Mark 2:1-12 And
when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at
home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even
at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they
came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not
get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when
they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And
when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are
forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there,
questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like
that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And
immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within
themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say,
‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that
the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the
paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And
he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that
they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like
this!”
Matthew,
Mark, and Luke seemed to be in agreement that this event was the first time
that Jesus used the term Son of Man to describe himself. In fact, it appears
that Son of Man is the term Jesus preferred. I believe he did this because he
wanted it understood that he was totally identified with humanity. The Bible
teaches us that Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and
will be so forever. There is a massive amount of scriptural evidence to support
this truth. We are going to look at several different passages of Scripture
that teach us about the humanity of Jesus. Next week we will look at the
divinity of Jesus and the following week how the two natures combined in one.
How
do we know Jesus was human? Does his humanity make any difference? How should his
being human affect me? It is difficult to know exactly what order all this
should be in. So, I will just take it as it comes to mind and pray that God
sorts it out for each one of you who listen or who read this message.
Jesus
was born of a human mother. We have read this passage a number of
times because I believe it is very important to understanding who Jesus was and
how he came into the world. Listen while I read Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent
forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem
those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
At the right time God sent
forth his Son. And then the words are added “born of a woman”. How might Jesus
have come into the world? Some have suggested that God could have had Jesus
simply appear on the scene in a fully adult body. That simplistic approach
misses several things that are very important biblically. First of all, in
Genesis 3:15 we are told that the “seed of the woman” would ultimately destroy
the serpent. In order to fulfill that prophecy Christ had to be born of a
woman. Second, Jesus had to have been born of a woman in order to unite
humanity with divinity. Jesus was protected from fallen human nature because he
had no human father descended from Adam. From Mary he received his humanity and
from the Holy Spirit he received his deity. Without this his death on the cross
would have been meaningless. We must remember that Jesus was born of a human
mother and…
Jesus
had a human body. Throughout the Gospels there is adequate
evidence that Jesus had a fully functioning human body. We are told that he
grew in stature and in favor with God and man. Growth in stature would require
a fully human body that changed over the years. Jesus had human limitations in
that he was hungry, thirsty and tired at various times. The greatest evidence
that he had a human body is the fact that he died on the cross. If he was
somehow pretending to be human he would have had to pretend to be dead. While
that might answer the concerns of some critics it certainly doesn’t fit with
our biblical understanding. After his resurrection from the dead he showed them
evidence of his fully functioning human body. This recorded in Luke 24:36-43. As
they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said
to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they
saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and
why do doubts arise in your hearts? 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.” And when he had said this, he
showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy
and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave
him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before
them.
Earlier, he had appeared
physically to Mary and then to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In this
scene Jesus, knowing their questions, proved his humanity by asking them to
touch him and look at his scars. Then he added the question, “Have you anything
here to eat?” Later, he would meet with them at the seashore and cook a meal
for them. All of this proves that his body was, and still is, fully human.
Not only was Jesus born of a
woman having a fully functioning human body but also…
Jesus
had a human mind. I’m sure that Luke wrote a lot of his gospel
based on the memories of Mary, Jesus’ human mother. These words found in Luke 2:52 would surely have been from
her. And
Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Jesus increased in wisdom
and that tells us that he had mental limitations based on his humanity because
he had to “grow up” in knowledge. He had to learn to walk and talk. He had to
learn how to read and write as well as how to be obedient to his parents. I’m
afraid we don’t think very much about this period in Jesus’ life because we are
told very little but Scripture is very clear that that was exactly what
happened. We have no idea when Jesus became aware that he was more than just a
man but it happened at or before his 12th birthday. At that time he
stayed behind in the Temple because it was his “Father’s house”. So surely he
knew and understood a great deal about who he was by that time. But he still
had to acquire knowledge the same way we do through study and experience.
