The Humanity of Christ

The Humanity of Christ

It’s been some months ago that my heart was drawn to just simply read through the life of the Lord and just observe how he lived in his life on the earth. Just day to day and so I read through again the gospel account given to us by John. And at the same time I was reading through First John as well and so all of that sort of converged on the burden for this morning.

I want to speak about the humanity of Christ. One thing that stood out to me in my readings was the simplicity of the life of Christ and how he lived from day to day in his interaction as a man with other men there. And I guess it was about Easter that my thoughts and meditations were directed a little bit differently than perhaps we normally direct them in Easter. We usually think of that time of year and observation of that, of his passion, the events leading up to the crucifixion and particularly the crucifixion itself and his resurrection all that he did, all of his work accomplished in our behalf there. That certainly is important and that is the primary burden of that.

But this morning to introduce what the Lord has been speaking to my heart about these days and that I hope will be a blessing to your hearts as well. I want to draw our attention to Jesus Christ’s acceptance upon his ascension after his resurrection. And I just want to refer to two verses in this regard before moving on. But in John chapter 20 and verse 17 of course this is in the aftermath of his resurrection. And he makes an observation to Mary here.

Jesus saith unto her, touch me not. Now I want to highlight that the name here that she used is Jesus. We know that he has a number of titles. Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brother and say unto them, I ascend unto my father and your father and to my God and to your God.

So he is, he is, he’s mentioning he’s not yet ascended yet the emphasis is on that is ascension. The emphasis is upon my father and your father that commonality, my God and your God that commonality. And then I just want to read to you Psalm 24, a selection out of it. And we believe that this selection is what was occurring when Christ ascended.

Lift up your heads, though you gates on 24 verse 7. And be lift up, you everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

And there’s two points that I want to draw attention to out of the acceptance of Christ upon his ascensions, very clear from scripture that the father accepted his work at that point in time. There’s two points I want to draw attention to. The first is that this acceptance is God’s final stamp of approval upon the earthly life of the man Christ Jesus. This is God’s final stamp of approval on the earthly life of the man Christ Jesus. This could never have been true without the life that Christ Jesus lived. Again, we focus on the sort of culmination of that in that week, the passion we can all that happened there. But the whole life was necessary for that work to have been accomplished and been accepted, a life of abiding, a life ever animated by the Holy Spirit, a life empowered by the Holy Ghost, a life given holy over to the will of God.

And then secondly, this acceptance is the clear declaration that such a life is possible, such a life is possible, a life which is finally approved by God. It’s often, we often repeat the truth that Christ came to show us how to live, and yet we tend really to live in weakness in spite of that example. I think that it is imperative as Christians that we keep the fact that Jesus Christ is the God man in the front of our thoughts as we view his life. And consider our own lives in that light.

It’s interesting to notice that the earliest creed, written creed, the Nicene Creed, states that Christ is very God of very God, and for our salvation came down from heaven and wasn’t carnated and was made man. It’s interesting that we might think it’s repetitive why they just said he was incarnated, why would they add that he was made man? Well, because it’s very important to understand that Christ took upon himself humanity. When it comes to his life on earth, it’s very easy to slip into thinking that his life as a man was simply due to the fact that he is God incarnated. And of course, God can live a perfect life. So of course, Christ Jesus lived a perfect life because he was God and there’s this sort of recursive argument that we could get into with that. But that is to discount the fact that as that creed says, he was made man, he was made man. And if we take that position that he is God, so this explains his life, it really renders the example he said in his life utterly unattainable because we are not God. We’re not God.

