The Humanity Of Jesus Christmas Messages 5 Series

THE HUMANITY OF JESUS

Heb. 2:14-18

Bob Marcaurelle homeorchurchbiblestudt.com

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human - a real human being - just like us in every way except one. He was not born with a depraved sinful nature, and though tempted like Adam and Eve, He never sinned. The sin of LIBERAL Christianity is to deny His deity and the sin of many FUNDAMENTALS is to deny His humanity. One famous preacher said Jesus knew the Old Testament because He wrote it. The truth is, He did write it (through His Spirit), but He gave up that memory and had to learn is like we do, by faithful study. The Bible said “he increased in wisdom and knowledge.”

A. A REAL HUMANITY

Hebrews 2:14-18

“Since the children possess flesh and blood He possesses the same ... He had to be made just like His brothers in every way

so He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest ... and make propitiation for the sins of the people. Since He was tempted in that which He suffered He is able to help those who are tempted.”

Something in the nature of God required the real humanity of Jesus for Him to be our Savior. His full humanity of Jesus is every bit as important as the full deity.

1. A Mystery

“Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). ]

From the earliest days of church history large segments of the church have been unable to believe that Jesus is both God and man, and they choose one over the other.

It began with the Gnostics (100 – 200 AD) and lives today in Liberals, Unitarians and the Cults (Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses).

The fact that we cannot understand something does not mean it is not true, especially when it comes to the things that pertain to the uncreated God, something that defies all logic. We accept it by faith and sing.

“I know not how that Bethlehem’s babe can in the God head be / I only know that manger child had brought God down to me.”

This is SERIOUS business, John said of the Gnostics, “He who does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (2 Jn. 7)

Trying to explain this and we will lose our minds; deny this and we will lose our souls.”

1. His Deity Restrained

“He who thought it not robbery to be equal with God made Himself nothing by taking the nature of a servant and being made like human

beings.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

Jesus could not be everywhere at once (Omnipresence); and didn’t know everything (omniscience). It is not that He gave these up but that He chose not to do them. God is all powerful (omnipotent) Jesus did not give that up. He said no man could take His life. He laid it down. He chose not to use His divine power to fulfill God’s will and effect our salvation.

The best example is a three-legged race. Fathers and daughters make up the teams and one dad is tied to his three year old daughter. To obey the rules of the race the dad must restrain the use of his strength and abilities and accommodate himself to the strength and ability of his daughter.

But if a wild dog comes up the dad can break the rules of the race and pick his daughter up and run with her. This is what Jesus did. He took on the limitations of our humanity. But when God wanted Him to work miracles, or to escape the mobs that tried to stone Him (Jn. 10, etc) He used his omnipotence to fulfill God’s purposes in His live which was death by crucifixion.

2. His Conception (Lk. 1:34-35).

The great miracle of the Virgin CONCEPTION and BIRTH did not by-pass Mary. From the womb to the tomb He was human. We have no reason to believe Jesus was not physically connected to her like every baby is to its mother.

He had a body (Mt. 26:12); a soul (Mt. 26:38) and a spirit (Lk. 23:46). He was, “made of woman” (Gal. 4:4).

From Mary Jesus received the physical nourishments of humanity and may well have inherited some of her looks. His personality and character - who He was- however, came from God. He is called the “outshining of the inner glory of God” (Heb. 1:x)

3. Physical Nature

Luke says of the 18 years in Nazareth that He “grew physically (stature), mentally (wisdom) and spiritually (favor with God and man) (Lk. 2:52).

Apart from being sinless He appears to have had a normal childhood. He was subject His parents (Lk. 2:51) and was even criticized by them () and His brothers (Mt. 12:46; Mk. 3:21; Jn. 7:1-5).