Declaring Doctrine (Part 14) | The Humanity of Christ
Alright well we’re there in 1st Timothy Chapter 2. And of course on Sunday nights we’re going through the series on “Declaring Doctrine”. And this is kind of an ongoing series that we are just going through. And if you remember, we’re kind of taking sections at a time. At the beginning of this year, I did 8 sermons on the doctrine of the Word of God. Then we kind of left off and talked about other things. Then we started back up and we’ve been doing these sermons on the doctrines of the Godhead. If you remember, we talked about the attributes of God and the moral attributes of God. And now we’ve been talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. And I did 3 sermons on the deity of Christ. And then last week I did a sermon on the eternal Sonship of Christ. If you didn’t hear it then I’d encourage you to go back and listen to it. I’ve covered that information before but I don’t think I’ve ever packaged it in that way. And I think it helped a lot of people as far as understanding what we’re talking about.
Tonight I’m dealing with the humanity of Christ. We’ve been dealing with this in sections so if you’ve missed any of those previous sermons, I would encourage you to go back and listen to them. And the humanity of Christ is not really a doctrine you hear talked about much but it’s a very important doctrine. I realize this doesn’t make sense logically or to the human mind but we believe that Jesus Christ is completely God. He’s 100% God and 100% man. When you get to heaven, you can ask God to fully understand how that works. But I can tell you that this is what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that Jesus was God in the flesh. And like I said, we spent 3 weeks looking at that. And even last week’s sermon on the eternal Sonship of Christ kind of dealt with that. But the Bible also teaches that Jesus was a man. He was a human being. And that’s what we’re going to talk about tonight.
1 Timothy 2:5 “5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,” And I want you to notice these words “the man Christ Jesus;”. I want you to notice the Bible tells us that Christ Jesus was a man. There’s one mediator between God and men and that mediator is the man Christ Jesus. He was a man. 1 Timothy 3:16 “16 And without controversy”. The word controversy means dispute, debate or contention. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:”. And notice what the Bible says. “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”. So I’m beginning tonight by just kind of showing you some key verses on this idea of the humanity of Christ. And I’m going to get into some points about what it meant for Jesus to be a human.
Hebrews 2:14 “14 Forasmuch then as the children” And the children there is referring to you and I. It’s referring to those of us that are saved. But it says “the children are partakers of flesh and blood,”. Meaning that before we were the children of God, we were the children of Adam. We were just men and women that were partakers of flesh and blood. “14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;”. So what that means is that Jesus took part in the same flesh and blood that you and I took part in. He became a human being. “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil;”. And you know, one of the reasons that Jesus had to become a man, that God had to become a man, that the second member of the Godhead or the son of God became the son of man is because he had to die. And God can’t die. Jesus died as a human being. And that’s why the Bible says that that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil.
Throughout the Bible you find these two phrases “the Son of God” or “Son of God”. And that phrase is a reference to his deity. It is a reference to the fact that he is the second member of the Godhead, the Son of God. But you also see this phrase used about the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of man. And actually the phrase the son of man is used more times about the Lord Jesus Christ than the phrase the Son of God. And Jesus often used that phrase to identify himself. He referred to himself as the son of man. He also refers to himself as the son of God. But those two phrases are used because of the fact that it gives us insight into the dual identity of Jesus. This man Jesus was the son of God and we talked about that last week in the eternal sonship of Christ. And I’m not going to go into that but he was also the son of man. And we also talked about that last week. He had a lineage, a bloodline, an ancestry that went back to David, went back to Abraham, went back to Adam. So he’s the son of God and he is the son of man.
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”. And of course the word is another term used for the second member of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1 John 5:7 we are told that “7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.”. Look at verse 14. “14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”. And that kind of goes with 1st Timothy 3:16. “16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,”. So the Bible is clear that God became a man and the Lord Jesus Christ was deity. He was God in the flesh. He was the Son of God. He was the son of man and he was a human being.