Let’s just take a look at just two more passages of Scripture that emphasize this fact and Paul emphasizes this in Romans chapter 5. And in verse 15, but not as the offense, so also is the free gift for if through the offense of one, many be dead, one man, we could put in there, many be dead, much more through the grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one man Christ Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Holy Spirit moved on Paul there to emphasize that he is speaking about a man, Jesus Christ. Now, none of this is intended, of course, to minimize the fact that Christ is God. But he is also man. It’s interesting to note that the human name of Christ, the name Jesus, it was given to him at his birth, occurs approximately in 942 verses. While his title of Christ, meaning Messiah, occurs in about 532 verses, we do just a little rounding for easy math. We find out that there’s roughly a two to one ratio that for every time his formal title Christ is used, his human name Jesus is used twice. It’s very clear that the Holy Spirit wants us to consider the humanity of Christ. Not pointing this out, of course, to pit one title or name against another, but it’s very, very clear that there is an emphasis in the New Testament on his humanity. And this is crucial because this is the very point that we are able to identify with him. We can identify with God, we’re not God. We identify with men. And so if there was any hope of us identifying in that form, he had to come as a man.

Let’s take a look at Hebrews chapter 2. In Hebrews 2 and verses 16 through 17, the writer Hebrews makes an important observation for us. For verily, he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took upon him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoove to be made like unto his brethren. He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of his people.

Now we’ll come back to this a little bit later in the message, but it’s very clear that Christ was made like unto his brethren. And if we just turn while we’re there over to chapter 10 and verse 19, it’s very important verse here, one we’re very familiar with, having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. That’s not by the blood of Christ. The emphasis again is upon his humanity here, the blood of Jesus.

It’s interesting to notice that at the conclusion of the last supper Jesus makes an observation which really sums up his entire earthly life in John chapter 13 and verses 15 through 17. And he says, for I have given you an example that you should do, that you should do as I have done unto you. Verily, verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. Neither is he that is, he that sent is greater than he that sent him if he know these things, happy are ye if he do them.

Well aware that the media context of this statement is the washing of the cycle’s feet. And yet Jesus chooses the plural when he concludes. If you know these things, happy are ye if he do them referring back to his life and the example of that. The breath of this is broad and it encompasses all of his life. The English word example or familiar with that word, but it’s an instance typical of a class. So he was setting forth that which should be typical of his followers. That which should be typical of his believers. For I’ve given you an example that he should do as I have done unto you. If you know these things, happy are ye if he do them all of them. If Jesus was not true man of the same nature and constitution as us, then his life is not an example which we can detain to. But the Holy Ghost is very clear about this matter. John, he has John tell us that the word was made flesh. John won 14 and dwelt among us. And that’s a literal flesh and blood. And again, John writes in his first epistle as well, the life was manifested there. Something that’s manifested is something that is clearly revealed that the eyes and to the understanding. It’s a pattern. It’s an example. And how was the life, both the source of life and the manner of life, how life is to be lived? How was it manifest? Well, it was manifest in human form. It was manifest in the life of Jesus Christ.

There are a number of places in the Bible where the humanity of Christ is set forth. But I just want to look at two of those this morning. And we find the first one, and again, it’s in a very familiar passage to us in Philippians chapter 2. And verses 5 through 8, we probably could almost quote these from memory. Where Paul says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient on the death of the death of the cross.

This passage we’re very familiar with it in the concept of the incarnation. But it also has to do with the humanity of Christ. It begins with a Holy Spirit reminding us that Christ set forth the example which we are to follow. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. It was in just say when which was in Christ, it was in Christ Jesus. Well, very simply, the outward flows from the inward here, and all that we see in the life of Christ had to certainly do with his relationship with the Father, the mind of Christ, how he thought about those things and how he approached those things. But there are three terms or four terms here that I want to draw our attention to in this passage. He took upon him the form of a servant. Well, that word form in English is very simply appearance. He took upon him the appearance of a servant. This was his outward form, not just in the way he addressed, but this was the way he dressed and his perhaps its station in life. But this was what described him. He was made in the likeness of men. That word likeness is the representation of an object which something which is similar to another resembles something else. So he took upon him a form, a likeness which was recognizable. It was of man. It was in common with men. The book of Hebrew tells us that he did not. He just read that and did not take upon him the form of an angel. He took upon him something that would recognize him as a man. And being found in fashion as a man, fashion is, I know it has a connotation in our day, but it is in this context physical makeup or composition its form shape or appearance. So what is going on here? Everything which defines a man, Christ took upon him. When he was incarnate and took upon him, humanity, human nature. This is what makes a man recognize of a man versus a plant or an animal or something else. And the key characteristics that are mentioned here of this, that go along with this form that he took upon him are humility and obedience. He humbled himself. He became submissive, respectful, lowly in manner, not self-asserting. He became obedient, obedient unto death. And that phrase there is a life encompassing phrase all the way to death. He became obedient. Well, true obedience always follows humility and always flows from love. It’s never simply conformity to an outward law. It’s part of the nature. It’s interesting to notice that this was part of the original creation of man. And quite opposite to disobedience, which is unnatural and result of the fall, contrary to man, as he was originally created. But we see this manifest all through the life of Jesus.

