Jesus Can Relate to Us

Introduction:

Emmanuel means “God with us”. (Isaiah 7:14)

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Common around Christmas time to focus on birth of Jesus!

I realized: many different facets of meaning around this amazing event.

Going to discuss weekly: attributes of G’s char. that ult. affect our lives today! RN.

Jesus was an Everyman; a ‘Nobody’ in Culture’s eyes!

Jesus blended in; he was unassuming — not at first glance anyway; or not on the outside.

If you got to know elem/teenage JC… prob. s’thing diff. about him… couldn’t quite put finger on it.

Who knows what HE knew about his destiny—don’t know how much he knew & when!

Acc. to Luke, by 12yr., he had a good idea of His lineage & purpose.

Luke 2:48–49 “[Mary asked]: “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” Jesus asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?””

While we don’t know

From the outside looking in, Jesus didn’t stand out as different! (Isaiah 53:2)

Mary & Jo likely fairly poor. Super average, unassuming in society

Nazareth wasn’t particularly notable town; Nathaniel certainly didn’t think so! (John 1)

Isa. prophesied:

Isaiah 53:2 “[Messiah] grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”

Isa. says that Messiah might even be a bit UGLY?! Feels disrespectful…

Based on his pedigree, social status, looks, Jesus wouldn’t have been seen as special:

Jesus (Yehoshua/Yeshua) was relatively common name in 1c. Palestine

Used last name “of Nazareth” to disting.; Barabbas [surn.] likely also named Jesus

So even his name didn’t make him a shoo-in!

Family didn’t believe; seemed too ‘ordinary’ to be Messiah.

Others shocked (Mk 6; Mt 13) that "the carpenter/’s son" would be anything special.

At his arrest, Judas had to kiss the guy they were after; JC blended in!

Jesus came out of relative obscurity into the limelight (at appt’d time)!

Like to think of Jesus as floating across the floor or glowing slightly; perfect skin, never got sick…

But in reality, the incarnation shows us that: Jesus, while also God, >>

Jesus Relates to Us…

It’s amazing that the God of all creation can relate to us humans! Amazing statement without even getting further into specifics.

A truth that we have to wrestle with is this: Jesus was fully human.

Philippians 2:7 NET [Christ] emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.

NET Note on vv.7— The expression the likeness of men… implies that [He has] a form that does not necessarily correspond to reality… Here the meaning is[]: Jesus looked like other men (note anthrōpoi), but was in fact different from them in that he did not have a sin nature.

One thing rlly like about ‘Chosen’ is how relatable they make Jesus out to be.

Have to hold his divinity & humanity in tension… BOTH are true! ‘Chosen’ does a pretty good job of that.

First way that JC could relate to us (avg. human) is… >>

with His Relationships

JC wasn’t just pretending to befriend these PUNY mortals

He wasn’t constantly “I am above you so you’re not worth my time."

Jesus lives a fully relational human life. He befriends, teaches, confronts, and entrusts Himself to others.

Had Friends:

John 11:5 “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”

No word on how they became friends, how they knew ea. other: healing? schooling? marketplace meeting?

He regularly stayed at their house just several miles from temple/Jerus.

PONTIFICATE abt their relationship

He also called His disciples friends.

John 15:15 “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

God had a plan that was relational in nature.

In fact, how revelation works in God’s economy; revealed to those he cares about!

JC didn’t just have friends he liked to hang with…

Depended on Others:

Luke 8:1–3 “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases… These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”

He receives support, hospitality, and companionship!

DYK: JC got financial support from rich women whose lives changed by Him?!?

Where get $ to help ppl, papyrus for writing, meals for disc.??

Not too proud to accept donations, even from women!

Jesus was a friend to others, received support from them, and even faced betrayal by one of his closest friends.

Faced conflict & betrayal:

How many ever been stabbed in back by friend? Some1 disapp. you? felt betrayed?

Guess what? God of universe can relate to that feeling… in most human way!