As we saw last week, he subjected himself to all of the things that human beings are subject to. And this is where we’re going to spend our time this evening. And I’ll give you several points in regards to this. And some of this might be basic for some of you and some might be things you’ve never heard before. But let me give you 5 points in regards to the humanity of Jesus Christ. We know that the word was made flesh we know that God was manifest in the flesh. We know that he partook of flesh and blood. So what does that mean exactly? Well number one, as a human, Jesus subjected himself to the growth of humanity. As a human being, Jesus subjected himself to the growth of humanity. And if you remember last week’s sermon, this is kind of the difference between the Old Testament appearance of the Son of God as a man like Melchizedek. And then of course the new testament “only begotten Son”. Melchizedek was never actually born and when he appeared, he just appeared as a man. When Jesus would appear in the Old Testament, he would appear as a man. But when the word was made flesh, when he was actually born, when he was begotten of the Holy Ghost through the virgin Mary, he actually subjected himself to the growth of humanity. He didn’t just come down as a full-grown man. He was born. He was birthed as a baby. And then he actually was subject to the growth of human beings just like you and I have to grow, just like babies have to grow and develop. Jesus as a human being subjected himself to the growth of humanity.
Luke 2:39 “39 And when they” Joseph and Mary. “had performed all things according to the law of the Lord,” This has to do with the things that they had to do after the birth of Christ. “they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.”. Look at verse 40. “40 And the child” Referring to Jesus. “grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”. So I want you to notice that the Bible tells us that he grew. Jesus the Son of God, the son of man was born and he subjected himself to the growth of mankind. He grew as a human being. And people sometimes get the wrong idea and think that Jesus as a baby was talking and speaking and giving parables. He was just a baby like any other baby. He had to learn to talk. He had to learn to walk. He had to develop. And he went through the development of a human being.
Look at verse 51. “51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them:”. What does that mean? That means that as a child he submitted himself to the authority of his parents. He was subject under because the Bible says that children are to obey their parents in the lord for this is right. And Jesus subjected himself. This is the creator of the universe, the 2nd member of the Godhead and he was born to this earth to these earthly parents and he subjected himself. The Bible says “and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”. Notice verse 52. “52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature,”. He grew physically and in favor with God and man. Think about that. As a human being he wasn’t just born and he had everything he needed. He had to grow in wisdom and had to learn some things. He had to grow physically. He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. This means that he had a daily devotional time with God himself just like any other human being. He spent time in prayer. We see that throughout the gospels where he’s praying. He developed and cultivated a relationship with God.
And by the way, it says that he grew in favor with God and man. He also just developed his own personal people skills and he had good relationships with people around him. Jesus as a human being had to submit himself to the growth of humanity, just a physical growth of growing up physically and being able to do things. But also in wisdom and spirituality and those things like any other human being. He subjected himself to the growth of humanity.
Number 1, as a human Jesus subjected himself to the growth of humanity. But secondly, as a human Jesus subjected himself to the limits of humanity. He subjected himself to the limits that we have as human beings. And I want you to notice the Bible kind of highlights this for us. Mark 11:12 “12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany,” This is Jesus traveling. Notice these words “he was hungry:”. So look, Jesus was God in the flesh but his flesh got hungry just like your flesh does. He was hungry. “13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.”. And of course there’s a story there and he curses the tree and all that. But we see here that he was hungry. We’ll look at this in a little bit. But even during the temptation of Christ, the Bible tells us that he was hungry. Why? Because he’s a human being and he experienced the limits of humanity. So Jesus experienced hunger just like you and I experience hunger.
Not only does the Bible tell us that Jesus experienced hunger but Jesus also experienced being tired. John 4:6 “6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore,”. Notice these words “being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.”. So notice, the Bible tells us that he got hungry. The Bible tells us that he got tired. And I want you to understand this because sometimes people get the wrong idea. They think “Well Jesus was God and man but he was God so he didn’t deal with all the issues that you and I deal with. It was easy for him to work for God or serve the Lord”. But listen to me. Jesus got hungry just like you get hungry. Jesus got tired just like you get tired. Just like you make excuses on Saturday morning and you say “Well I can’t go soulwinning because I’m too tired”. Well you know what, Jesus got tired too. And in fact, in this story, he’s tired. He’s sitting there getting some rest while his disciples go to get food because he’s also hungry. And this woman shows up and he gives her the gospel. He gave her the gospel while he was tired, while he was hungry as an example for you and I to get up and go soul winning. As an example for you and I to get up and work for God. You say “I’m tired”. Well you know what, Jesus was tired too. As a human Jesus subjected himself to the limits of humanity. So he wasn’t like some superman who never got tired, never got hungry. He experienced hunger. He experienced being tired. Jesus, like a human being, experienced not knowing certain things.