Let’s take a look at two passages that certainly give a clear illustration of this. One of them early in his life in Luke chapter 2. And verse 51, and he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and favor with God. And man, it’s very clear from early in his life, these elements of humility and obedience were manifested in him. If we turn to John chapter 8, this follows him all through his life. And eventually it transfers not just to his earthly parents, but to God the Father. In John 8 and picking up in verse 28, then said Jesus unto them when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you shall know that I am He. And that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

It is his human life in human form was marked by humility and obedience. These are again, characteristics and traits that at least should be associated with humanity.

The second passage that I want to draw our attention to concerning humanity of Christ is found in Hebrews chapter 10. And this is a very important passage because it gives us some quite a bit of insight, not only into Jesus and His humanity, and before that reason into our own lives here, picking up in verse 5. Wherefore when He comeeth into the world, He say of sacrifice and offering that would is not, but a body has thou prepared me. In burn offerings and sacrifice for sin, thou hast no pleasure, then said I, lo, I come. In the volume of the book it has written to me to do thy will, O God. Above when He said sacrifice and offering, and burn offerings and offering for sin, thou would is not neither had pleasure there am, which are offered by the law, then said He, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. Take it the way first that He may establish the second.

In this passage, the Holy Spirit immediately reveals the original intention of God in creating man, very simply to do His will here. And we’re told that this is the first declaration of Christ when He came into the world, wherefore when He comeeth into the world He sayeth. Now, it’s not so much that He said verbally, but His life proclaimed this, His laying hole taking upon Him human form, taking upon a nature of man, becoming a part of humanity. He declared this matter of God’s intention in creating man, as to do His will. Sacrifice and offering, thou would is not, but a body thou hast thou prepared in. In burn offerings and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. And said, I, lo, I come and the volume of the book has written of me to do thy will, O God. And it’s important that we note that in order to underline the importance of this point, it’s immediately repeated a second time with an additional emphasis. Above when He said sacrifice and offering and burn offerings and offering for sin, thou wouldest not, either had pleasure there, to offer by the Lord. Then said, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He takeeth away the first that He may establish the second, that He is taking away the going to take away the need of repeated sacrifice and offering. In order to establish the first principle, God created a man to do His will. Certainly, I don’t have time to pursue this this morning, but there is a principle in the Bible of things that are twice established. And there’s a number of places we could go to look at that, that there’s a reemphasis of them, an underlining of them in that sense. So God’s purpose in creating man was not so that man could and would make sacrifice and offering to Him. This is certainly the natural tendency of fallen man, as in almost every false religion, the central theme being some sort of sacrifice or offering, some sort. But Christ took upon Himself the form of man in order to take away the first, sacrifice and burn offering and establish the second, the doing of the will of God. There was no altar in the Garden of Eden prior to the fall, and there were no sacrifices offered prior to the fall of man. It was not the keeping of ordinances which God desired in the man He created. The writer of Hebrews here is drawing from the words of David in Psalm 40, which is 6-8. I’ll not take time to turn there this morning, but he’s drawing upon those, those. And the Holy Spirit moves upon Him to give some additional insight into Jesus Christ and God’s intent in creating man. A body has thou preparedly. So what we’re seeing is we’re seeing that Christ came, took upon Him human form, in order to establish and show us what God created man for, how we ought to live in the light of that. So He’s now going to show us to talk to us about God’s intention in creating man. A body has thou prepared me.

