John when he declared,“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (I John 4:1-3). John certainly does not treat the humanity of Jesus as a trivial doctrine. Whether or not He is human is significant and essential. What does God’s Word reveal about the humanity of the Lord Jesus?
Jesus was recognized as being a man.
Jesus declared Himself to be a man (John 2:19-21; 5:27; 8:40; Luke 19:10).
Peter proclaimed Him to be a man (Acts 2:22, 30).
John attested to Him being a man (John 1:14; I John 1:1-2; 4:1-3).
Paul referred to Him as being a man (Acts 13:38-39; Rom. 1:3; 9:5; I Cor. 15:21, 47; I Tim. 2:5).
The writer to the Hebrews presented Him as a man (Heb. 2:9, 14, 17).
Jesus possessed all the elements of a true human being (cp. I Thess. 5:23).
He had a body (John 2:19-21).
He had a soul (John 12:27).
He had a spirit (Luke 23:46).
Jesus demonstrated the essential qualities of a true human being.
He was conceived as a baby is conceived (Matt. 1:23) and began His earthly life as a baby (Luke 2:5-7, 12).
He grew and developed as a human being, growing mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially (Luke 2:40, 42-43, 52).
He displayed normal human emotions, such as sorrow, anger, grief, and love (Isa. 53:3; Matt. 26:38; Mark 3:5; John 11:35; 13:2-3. 21).
He experienced normal human appetites, such as hunger and thirst (Matt. 4:2; John 19:28).
He demonstrated normal human limitations, such as weariness, need for sleep, and weakness (Matt. 8:24; Luke 22:43; John 4:6).
He suffered and died like a man, possessing a body which can feel pain and is susceptible to illness and death (John 19:31, 34).
He remains the perfect Mediator as both God and man (I Tim. 2:5), as well as the perfect High Priest and Intercessor (Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16).
How important is the humanity of Jesus Christ? John F. Walvoord drives home the importance of this doctrine: “Though the doctrine of the deity of Christ is generally recognized as the indispensable fundamental of Christology, the doctrine of His true humanity is equally important. On the fact of His humanity depends the reality of His death on the cross, His claim to be Israel’s Messiah, His fulfillment of the promise to David of a Descendant to sit on his throne, and His offices of Prophet and Priest. Those who deny the true humanity of Christ, such as modern Christian Science, are just as effective at destroying the Christian faith as those who deny the deity of Christ. As in the case of the doctrine of the deity of Christ, the Scriptures bear full testimony to His humanity; and a denial of these aspects of His incarnate person would necessitate a denial of the Scriptures themselves. For this reason the doctrine of the true humanity of Christ has always been a part of orthodox Christian faith” (Jesus Christ Our Lord, pp. 109-110).
We worship One who died on the cross for us, who knows what we are feeling, who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, who represents us before the Father. . . . All because He is truly human. It is vital that we proclaim what the Word of God clearly teaches: Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% man!
Because of His Grace—Pastor Charlie