We’ve been talking in the Book of Job how Job is upset with God because God knows what he is doing but Job doesn’t. God doesn’t have to explain himself to you. He doesn’t have to explain himself to me. God can do whatever he wants and he doesn’t have to give us an explanation. We’re called to walk by faith not by sight. But in the same way Jesus on this earth limited himself to not knowing everything. I mean think about that. He’s God. In his deity he’s omniscient, he’s omnipotent, he knows everything, he can do everything. But as a human being he limited himself to not knowing everything. And part of that we’ve already talked about. It’s not like he came out of the womb and he just knew calculus and algebra. Look, everything he knew he had to learn just like you and I. Think about this. Everything he knew about the Bible he had to learn as a human being. And he did learn it.
Mark 13:32 “32 But of that day and that hour”. This is Jesus speaking about end times. “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”. Jesus is saying that on this earth, he’s speaking as a human, and he’s saying look, no one knows the day or the hour. He says that of that hour knoweth no man. He says no not the angels which are in heaven. He says I don’t even know. He says neither the Son but the Father. Now what he’s explaining there is that he obviously didn’t know while he was on this earth as a human being. Why? Because he limited himself to the limits of human beings. Obviously, Jesus knows the day or the hour right now. Do you understand that? After he resurrected and he ascended up on high and he sat next to the Father. Obviously in heaven in his glorified body as God he knows this. He knows everything that is going to happen. But on this earth as a human, he experienced not knowing some things. Why? Because everything that Jesus knew he had to learn like a human being.
And by the way, that ought to tell you that not only does nobody know but nobody can figure it out. So when Kent Hovind tells you “I’ve got the date”. No he doesn’t. Nobody has a date. When Harold Camping wants to put billboards out saying “I’ve got the date”. Nobody knows. Because look, if there was any human being on this earth who could have figured it out, it’s Jesus. I mean do you agree with that? Are you smarter than Jesus? Do you know more than Jesus? Because as a human, Jesus said that he didn’t know. Because as humans we don’t know everything. And Jesus limited himself.
And by the way, don’t ever fall for these preachers who just think they know everything. Sometimes as a pastor, I like telling people I don’t know. Because you know what, the Bible says the secret things belong unto the Lord our God. The Bible says that we see through a glass darkly. There are some things that we just don’t know. Jesus himself as a human being on this earth was asked certain questions and he says that hour knoweth no man. No not the angels which are in heaven neither the Son but the Father. He says there’s just some things that human beings don’t know and we’re not going to know. Obviously, God knows. And Jesus in his deity knows now. But as a human on earth, he subjected himself to the limits of humanity. So he experienced hunger and he experienced being tired and he experienced not knowing certain things.
So I’m just explaining to you what it meant for Jesus to be a human, for God to become a man. Well, as a human Jesus subjected himself to the growth of humanity. He had to grow like any other human being. He had to learn like any other human. He had to learn how to walk and talk. He had to learn everything he knew. But secondly, as a human Jesus subjected himself to the limits of humanity. This is why Jesus looked at his disciples and he says “As my father sent me so send I you”. He said you can do greater things than these. And he wasn’t talking to the quality of the work because nobody can do greater works than Jesus in terms of quality. He meant quantity. Because what he was saying was, I’m not like a superman who just doesn’t need to sleep, doesn’t need to eat, never gets tired. He says I’m a human being. So Jesus said everything I did on this earth, you can do it. And he set himself as an example for us.
Let me give you a third thing. As a human Jesus subjected himself to the temptations of humanity. As a human Jesus subjected himself to the temptations of humanity. Matthew 4 is the famous chapter where Satan tempts Jesus. Matthew 4:1. The Bible says this. “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights,”. And look, Jesus was not some superman here. He fasted. And you know what? It was just as hard for Jesus to fast as it is for you to fast. “2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights,”. Only 3 people in the whole Bible fasted 40 days and 40 nights and Jesus was one of them. It wasn’t like he fasted 40 days and never got hungry. Look, the Bible says “2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”. I would say that some of you could skip a meal and you wouldn’t die. He limited himself to the limits of humanity.
