Earlier this week, we touched on the beautiful gift of Jesus’ humanity displayed to His disciples (and us) right before Jesus calmed the hurricane over the Sea of Galilee. Today, His humanity is our focus.
Ebionism is the view many religions hold (including some so-called Christian religions) that says Jesus was a wise man but not God. A less held belief is Docetism, or the belief that Jesus was fully God but not fully man or only partially man is an unbiblical concept that pervades religions like Hinduism where they acknowledge that Jesus is divine, but merely a god among many. They do not believe that Jesus could be fully God and fully man and certainly don’t believe Jesus as both God and man would be capable of atoning for our sins. Even though it is not as widespread as Ebionism, the Docetism belief is still one that we must guard our minds from. We must consider why Jesus’ humanity is of the utmost importance. Galatians 4:4-5 provides one of the many reasons:
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Only human beings are “born under the law of God”. Angels and animals are not born under the same law given to mankind. Therefore, only a human being “born under the law” can redeem mankind’s transgressions against God. However, no human being could ever be justified in God’s sight by their own merit and efforts or keeping of the law and God clearly lets u know in Scripture that those who rely on such works are in bondage and they condemn themselves to spiritual death (“under a curse”). It is “by faith” that we are free from the condemnation of the law, and the object of that faith is Jesus Christ, who was the only human being who perfectly kept the law.
“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:10-11)
Leviticus 17:11 and Hebrews 9:22 gives us another reason Jesus’ humanity is so important — blood for blood. The shedding of blood was required for the remission of sins. In the old covenant, animal sacrifices atoned for sins. Although it was acceptable at time as a foreshadowing of Christ, animal blood is not sufficient for the remission of sins forever — human blood must be shed to atone for human sins permanently (Hebrews 10:4). And Jesus Christ, being the perfect, spotless Lamb was the only human being to be a sufficient sacrifice, so perfect indeed that His blood was sufficient to atone for the sins of mankind for all eternity. Hebrews 4:15 also tells us that God had to simultaneously be Man in order to empathize with those He would redeem, as well as, be tempted as Man yet remain sinless. This is what made Jesus the all-sufficient, blameless sacrificial Lamb who went to The Cross for you and for me.
If you’d like further supplemental reading about this, check out this article: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-can-jesus-be-god-and-man
Questions to ask yourself:
- How does your heart feel when you think of the wonderful truth of Jesus being fully God and fully man?
- Is this truth something that will fuel your worship of God?
Prayer Prompt:
Praise Jesus for His humanity and His deity!