I want us to take in consider the fact of Christ humanity. He took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. We’re very familiar with the creation account, Genesis, we’re told that God said, let us make man in our image. And after our likeness, Genesis chapter 1 verse 26, we’ll more light is shed on this in Hebrews 1-3, where we’re told who the Son being the brightness of His God’s glory and the express image of God’s person. So the body that created Adam was of the same likeness as that of Jesus Christ, a body thou asked, prepared me. Now someone may say to us, well, the body of Jesus was a special body. Again, falling back on that, this almost excuse that, well, Jesus Christ was God and we’re not God. So we really cannot live the life or completely live the life that He lived. But the body of Jesus, we may say, was a special body, but each body God creates is a special body. And again, we’re not seeking to minimize those unique characteristics of Christ’s body. It was unique, very clearly. It was, we’re going to see crafted for the, for the attempt and God crafted it for. But yet, every body is created with care and intent by God. When God created Adam, he reached down into the ground. The language there is very, very clear. Even in the English and more so in probably in Hebrew, he got his hands dirty. He reached down and he picked up ground. He formed man out of the dust of the ground, Genesis 2.7. And the dust there is ground that has been tilled or turned over. That suitable and ready to plant into. So this was, this was freshly tilled ground. It was fertile ground. And God picked this up and God formed. God did not speak this being into existence as he had all of us. God did something different. Totally different when he created man. This is a significant difference. The text implies that he took the ground into his hands and carefully worked it to give it shape, structure, and expression in the body of man. Now, maybe we think, well, let’s read it intuitive a bit. Well, the spirit did not move upon Moses to give us a much more detail in Genesis. But he did move upon David to do so.

Let’s take a look at Psalm 139. And let’s, we’ll just pick up in verse 13 here. Now, as we read this Psalm, we need to read it with the consciousness of the humanity of Jesus Christ. And that humanity really, his human body being really the prototype for all bodies will be created after every man that you brought into the world after that. For thou hast possessed my reigns, thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are the works that works. And that my soul, Noah, right, well, my substance was not hit from thee when I was made in secret. I want to just draw our attention to several of these words as we go through here. Substance. Substance is very simply that which exists by itself. It’s, it’s, that which is essential. It’s that which makes a thing what it is. My substance, my substance was not hit from thee. There’s a uniqueness here that David’s drawing our attention to. My, my unique substance was not hit from thee when I was made in secret. God was conscious of that. God was involved in that just like he was back in with Adam in taking the soil and forming the soil. And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Now here are some, here are a few terms that have changed in their, their meaning over time. We think of curious as something that’s, you know, that’s kind of odd. That’s kind of interesting. But in, in, in, in English at this time, it simply meant wrought with a repeating care and art. In other words, it has the idea of something that was done out of carefulness and attentiveness. Out of attentiveness. Now, if we say, well, child child’s curious, which usually because they’re giving attention to something and a lot of it. And we may be curious about a thing. And that’s the way we use the term. But here it’s, it, it’s that idea, but intentionally it’s, it’s, it’s a teniveness and care. And curiously wrought that wrought, which is malleable, something it’s malleable, but has been brought into a form. So this is, this is something that you can see God is giving attention to. He’s given great care. It, it almost implies that that this has God’s undivided attention here. This work of creating a bottle. Well, curiously wrought, occur as a phrase, that translates as single Hebrew term. And that Hebrew term is used in some other places. It lets look in Exodus 26. I think that this will give us a little bit more insight to the great care and detail. That’s, that’s what we want to draw our attention to here in the creation of a body and certainly the body of the Lord Jesus Christ becoming the, the foremost example of that. The next is 26 and verse 36. And they’ll show up, make an hanging for the door of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet. And fine twine lemon wrought with needlework.