Look at verse three. “3 And when the tempter came to him, he said,”. Here’s the 1st temptation. “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,”. “6 And saith unto him,”. Here’s temptation number 2. “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,”. And he misquotes from Psalm 91:11-12. “He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”. And by the way, the Devil’s really good at taking scripture out of context and trying to make us say things it doesn’t actually say.
Look at verse 7. “7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him,”. Here’s temptation number 3. “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”. Now this is the Devil trying to get Jesus to sin and tempting him to sin. Obviously, Jesus spent his whole life as a human being tempted. But I want you to notice that as a human Jesus subjected himself to the temptations of humanity. And just understand this, it’s the same temptations you feel. It wasn’t like he was “I’m tempted but I’m God so I’m not really tempted”. His flesh had needs and desires and things just like your flesh does. He was hungry. When the Devil said “Why don’t you make these rocks into stone and these stones into bread”. And he subjected himself to those temptations.
Let me just show you quickly the purpose of the temptations. There’s always a lot of people out there who want to attack churches like ours. There is this 1 guy out there and his big doctrine is “The Impeccability of Christ”. He teaches that Jesus was God in the flesh and he was a human being but he didn’t really get tempted. He couldn’t have really sinned. It was just kind of more of a show. And he just thinks that we’re just like reprobates for not believing that. But look, here’s the reason why we don’t believe that. Because that’s not what the Bible says. And it wasn’t this joke where Jesus was like “Well I’m down here on this earth but I’m not really hungry. I’m eating to identify with human beings. I’m not really tired. I’m not really tempted.”. That’s not what the Bible says. The Bible says that he was actually tempted. The only difference is that he didn’t sin like you and I sinned.
Hebrews 2:16 “16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels;”. And by the way, that’s a verse right there. Some people like to say Jesus was an angel. That’s a great verse to prove he was not an angel. “16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.”. The nature of mankind. He became a human. Verse 17 “17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,”. You say “Why did he become a human being?”. Because it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. Why did it behoove him? Here’s why. “that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”. Notice verse 18. “18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”. The word “succour” means to aid or to support or to give help. “he is able to succour them that are tempted.”.
What does that mean? Here’s what it means. The Bible says that the reason that Jesus as a human being suffered temptation was so that he could then show mercy and give help to those of us that are tempted by sin. See, Jesus can empathize with you. He can sympathize with you. He can have mercy on you because he knows. Because look, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God as deity has never experienced hunger, has never experienced pain, has never experienced being tired, has never experienced temptation. But God became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. He became one of us. So he can empathize with us.
And the Bible says “that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest”. See, Jesus shows a lot of mercy towards us because of the fact that he knows what it feels like to be tempted. The Bible says “that he himself hath suffered being tempted,”. And not only that but he can help us. Look, him showing mercy to us is not him helping us in our sin but his heart breaks as he realizes what temptation there is. And therefore he’s merciful and he can help.
Hebrews 4:15 “15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;”. See, remember that Melchizedek could not be touched with the feelings of our infirmity. “15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”. Look, everything you’ve ever been tempted for, and I’m not talking about every specific sin, but in every area that you and I have been tempted in, Jesus was tempted in those same areas. And you know the Devil gives us a pretty good run down there of the types of temptations. He tempted Him with power, influence, fame, physical desire of having food. He tempted Him with different things. The Bible says “15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are,”. Here’s the big difference. “yet without sin.”.
I don’t know that we can even really understand this but Jesus was a human being that suffered all the same temptations that you and I suffer. He was tempted to do all the same things but he never gave in, not once. He never sinned. He was yet without sin. And then because of that, the Bible says in verse 16 “16 Let us therefore” The word “therefore” means for that reason. For what reason? The fact that he was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin. The Bible says, because of that, because we have an high priest that can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, then in verse 16. “16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”. See, the purpose of Jesus being tempted was that he might show mercy unto us and that he might help us in our temptations. He might aid us in our temptations. He might succour us in our temptations. Because look, he suffered all the same temptations. I mean do you realize that there’s nothing, no temptation that you’ve experienced that Jesus did not experience? You’re tempted to be lazy. Jesus was tempted to be lazy. Here’s the difference between you and Jesus. He wasn’t lazy.