Jesus was born of a
woman, having a fully functioning human body, and he also had a human mind. To
go with all that…
Jesus
had human emotions. There are many examples that show us Jesus’
human emotions. Probably the clearest picture is found in John 11:33-38. Jesus has arrived at the tomb of his friend,
Lazarus, John tells us what happened when he saw Lazarus’ sister. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had
come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly
troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to
him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See
how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of
the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus,
deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against
it.
When Jesus witnessed the
mourners at Lazarus’ funeral he was deeply moved and greatly troubled. There is
no explanation in John’s Gospel as to exactly why Jesus was moved and troubled.
It might have been the fact that he was going to call Lazarus back from heaven
to earth. However I believe his love for Lazarus caused him to experience the
same emotions as the other people were experiencing around him.
We know that he felt
compassion on the crowds when they were hungry or tired. We know that he expressed
some level of frustration when he said things like, “O
faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you?”
Jesus was born of a
woman, having a fully functioning human body, and he also had a human mind. Without a doubt Jesus
had human emotions but unlike us Jesus had no sin of his own. In fact…
Jesus
was sinless. There are a number of scripture passages we
can turn to in support of Jesus’ spiritual perfection. Since this is such an
important concept I want to read several of them. First, Hebrews 4:15, For we do not have a high priest who is unable
to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been
tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Our
high priest, Jesus Christ, can sympathize with us because he was tempted as we
are. At the same time, our high priest, Jesus Christ, was without sin. Now
let’s look at 1 Peter 1:17-19. And if
you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds,
conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing
that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers,
not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood
of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. We were ransomed with the precious blood of
Christ. Since he had no sin of his own he could become sin for us and be the
Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Further in 1 Peter 2:22 we
find these words He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in
his mouth. No sin
and no deceit was found in him. And then John wrote in 1 John 3:5 You
know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
Jesus could take away sins
because in him there was no sin.
I have heard someone argue
that surely Jesus must have sinned because he became angry in the Temple when
he found it turned into a place of merchandise and a den of thieves. Remember,
he overturned the money changer’s tables and took a whip and drove the
livestock out of the Temple area. I have no doubt that Jesus was angry but that
was not sin. Paul wrote to the Ephesians that we could be angry and sin not.
There are a great many things in life that should cause us to be angry. I’m
afraid that we are too insensitive to the concept of right and wrong today.
When we do get angry it is usually about the wrong thing and at the right time
we fail to get angry.
Jesus was born of a woman,
having a fully functioning human body, and he also had a human mind. Without a doubt Jesus
had human emotions but unlike us Jesus had no sin of his own. In fact, Jesus
was sinless so that he could take our sins on our behalf. You see…
Jesus’
humanity allowed him to represent us. Since the wages of sin is
death mankind is desperately in need of a representative to stand before God on
our behalf. Adam was the representative head of the human race and his sin
falls on us all. Listen while I read Romans
5:17-19. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death
reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of
grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man
Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so
one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For
as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one
man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Death reigned through the
sin of one man our ancient ancestor, Adam. When Nicodemus came to Jesus by
night he was told that he had to be “born again”. You see, we are all born wrong!
Spiritually, all mankind are born dead having inherited from Adam a sin nature
and then having our own trespasses and sins. Adam was the representative head
of the human race. We need to be removed from the spiritual lineage of Adam and
brought into the spiritual lineage of Jesus Christ. One trespass led to
condemnation for all men. The many were made sinners by Adam’s disobedience and
the many will be made righteous by the obedience of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was born of a woman,
having a fully functioning human body, and he also had a human mind. Without a doubt Jesus
had human emotions but unlike us Jesus had no sin of his own. In fact Jesus was
sinless so he could take our sins on our behalf. Jesus’ humanity allowed him to
represent us but more than that…
Jesus’
humanity allowed him to be a substitute for us. In
order to deliver us from sin Jesus needed to become our substitute. Listen
while I read Hebrews 2:16-18. For
surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he
might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered
when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Now there’s a lot going on
in this passage. I don’t begin to have enough time to unpack it all. Suffice it
to say that the writer of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
chooses not to say, “he helps the offspring of Adam”, and instead says, “he
helps the offspring of Abraham”. Abraham is the father of all those who come to
God by faith. Jesus came into the world to pay the price for the sin of all
those who are saved by grace through faith. Jesus’ humanity did what his deity
could not do — he identified with us so completely that he could become our
substitute. Praise God that is true! Jesus turned away God’s wrath over the
sins of the people so that we could come to him in faith for salvation. That’s
what propitiation means! Turning away the wrath of God. God is pure and holy
and cannot look on sin. Man cannot stand in the presence of God without some
kind of protection. Jesus became our protector to stand between us and the
righteous frown of the Father. There is an old folk hymn that teaches this
truth for us. It goes like this:
What
wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul, what wondrous love is this, O my
soul! What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the
dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, to bear the dreadful curse for my
soul!
