THE HUMANITY OF JESUS CHRIST
I. BIBLICAL EVIDENCE
A. JESUS HAD A HUMAN BIRTH.
Luke 1:35, And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy- the Son of God.
Gal 4:4, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law."
B. JESUS HAS A HUMAN BODY
1. He grew.
Luke 2:40, “And the child [Jesus] grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him.”
Luke 2:52, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
2. He experienced physical limitations
Matthew 4:2, “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
John 19:28, “I am thirsty”
John 4:6, “Jesus, tired as he was, sat down by the well.”
Luke 23:26, “And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.”
John 19:34, “But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.”
Luke 23:46, Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.
3. His body was sensed and experienced by others
1 John 1:1, "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life"
4. Jesus had, and still has, a physical body after his resurrection
Luke 24:39, "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."
Luke 24:42-43, "They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them."
John 20:17, Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God."'
John 20:25-27, So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing."
**Jesus ascended with his resurrected human body and remains in this state forever.
Luke 24:50-51, "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven."
Acts 1:9-11, "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
C. JESUS HAS A HUMAN MIND:
Mark 13:32, "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."
Luke 2:52, "And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."
Heb 5:8-9, "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation."
D. JESUS WAS TEMPTED:
Luke 4:1-2, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”
Heb 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.”
THE SINLESSNESS OF JESUS
John 8:29, “I always do what is pleasing to him”
John 15:10, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
John 8:46, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?”
1 Peter 2:22, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
2 Cor 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 John 3:5, “And in him [Jesus] is no sin.”
Heb 4:15, “[he] has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.”
Heb 7:26, ”one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.”
E. JESUS HAD A HUMAN RELIGIOUS LIFE:
Fellowship/Community/Worship
Luke 4:16, "And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read."
Luke 2:41-42, “Now his parents wentto Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.And when he was twelve years old,they went up according to custom.”
John 2:13, “The Passover of the Jews was at hand, andJesus went up to Jerusalem.”
John 5:1, “After this there was afeastof the Jews, andJesuswent up to Jerusalem.”
John 7:14, “About the middle of the feastJesuswent up into the temple and began teaching”
John 7:37, “On the last day of thefeast, the great day,Jesusstood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”
Matthew 26:25, “At that hourJesussaid to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in thetempleteaching, and you did not seize me.”
Mark 11:27, “And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in thetemple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him,”
Baptism
Mark 3:21, “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened”
Prayer
Mark 6:45-46, "Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray."
Luke 6:12, “One of those daysJesuswent out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the nightprayingto God.”
Scripture
Matt 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”
His Religious Life Was Real
Heb 5:7, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
F. JESUS WAS PERCEIVED BY OTHER PEOPLE TO BE A MAN:
Matt 13:54-57, “Coming to his hometown, [Jesus] began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offense at him.”
G. SCRIPTURE CALLS JESUS A MAN:
(Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:16; 6:12; 22:44; Mark 1:35; 6:45-46; 14:36).
Matt 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”
· JESUS WILL BE A MAN FOREVER
Jesus did not give up his human nature after his resurrection.
Acts 1:11, They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
Acts 9:5, And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting."
1 Cor 9:1, "Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?"
1 Cor 15:8, "and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also."
Rev 1:13, "and in the middle of the lamp stands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. "
Heb 7:25, "Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
1 Tim 2:5, "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
Jesus’ divine nature was permanently united to his human nature and he lives forever as the God/Man, the risen incarnate Son of God.
THE PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST
A. Jesus reveals the nature of true humanity to us.
B. Human nature (in all its dimensions, both material and immaterial) is, by definition, good.
Gen 1:31, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
1 Tim 6:17, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”
C. The incarnation is necessary for Jesus’ representative obedience for us.
Rom 5:18-19, “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life to all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
D. The death of Jesus can truly avail for us as a substitute sacrifice.
Heb 2:17, “For this reason [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”
E. Jesus’ incarnation was necessary for him to be a mediator between God and man.
1 Tim 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
F. Jesus’ incarnation was necessary for him to be our example and pattern and model in life.
1 John 2:6, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
1 Pet 2:21, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
G. Jesus’ incarnation was necessary for him to be our sympathetic high priest.
Heb 2:18, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
Heb 4:15-16, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
EARLY HERESIES DENYING THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST
1. DOCETISM: Denies the humanity of Christ. The divine Logos was not truly human. He only appeared to be human.
Fundamental to all forms of Gnosticism is:
A radical separation between flesh (matter) and spirit. Matter is inherently evil. Spirit is inherently good. Salvation is achieved by knowledge (gnosis); mental enlightenment. This dualism had three results:
(A) Our moral lives, lived in the body, became a matter of either indifference, extreme asceticism, or licentiousness.
(B) Religions became separated from history and became purely philosophical.
(C ) The incarnation of Jesus Christ was viewed to be impossible.
2. APOLLINARIANISM: Denied the fullness of the humanity of Christ by denying that he had a “rational spirit.” (Constantinople, 381AD)