As a human being, Jesus subjected himself to the growth of humanity. He had to grow like every other human being. And he subjected himself to the limits of humanity. He got hungry. He got tired. He didn’t know everything just like you and I don’t know everything. I would imagine that he knew far more than you and I know but he was still subject to the limits of humanity. And as a human, Jesus subjected himself to the temptations of humanity. He never sinned. I want to make that clear. And you just need to understand this because some people think that temptation is sin. And let me just say this. What most people consider a temptation is a sin. Because guys will be lusting in their hearts and think “Oh I’m being tempted”. It’s like no. You’re already sinning. That’s a sin. So what most people think of as temptation is actually a sin. But Jesus was tempted in the genuine sense of the word like any other human can be tempted. “but yet without sin”. He never sinned. He never crossed a line of sinfulness.
Number four. As a human, Jesus subjected himself to the sufferings of humanity. So not only did he subject himself to the growth of humanity, to the limits of humanity, to the temptations of humanity, but he subjected himself to the sufferings of humanity. And I would say, if there’s one characteristic that is emphasized throughout the whole Bible about the Lord Jesus Christ, it is this word suffer or suffering. The fact that he suffered. 1 Peter 2:21 “21 For even hereunto were ye called:”. Now look, this chapter right here is like Job 2.0. This is going to mess up all your prosperity theology, your prosperity gospel theology. Because the Bible says this “21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”.
Now usually Christians like to talk about the fact we’re supposed to follow the steps of Jesus, we’re supposed to be like Jesus. But wait a minute. Look at the context of that phrase. We’re supposed to follow in his steps. What steps? The fact that he suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps. What does that mean? That means that Jesus suffered for others. Therefore you and I should suffer for others as well. What’s the example that Jesus left us? To suffer because he suffered. You say “That doesn’t sound nice.”. Well let’s look at verse 22.
Here’s the difference between you and him. Jesus did no sin. He never sinned. He was the spotless, perfect Lamb of God. “22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled,”. Now this is the problem. The problem with preaching is that when you make statements like this and start applying it, that’s when the rubber meets the road. So what does this mean? Let me give you some application.
Verse 23 “23 Who, when he was reviled,”. What does it mean? To be reviled. He said they were just saying mean things to him and criticizing him and mocking him. “23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”. I mean how would that change your marriage? How would that change your parenting? How would that change your relationship with your parents? I mean how would that change your relationship with your in-laws? How would that change all of your relationships if you seriously took this idea that I’m supposed to suffer like Jesus suffered. That means when he was reviled, he didn’t revile again. He didn’t answer back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten. He didn’t threaten people. “when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”.
Look, this is what we like to do as humans. You say, “That’s nice but Jesus was God.”. He did everything as a man. When he reviled, he reviled not again. That wasn’t God. That was him as a human being with every temptation. You say, “I’m so tempted to say something. I’m so tempted to type something.”. All those temptations you felt, he felt too. Here’s the difference. He did no sin. And then the Bible says that you and I are supposed to follow in those steps.
Isaiah 53 is probably the most famous prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a prophecy written around 700 years before Christ. And it is a prophecy of Jesus. And I want you to know there’s so much that we could talk about in Isaiah 53. We could preach a whole sermon or a whole series out of Isaiah 53. But I want to just highlight for you that was brought up over and over and over and over again in this chapter is the fact that Jesus suffered. You say “What’s the point? Why would Jesus have to suffer?”. Here’s why. Because you suffered. Jesus knows how you feel. He know how it feels to suffer because he suffered. Isaiah 53:1 “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”. Notice, he begins to speak about Jesus prophetically. Isaiah 53:2 “2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”.
Listen, Hollywood lied to you. I hate to break it to you but Jesus was not a really good-looking person. I know every time you see Jesus on the screen, he looks like Brad Pitt or some Hollywood actor or whatever. First of all, he wasn’t blonde with blue eyes. I hate to break it to you. It’s funny how every race (I’m using the worldly sense of the word). But every race thinks that Jesus was their race. Go to Africa or Europe or wherever you go and Jesus looks like the people of that location.
But the Bible says “he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”. The word comeliness means attractiveness. Notice verse 3. “3 He is despised and rejected of men;” This is what the Bible highlights that Jesus suffered. “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:”. The word acquaintance means that he really got to know. “and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”.