And wrought is the term there. Brought, of course, that’s also here in Psalm 139. But I think that if you consider what it takes to wrought needlework, I’m sure that the ladies know this, this involves, you’re, you’re having to count stitches. I mean, you keep track of where you are and make sure that this thing looks right when you get done. And do you have to give your undivided attention to this? Probably you can’t sit there and do needlework, true needlework, while you’re doing something else. Well, you certainly can’t be the hands. But if your mind is not focused on it, you’ve got the attention or you’ll slip a stitch. And you won’t see that until you’re out some ways and then pull stuff out and keep going back and forth with it. And just the process there indicates the intensity of this work. My substance was not hid from the, when I was made in secret, and curiously brought in the lowest parts of the earth. There’s great care here. And we would do well to consider that great care and expenditure of mental and even physical energy involved in this. And I know that God is not primarily physical. He takes on form in Christ certainly in his humanity to come physical understanding. But we use some anthropomorphic sort of human language there. So there was a great deal involved in creation of all bodies and the body of Christ. Really all four of these English words go to great links to help us understand the intricate detail and exquisite work and art that God puts in the creation of a human body. He does not just speak it into existence. And I’m not being dismissive with that. It’s something that God could speak a word and it comes into existence. And probably if it were left us we would have just spoken man into existence too because it’s a lot more convenient to just say it and have it done. But there’s something to God taking time to actually put effort, thought and a lot of work. He doesn’t simply rely on simple biological processes. That’s not the way that God works. And the body of Christ was the prototype, the image, or the form really set forth what all others were to and will be. And that’s important here.

But there’s two other words I want to draw our attention to for coming to a conclusion this morning about this. And that’s the purposes of the creation of the body. Then I did see my substance yet being unperfect and in my book all my numbers were written. Which in continuance were fashioned when is it there was none of them. How precious are I thought something to me? This idea of a book is very important. Here is the book of each individual’s life written prior to the creation of the individual body. This is the most authoritative biography that was ever written about you by the way. There is a biography about you and it’s in heaven. It’s required to the creation of the individual body. In my book all my members were written. When is yet there was none of them? Now we certainly probably missed often think of books in heaven as first and foremost the book of life and then the book of works. Those are the two books we’re familiar with. But in Revelation 20 and verse 12 we read the books were opened and another book opened which was the book of life. So it’s clear here that there are more than two books. There is the book of life and then there are the books other books not just the book of works of our life. The Bible speaks of several books. Clearly Malachi 3.16 there’s a book of remembrance in Psalm 56.8. David speaks of a book which God has kept written about the wanderings and tears of his life. And here we read about yet another book a book in which our members were written before they came into existence. So God wrote these things now before we were born before Christ was born. In the passage we’re looking at here we see. There’s also a book which contains a design and intent of the body which God carefully fashions for each individual. This is something that we need to carefully consider this morning. Before you are conceived God had with great care great consideration great investment of thoughts. Oh God how great is the sum of them is thoughts. He had invested these things and written in a book which exists to this hour in heaven. All of his designs, plans, desires and will for your life. He did this for Christ too. Christ is the example of this. This is why we would do well to consider the humanity of Christ because we again, we identify with him there. We would do well to invest time in meditation and consideration really other profound implications of the fact that God invested individual attentive care in each of our bodies of creating them for a purpose.

Now let’s go back to Hebrews chapter 10 and see where this really ties in. This should now shed a lot of light on these two statements. Sacrificing and offering that would not. You did not want these. This is not what your original intention was for the body has now prepared in contrast to that. He prepared a body. What was the reason for that body? Well it’s emphasized this again in burn offerings and sacrifices for sin. He had some pleasure. Then said the low I come in the volume of the book. That book back there in Psalm 139 is written of me. What was God? It’s not written of me that you should offer sacrifice for sin. It’s not written of you that you should even sin. It’s not written down. It was written to do that will of God. And there was a body created that was perfect for that purpose of doing the will of God. And Christ becomes our example in this. He is our example. And it is possible to live a light that will be accepted by God as He was. He did not live His life. And it’s an exultment acceptance simply because he was God. And He had that power because He was God incarnate. And He lived that life perfectly in accordance with what was written in the book of His life. He fulfilled the will of God. That will was redemption of man. That’s very important. But it was the will of God just so God has a will for everyone of us. And He was equipped to do that will, that unique will. But so are we. So all the way back there when we were first conceived. There’s not this wedge between us and the man Christ Jesus that wedge being what He was God. He was God. But that’s not an excuse that doesn’t divorce us from being able to follow His example.

