On Jesus Christ: The Humanity of Jesus

THE HUMANITY OF JESUS1 Of the life and work of Jesus, the apostle John said, "Even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written" (John 21:25). “Much necessarily remains inscrutable in the person of Christ. The problem [for the student of Scripture] is not to understand completely, but to state the facts revealed in Scripture in such a way as to do full honor to the person of Christ.” – John F. Walvoord 1) The Humanity of Jesus is ________________________________________________ Jesus was as much man as if he had never been God. a) He had human ___________________ 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. (Lk 1:31) ii) 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (Ga 4:4) i) b) He had a human ____________________________________________. i) Body (1) 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. (Mt 26:12) ii) Soul (1) 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” (Mt 26:38) (2) 27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. (Jn 12:27) iii) Spirit (1) 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? (Mk 2:8) (2) 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Lk 23:46) c) He ___________________ a man. i) To the Samaritan woman, He looked like a man who was Jewish (1) 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. (Jn 4:9) 1 This outline is adapted from H.L. Willmington, The Doctrine of Christ, unpublished paper. ii) To the Jews, He looked like a man who was under 50 (1) 57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” (Jn 8:57) iii) To Mary Magdalene, He looked like a man who had a mortal body (1) 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” (Jn 20:15) d) He possessed _____________________________ i) 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Heb 2:14) e) He developed _________________________________ i) 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Lk 2:52) f) He ___________________________________ i) “And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46). g) He was _____________________________________ Here it should be pointed out that this limitation was self-imposed (see The Kenosis later in this outline.) i) According to Philippians 2:5-8, Christ voluntarily abstained from using (yet always retained) certain divine attributes while here on earth, that he might totally depend upon the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. This fact helps explain the following passages: (1) 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” (Mk 5:30) (2) 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” (Jn 11:34) (3) 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. (Mk 11:13) (4) 32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mk 13:32) h) He ________________ (1) 35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. (Mk 1:35) (a) "Though as God he was prayed to, as man he prayed." – Matthew Henry (2) 1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (Lk 11:1) i) He was _________________ 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Mt 4:1) ii) 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Heb 2:18) iii) 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Heb 4:15) i) j) He learned ______________________ i) 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Heb 5:8) k) He experienced _______________________________________ i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. (Mt 4:2) 18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. (Mt 21:18) 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” (Jn 4:7) 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” (Jn 19:28) 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. (Jn 4:6) 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. (Mt 8:24) l) He experienced ___________________ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (Mk 10:21) ii) 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (Mt 9:36) i) 21 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. (Mk 3:5) iv) “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). v) 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, (Lk 19:41) vi) 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. (Lk 10:21) iii) m) He experienced _____________________________________________ i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. (Jn 11:33) 27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. (Jn 12:27) 21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” (Jn 13:21) 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” (Mk 14:33–34) “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). 1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, (1 Pe 4:1) n) He _____________ i) 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (Jn 19:34) o) He ____________ 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. (Mt 27:50) ii) 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (1 Co 15:3) i) 2) The Humanity of Jesus is ________________________________ (Divine Emptying) One of the most profound theological passages in the entire Bible is found in Philippians 2:5-11. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself (Gr. keno’oh) of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php 2:5–11) Jesus was already fully God prior to the Incarnation. When Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb, deity was not being added to humanity, humanity was being added to deity. The Kenosis provides some explanation of how Jesus’ humanity functioned in relation to His deity. He made himself (v.7) (1) The Greek word translated as made in Philippians 2:7 is keno’oh and means “to empty.” Just what did Christ empty himself of? (a) _____________________ (what He did not do) (i) He did not lay aside any attributes of His deity, in the sense that He _______________________________ those attributes. (ii) He _________________________ shall be the complete Son of God. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (Jn 1:1) 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2 Co 4:4) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Col 1:15) 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; (Col 2:9) 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8) 6 “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. (Mal 3:6) (Yahweh, the revealed name of God that is often translated as LORD, is repeatedly attributed to Jesus in the New Testament: Is 40:3 quoted in Mt 3:3; Joel 2:32 quoted in Rom. 10:9-13; Is 45:23-24 quoted in Php 2:9-11; Is 8:12-13 quoted in 1 Pet. 3:13-15.) (b) _________________ (what He did do) (i) He did, for a while, “hide his heavenly _________ in an earthly ___________.” (Willmington) (ii) Even though he retained every single attribute of deity while on earth, he did, nevertheless, surrender _________________ _____________ of those divine attributes. 1. He refrained from accessing His ___________________ for a time a. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” (Jn 11:14–15) 14 15 2. He refrained from accessing His ___________________ for a time a. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mk 13:32) 32 3. He refrained from accessing His ___________________ for a time 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (Jn 18:4– 6) b. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? (Mt 26:53) a. 3) The Humanity of Jesus is __________________________________________ There were three great offices in the Old Testament that were created by God to meet the spiritual and material needs of His people: Prophet, Priest and King. Jesus’ humanity qualified Him to fulfill each of these roles. 1) ________________ a) 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. (Dt 18:18) b) Jesus exercised the office of Prophet when He spoke ____________________________. i) “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart…7:28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Mt 5:2728; 7:28–29) 5:27 2) _________________ a) 4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” 6 As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”; (Heb 5:4–6) b) Jesus exercised the role of Priest when He ______________ the sacrifice of His own blood in the Holy Place ____________________ i) 11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption…14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Heb 9:11-12, 14) 3) _______________ 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. (Ge 49:10) b) 2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” (Mic 5:2) c) 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Is 9:6– 7) a) d) Jesus will exercise His role as King when He ______________ and all is ____________________________ You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. (Heb 2:8) ii) 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (Eph 1:20–21) i) 8 iii) Jesus possesses all authority as King in __________________, but will not fully exercise that authority until the age “____________ _____________________.”