What does that mean? That means that nobody looked at Jesus and was impressed like “Look at him”. He was despised and we esteemed him not.
“4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”. I want you to notice the Bible emphasizes this idea that Jesus was a man who suffered. He was a man of sorrows.
Let me just kind of emphasize this thought about Jesus suffering. Because you know, the Bible says that suffering is a good thing. The Bible says it’s better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of mirth. Mirth is like to laugh or to be happy. And look, I’m all for laughing and being happy. I try to be a happy guy and I like to joke around and all those things. There’s nothing wrong with that. The Bible speaks positively about that. But you know, God says if you have to choose between suffering or just being happy all the time, it’s better for you to suffer. And what’s emphasized about Jesus is that he suffered. What’s interesting is the Bible never mentioned Jesus laughing or smiling. Now I’m sure he laughed and I’m sure he smiled and there are some stories and things you read where it seems like he would be. Certain things where he is being sarcastic or saying things with a smile on his face. But I can’t really recall of a scripture where the Bible just documents that Jesus was laughing or smiling. But what’s interesting is the Bible documents Jesus weeping for us 3 different times in his life. I’m sure he wept more than that but 3 times where the Bible documents him weeping. Let me just give you these examples.
Luke 19:41 “41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,”. And this is Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem. And if you look at the context of what he says when he begins to weep over the city is that he’s weeping over the coming destruction of the city. So the Bible documents for us that he was weeping for the city. John 11:35 “35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!”. And of course this is Jesus weeping at the graveside of his friend Lazarus. And the Bible documents for us here that Jesus wept. The 3rd time that the Bible documents Jesus weeping is a little trickier. Luke 22:43-44 “43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 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.”. Jesus was in agony. Jesus was stressed. Jesus knows he is going to die and as a human doesn’t want to die. If you remember, in the garden he’s praying “Let this cup pass from me.”. He’s saying that if there is any way to avoid this then he wanted to avoid this. Why? He is a human being and didn’t want to die.
Hebrews 5:7-8 “7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him”. So I believe this is referring to the Garden of Gethsemane.”. Because this is where Jesus asked if it were possible for the cup to pass from him. Praise the Lord that he said “not my will but thine be done”. And he submitted to the cross. And it says “7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”. This one is maybe up for a little debate but I believe that’s referring to the Garden of Gethsemane where he was crying. And the Bible says he had tears and he’s asking God the Father “Can I not do this”. And the answer comes back “No, you have to do this.”. And he submitted himself. “8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”.
So the Bible tells us in Hebrews that in that garden, his sweat was as it were great drops of blood. The Bible tells us that he was crying or yelling and also, he had tears or weeping. Isaiah 53 highlights a man of grief, a man of sorrow, a man that suffered. He suffered a lot. And then the Bible never documents for us him laughing or smiling. I’m sure he did but the Bible doesn’t highlight that. I’m sure he wasn’t grumpy. Because the Bible says that he grew in favor with God and man. The word favor means that people liked him. They liked to be around him. I’m sure he was a nice guy and a fun guy to be around. But the Bible never documented that of him laughing or smiling. But the Bible documents 3 different times that he wept, that he suffered, that he cried.
You say, “Well what’s the point?”. Here’s the point. When you say “I’ve been betrayed”. Well was betrayed also. “I’ve been lied about”. Jesus was lied about. “I’ve had people say mean things to me”. Well Jesus had people say mean things to him. He suffered in every way like you suffered. He was a human being so he subjected himself to the growth of humanity, to the limits of humanity, into the temptations of humanity, and even subjected himself to the sufferings of humanity. And he suffered like you and I and probably suffered more than we will experience.
Let me give you the 5th point. As a human, Jesus subjected himself to the death of humanity. Jesus died. Philippians 2:5 “5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”. And look, unless you got something other than the King James Bible, what that is saying is that there was nothing wrong if Jesus wanted to equate himself to God. And when Jesus equated himself to God, there’s nothing wrong with that. Why? Because he was God. “6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”. Look, one day where you’re in heaven or earth or in hell, everyone will acknowledge him as the Lord of glory. But you know, before that day comes, he submitted himself unto death. He experienced death like we do as humans. Jesus subjected himself to death. He died.