I want to conclude with just a few other thoughts. The Christian life is above all else one of deliberate and willful action. Holy Spirit empowered action, but action nonetheless. In John 1.12 we’re told, but as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God. Now what does the Son of God well, just look at Jesus. He is the first begotten. That’s the first in order. He is the elder brother. That’s where that term comes from. To them gave He the power to become that, to become the sons of God. Even to them that believe on His name. The verb here become in this verse is in both the English and the underlying Greek by the way. In the active voice, the common is active. We all know what the active voice verbs mean. They describe the subject as performing the action there. That’s important. Here’s the declaration in this verse is the declaration of the fact of the potential. But as many as received Him to them gave He the power to become sons of God. And the realization of that potential is contingent not upon the power and strength of the believing one, not in ourselves. But it is contingent upon the will of the believing one. We have the power in the form of the indwelling spirit of God, but the question becomes will we do? Well, we lay hold of that. The power is not at all in question. It’s given at the moment of receiving. As many as received Him to them gave He the power. We don’t have it of ourselves. It’s not, it is within ourselves in the person of the spirit of God. The question really becomes a question of will. Will we follow the example of the life of Christ? Well, you’ll remember the words of the Lord to that Father in Mark 9:23, thou can’t believe all things are possible to Him. And that belief.

When my sons were young and were working on something, I would ask them possibly to go and get a screwdriver from my toolbox. And whatever one wouldn’t hesitate. They would just be seen as to head out the door to find the screwdriver. They didn’t argue about the existence of the screwdriver, didn’t argue about the concept of the screwdriver, and whether you could understand what the screwdriver was, and what exactly it looked like in functionality. That sort of thing, but they immediately ran to whichever one and just brought it back. Why? They just believed the screwdriver is going to be there. And what they did was they acted on that belief, acted on that belief, they engaged their will, and they went and did that. And they returned with it, having found that that belief was well grounded in the very act of the will respond to that. This is exactly and simply how Christ lived as human life among men. And this is exactly and simply how God desires and expects us to live our redeemed life among men. There is all the difference in the world between us and Christ. We’re not God. But there is no difference if you understand in the context of what we said this morning, between Jesus and us in humanity. God equipped him very carefully, gave him exactly what he needed to do and to live. And he did that and God accepted that, he announced that. He accomplished the will of God, he lived his life, all of his, all of it from his youth forward. And the same resource has been given to us to live in accordance with that example. And really just more than down to will, will we? Will we lay hold of that and do that? Maybe the objection might be raised, another objection, he had an innocent nature of our Son. But here we would need to look, in echo the words of Paul, in Romans chapter 5 verse 20, but we’re sinned about it, grace did much more about it.

So it’s not an excuse. It becomes opportunity for even greater manifestation of the power of God, and the life bringing into good formity to the life and character of Christ. May the Lord help us this morning to spend more time meditate upon the fact that Christ was a man. He took up on him real, it was real, yeah, it was tangible, but it was real in every other way. It’s like us. And there ought to be a great deal of encouragement in that for our hearts and our lives.

Father, we thank you for your word this morning. Thank you for the simplicity of it. The pray Lord, do you help us not to overcomplicate things and, Lord, not to allow the enemy of our soul to use the fact that Christ Jesus is God. We believe that, 100%, but to use that fact, to discourage us in our desire and pursuit, to have the character and image of your Son work in our lives to become sons of God. That’s a real possibility. Pray, Lord, that you will help us to pursue this thing for all of our hearts and may we one day be able to stand before you and have a life that is acceptable before you believe that’s possible. And we ask these things of Jesus name. Amen.