When
I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down, when I was sinking down,
sinking down; when I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown, Christ
laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul, Christ laid aside his crown for
my soul!
And
when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, and when from death I’m
free, I’ll sing on! And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,
throughout eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, and through eternity I’ll sing
on!
It is amazing to think that
the creator of the universe came to represent us and to become our substitute.
Jesus’ humanity made that possible. That allows us to have salvation rather
than condemnation. But the benefits of his humanity doesn’t end with salvation
it goes on into the Christian life…
Jesus’
humanity allowed him to be our Mediator. This passage of Scripture
is filled with meaning. I’ll unpack part of it. Listen while I read 1 Timothy 2:5. For
there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus,
That there is one God is
pretty easy to understand. And the separation between God and man is so great
that we have a need for someone to stand between us. This is not just for salvation
but for everyday needs. A mediator is someone who is able to understand both
parties in a situation and interpret to each of them what the other thinks or
feels. Jesus, who had from eternity past been face-to-face with God the Father,
came to the earth in human form, and as Paul wrote to the Philippians, humble
himself to the point of death even death on a cross. He came to represent us,
to be our substitute and he lives today to be our mediator. During the days
long before Christ’s birth, Job recognized this need when he said, “There is no arbiter between us, who might
lay his hand on us both.” But later he would say, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the
earth”. Faith tells us that Jesus ever lives to make intercession on our
behalf before the throne of God. We cannot come to God in our own righteousness
but we can come with our mediator and dressed in his righteousness make our
appeal before God. Please note that Jesus is called “the man Christ Jesus”. He lived eternally with the Father and now
lives forever after as a man in a resurrection body. There’s so much more I
would like to share with you. Suffice it to say that when he appears we shall
be like him. Meanwhile…
Jesus’
humanity allows him to sympathize with us. Listen while I read Hebrews 4:15-16. For we
do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us
then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
It is tremendously
encouraging to know that God, and Jesus Christ, is able to sympathize with our
weaknesses. The strongest of us suffer from weaknesses that we really cannot
control. We may hide our weaknesses or cover them with excuses but that is
never enough to meet God’s conditions.
We have a high priest who
lived on the earth as a man. He was born of a human mother the same as we were.
He grew up in a working-class home and worked with his hands for at least 20
years. He was tempted more than we ever could be because he never gave in to
the first temptation. He knows by experience everything that we go through and
stands before the Father on our behalf sympathizing with our weaknesses. This
allows us to have confidence when we come before the throne of grace in prayer.
We know that with such a mediator we will receive mercy and find grace to help
in time of need.
It is amazing to think of the fact that Jesus did not
give up his human body after his death and resurrection. When he appeared to
his disciples, even though he was in a resurrection body, he looked as he did
before except for the print of the nails in his hands and the scars on his back
and side. When he ascended into heaven, after spending some 40 days with his
disciples on earth, he ascended in bodily form so that they could see that his
resurrected human body went into heaven with him. I praise God that Jesus’
incarnation, including his death and resurrection, was not some kind of
charade. Jesus did not temporarily become man instead his divine nature was
permanently united to his human nature. Have you put your faith and trust in
him? Today is the day of salvation!
All
scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version.
2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
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