Let me just tell you what the point of this sermon is. I started the sermon in the introduction by just giving you verses that just flat out say that God became flesh. God became a man. The man Christ Jesus. And then I gave you the characteristics. What does that mean? Well it means that he grew just like any other man grows. He was limited just like any other man is limited. He suffered temptation just like any other man is tempted. The major difference though is “yet without sin”. He suffered just like any other man suffers. And he died just like any other man dies. The major difference was that he resurrected. He was resurrected from the dead. But you know, let me just kind of end with this idea. What’s the point? Why did God have to become man? I pointed this out a few weeks ago when we were in Job 9. But I want to point it out again.
This is in reference to God in Job 9:32. He’s saying that I can’t argue with God but I want to have a mediator. He says I wish somebody would debate for me. I wish somebody would stand up for me. This is what Job is saying of course. He’s going through a difficult time, a dark time in his life. We understand that. But here’s what he says in Job 9:2. He’s referring to God and saying that he can’t argue with God. “32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. 33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us,”. Daysman is an older word that we don’t use today meaning arbiter. It means one that settled disputes. The same idea today of a referee or umpire or someone who settles disputes. And Job says “that might lay his hand upon us both.”.
And Job is saying that he can’t go to God with his disputed. And Job says some things wrongly as there was a daysman. But he says “33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.”. Job is saying, “I’m a human being. I can’t go to God. I can’t talk to God. I’m a sinner.”. The Bible says our sins have separated us from God. He says God is not a man as I am. And then Job says “I wish there was a daysman”. And he uses this beautiful terminology. He says neither is there any daysman betwixt us. He says wouldn’t it be great if there was a man that could reach with one hand and touch a human and reach with another hand and touch deity. He says wouldn’t it be great if there was a daysman, if there was a mediator between us that could touch both God and man. Job isn’t thinking that there was that man Christ Jesus.
Why did God become man? 2 reasons. #1 to substitute for man. Romans 8:3 “3 For what the law could not do,”. Please get this. You cannot be saved by keeping the law. What’s wrong with the law? There is nothing wrong with the law. Hypothetically you could keep the law and go to heaven. The problem is you can’t keep the law. The problem is that you gave in to temptation. “3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,”. Look, there’s nothing wrong with the law. There is something wrong with you. “3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”. You say why did God have to become a man? He could only substitute for man if he was a man. He lived a sinless life as a man. He never sinned as a man. He took our sins upon him as a man. Why did God do this? Because it’s the only way to substitute for man. God had to become a man. No man could keep the law. “3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”. Do you understand that he won the victory for salvation in the flesh as a human? Why would God become man? Well, first of all to substitute for men. I don’t care what religion tells you, you cannot be saved by keeping the law. If you want to play that game then you have to keep every law and never mess up.
Here’s the 2nd reason. Not only to substitute for man but to mediate for man. 1 Timothy 2:5 “5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”. You say “I pray to the saints” Or “I pray to the Virgin Mary”. She can’t mediate for you. She was a sinner like you and I. She needed Jesus like you and I. God bless her and we respect her and we love her but she was a human being. “5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”. Jesus is the daysman betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both. And the Bible says that Jesus, our advocate with the Father, he’s our lawyer with the father. He fights on our behalf. He shows mercy and he helps us and he succours us in time of need. Because he knows what it means and how it feels to be a human since he was one.
So please understand this. When we say Jesus was a human, we mean that. We’re not being poetic. We’re not just spiritually talking. He literally, physically was a man just like you and I. But he was also God. You say “I don’t get that”. I don’t either fully. But that’s what the Bible says. And the Bible says that it’s a mystery. “without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness; God was manifest in the flesh.”. How can God become flesh? I don’t know. It’s a mystery. The problem is you’re limited and I’m limited because we’re human beings. But that’s what the Bible says. We accept it by faith. But there is one mediator. Why? So one could put his hands on the shoulders of man and put his hands on the shoulder of God. As the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Here is the sobering thought. Everything you see Jesus do in the Bible other than the resurrection, he did not do those with his own power. Even the miracles that Jesus did. It was the Holy Spirit that did those miracles. We understand the Holy Spirit is God. But the point is this, Jesus was a human just like you. And everything you see Jesus do, he did it not as God. He was God but he did it as a man. And he left us an example that we should follow in his steps.
Let’s pray.