Mark 14:18 “While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”” See also John 13

JC experiences misunderstanding, denial, & abandonment; real deep relational pain.

PONTIFICATE about betrayal, facing that in real life

S’times it feels like God is so far away or distant or removed from our XP. “He wouldn’t let this happen if he didn’t know… XYZ”

Hwvr

The Son who eternally lives in relationship chooses human community—inviting others into the love He shares with the Father.

The Creator relates to His creation through deep human connection; risky, worth it!

Another particularly relatable human experience for our savior was >>

with His Emotions

Jesus’ emotions reveal a human heart perfectly attuned to the Father’s will.

Compassion:

Mercy wells up in Him when He sees the brokenness of the flock.

This layers over our first pt. a bit.

Jesus wasn’t cold & distant and unrelatable. He saw emotion in others & his own emotions responded to them with mercy!

Matthew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

compassion Gk. σπλαγχνιζομαι; relating to your guts, deep innermost parts of us yearn

Jesus could relate to human emotions & responded to them appropriately

Jesus also experienced >>

Grief:

A favorite verse to mem’ze in kidsmin or youth was…

John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”

Standing by the tomb of his friend he cared about deeply, John tells so simply that he wept.

This verse is easily preachable.

You see (amazing): Jesus knew that, moments, hours later, going to raise Laz from dead. And yet…

He mourned the idea of death & loss.

Jesus mourned as his friends did.

Jesus wept because he was legit. sad that a friend had died.

Jesus experienced the full range of human emotion: compassion, grief, joy & anguish.

Anguish:

Before Jesus’ awful death on the cross, he fought a great emotional battle

Mark 14:34 ““My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.””

Gethsemane reveals fear, distress, and honest prayer before the Father.

Knew what was to come: was afraid, grappling with, wrestling w. the coming torture

He even asks the Father for a different way.

The Son feels before the Father and in the Spirit—human emotion taken up into divine communion.

this makes Him relatable in a new way; a human way.

When we feel our worst, God can relate to us on personal lvl.

with His Temptations

In a surprisingly relatable experience, script. tells us that Jesus faced temptations!

The devil didn’t give Jesus a break when it came to trials.

Jesus’ temptations show real vulnerability and real resistance. He does not bypass human struggle; He overcomes & redeems it!

In the Wilderness:

Matthew 4:1–2 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”

“Led by the Spirit”, this was the plan: that Jesus faced a trial in this way.

God allowed this temptation to happen SO THAT Jesus could overcome it

See how He prepared himself? He fasted and was alone with God… for >a month!

Something already discussed was another tempt. >>

Gethsemane Revisited:

In the garden, facing the forek'ge of a great tortuous sacrif, Jesus is tempted yet again:

He’s tempted to give it up and scrap the plan bc it’ll hurt too much.

Luke 22:42 ““Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.””

BTW: we MUST believe that JC could’ve made the choice and given in/up… or else it was just theatrics & really meant nothing!

In the garden, the temptation to avoid suffering meets surrendered trust: “Not my will, but yours.”

Auth. HEB gives us an application.

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

Because Jesus relatably endured temptation & overcame, it’s possible for you and I to endure such trials and challenges… and overcome with His help!

What’s weird: >>

We Can Relate to Jesus

Jesus is our Perfect Example!

1 Thessalonians 1:6 “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”

He makes the Bible PERSONAL; RELATABLE

Even if you can’t understand something, you can look at the life/words of Jesus.

Greek Gods un-relatable (or relatable in the worst ways)

We can relate to him.

Jesus Empowers our Obedience & Strength

“Because Jesus overcame, we can too… with His help!”

“Because Jesus obeyed God, we can too… with His help!”

Jesus’ obedience was relational, not robotic. Tied to WANTing to do what was right to honor His relationship.

Jesus’ humanity is not a temporary costume but a sacred dwelling.

He feels with us.

He struggles as us.

He loves among us.

All of it unfolds within the life of the Trinity:

the Son, trusting the Father,

walking in the Spirit,

showing us what truly human life looks like when God is at the center.