Emmanuel: The True Man

Emmanuel: The True Man

Luke 3:23–38 ESV

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

In Luke's genealogy today, Luke seeks to make a point, see if you can catch it in the last verse.

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Did you catch it? It's a theme of Luke's throughout Luke and Acts. That Jesus came for everyone (and a sub-theme is that Jesus came especially for the lowest people). Specifically though, that Jesus came as a human being. He stepped down into frail humanity to be like us so that he could relate to us and to our struggle and save us.

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Or John's gospel puts it this way:

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The early church had a saying that they repeated in trying to flesh out some of this doctrine of understanding who Christ is and how to balance his human nature with his divine nature and to defend against heresy.

(Aside- doctrine doesn't save you, but it's awfully important ().)

But the saying that they had was:

"What Christ had not assumed He could not redeem."

Men by definition have a human nature, and if Christ does not, then there is no way He can be the example for mankind. But he can't be JUST a man, because if he was, then his perfect life and sacrificial death is only applicable to one person. He needs eternality to redeem all of creation. And so the early creeds were very careful to say the Jesus was 100% man and 100% divine and in these two statements, there is no contradiction.

"What Christ had not assumed He could not redeem." This is a very important statement for our salvation. If Christ was not a human, he could not redeem humans. Hebrews puts it this way:

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And Jesus is just what we've been waiting for. 100% God and 100% man. Do you remember what Job cried out when he was suffering?

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And later:

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And is indeed, something that Job predicted:

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(Aside- Job wasn't wrong saying that he was being punished for no reason. God was angry with his friends. God sidesteps Job's accusations).

But it's so important to remember that What Christ has not assumed, he cannot redeem."

So we have a God who stepped down to us. He lived among us. He wasn't immune to the stench of fallenness that encompasses the whole earth and us.

Jesus was tempted (says Hebrews).

Jesus got sick.

Jesus experienced weakness.

Jesus experienced deep sadness (Johan 11.35).

Jesus experienced fear.

Jesus experienced deep stress.

Jesus was betrayed.

Jesus bled (by his stripes we are healed).

Jesus felt abandoned by God (Mat....

And like we will, Jesus tasted death.

And so, when you're tempted, when you're sick, when you're weak, when you're melancholy, when you're afraid, when you're stressed, when you're betrayed, when you bleed, and when you feel abandoned by God cry out to the one who can understand. Who lived with the holy spirit in him, who was himself, a member of the trinity and yet, still cried "eloi eloi, lamba sabacthani". You are not alone. Jesus came in the flesh to redeem you. To purchase you. To know you. To love you.