The Humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us." John 1:14
"The Word of God, Jesus Christ, on account of His immense love, became what we are, that He might make us what He is." –Irenaeus, 169.
"There is no room in the inn for the Child miraculously born--the earth does not receive its God. He has no suitable dwelling-place in all the world. He whom heaven and earth cannot contain, lies in a manger!" –Simon de Cassia.
"If Jesus were God only, and not man, He could not suffer anything whereby to satisfy Divine Justice. If man only, and not God, He could not satisfy Divine Justice, even though He suffered. If man only, His satisfaction could not be sufficient for God. If God only, it would not be suitable for man. And, therefore, to be capable of suffering for men, and able to satisfy God, Himself must be both God and man." –Bishop Beveridge.
"The one true and perfect Flower which has ever unfolded itself out of the root and stalk of humanity." –Trench.
John 1:14 So the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (WNT And the Word came in the flesh, and lived for a time in our midst, so that we saw His glory--the glory as of the Father's only Son, sent from His presence. He was full of grace and truth.)
Barnes comments : And the Word was made flesh - The word “flesh,” here, is evidently used to denote “human nature” or “man.” See Mat_16:17; Mat_19:5; Mat_24:22; Luk_3:6; Rom_1:3; Rom_9:5. The “Word” was made “man.” This is commonly expressed by saying that he became “incarnate.” When we say that a being becomes “incarnate,” we mean that one of a higher order than man, and of a different nature, assumes the appearance of man or becomes a man. Here it is meant that “the Word,” or the second person of the Trinity, whom John had just proved to be equal with God, became a man, or was united with the man Jesus of Nazareth, so that it might be said that he “was made flesh.”
Was made - This is the same word that is used in Joh_1:3; “All things were made by him.” It is not simply affirmed that he was flesh, but that he was made flesh, implying that he had pre-existence, agreeably to Joh_1:1. This is in accordance with the doctrine of the Scriptures elsewhere. Heb_10:5; “a ‘body’ hast thou prepared me.” Heb_2:14; “as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.” 1Jo_4:2; “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” See also 1Ti_3:16; Phi_2:6; 2Co_8:9; Luk_1:35. The expression, then, means that he became a man, and that he became such by the power of God providing for him a body. It cannot mean that the divine nature was “changed” into the human, for that could not be; but it means that the λόγος Logos, or “Word,” became so intimately united to Jesus that it might be said that the Logos, or “Word” “became” or “was” a man, as the soul becomes so united to the body that we may say that it is one person or a man.
Headings from Willmington:p.615-616
A. He had Human Parentage (Luk 1:30 But the angel said, "Do not be frightened, Mary, for you have found favour with God.
Luk 1:31 You will conceive in your womb and bear a son; and you are to call His name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He will be great and He will be called 'Son of the Most High.' And the Lord God will give Him the throne of His forefather David;
Luk 1:33 and He will be King over the House of Jacob for the Ages, and of His Kingdom there will be no end."
Luk 1:34 "How can this be," Mary replied, "seeing that I have no husband?"
Luk 1:35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for this reason your holy offspring will be called 'the Son of God.'
Also Gal 4:4 But, when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born subject to Law,
B. He had a human body, soul and spirit. Matt 26:12 For in putting ointment on My body, she did it for My burial.
Jn 12:27 And My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this cause I came to this hour. The mention of his death brought before him its approaching horrors, its pains, its darkness, its unparalleled woes. Jesus was full of acute sensibility, and his human nature shrunk from the scenes through which he was to pass. See Luk_23:41-44.
Lk 23:46 And crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. And when He had said this, He breathed out the spirit.
C. He looked like a man 1. To the Samaritan woman. Jn 4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, How do you, being a Jew, ask a drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
2. To the Jews Joh 8:55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I should say I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I know Him and I keep His Word.
Joh 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and He saw and was glad.
Joh 8:57 Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?
Joh 8:58 Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I AM!
Joh 8:59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus hid Himself and went forth out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and passed on by.
3. To Mary in the garden Joh 20:15 Jesus said to her, Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek? Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, Sir, if you have carried Him away from here, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away.
4.He possessed flesh and blood Heb 2:14 Since then the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the same; that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death (that is, the Devil),
5.He Grew. Luk 2:40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was on Him.
In mind, intellect, understanding. Jesus had a human soul, and that soul was subject to all the proper laws of a human spirit. It therefore increased in knowledge, strength, and character. Nor is it any more inconsistent with his being God to say that his soul expanded, than to say that his body grew.
6. Filled with wisdom - Eminent for wisdom when a child - that is, exhibiting an extraordinary understanding, and “wise” to flee from everything sinful and evil. Barnes
7. He asked questions. Luk 2:46 And it happened that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them.
8. He was limited in Knowledge. here it should be pointed out that this limitation was self-imposed. According to Philippians 2;5-8, Christ voluntarily abstained from using) certain divine attributes while here on earth, that He might totally dpend upon the power and the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit. This fact helps explain the following passages.
Mar 5:30 And knowing instantly within Himself that power had gone out of Him, Jesus turned Himself around in the press and said, Who touched My clothes?
RWP Perceiving in himself (epignous en heautōi). She thought, perhaps, that the touch of Christ’s garment would cure her without his knowing it, a foolish fancy, no doubt, but one due to her excessive timidity. Jesus felt in his own consciousness. The Greek idiom more exactly means: “Jesus perceiving in himself the power from him go out” (tēn ex autou dunamin exelthousan). The aorist participle here is punctiliar simply and timeless and can be illustrated by Luk_10:18 : “I was beholding Satan fall” (etheōroun ton Satanān pesonta), where pesonta does not mean fallen (peptōkota) as in Rev_9:1 nor falling (piptonta) but simply the constative aorist fall (Robertson, Grammar, p. 684). So here Jesus means to say: “I felt in myself the power from me go.” Scholars argue whether in this instance Jesus healed the woman by conscious will or by unconscious response to her appeal. Some even argue that the actual healing took place after Jesus became aware of the woman’s reaching for help by touching his garment. What we do know is that Jesus was conscious of the going out of power from himself. Luk_8:46 uses egnōn (personal knowledge), but Mark has epignous (personal and additional, clear knowledge). One may remark that no real good can be done without the outgoing of power. That is true of mother, preacher, teacher, doctor.
Who touched my garments? (Tis mou hēpsato tōn himatiōṉ). More exactly,
Who touched me on my clothes; The Greek verb uses two genitives, of the person and the thing. It was a dramatic moment for Jesus and for the timid woman. Later it was a common practice for the crowds to touch the hem of Christ’s garments and be healed (Mar_6:56). But here Jesus chose to single out this case for examination. There was no magic in the garments of Jesus. Perhaps there was superstition in the woman’s mind, but Jesus honoured her darkened faith as in the case of Peter’s shadow and Paul’s handkerchief.
Referring to the death of his friend Lazarus....
Joh 11:34 And He said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see.
J. Gill “This he might say as man, though he, as the omniscient God, knew where he was laid; and that it might appear there was no juggle and contrivance between him, and the relations of the deceased; and to raise some expectation of what he intended to do; and to draw the Jews thither, that they might be witnesses of the miracle he was about to work.
9. He prayed. Mark 1:35 In the morning He rose early, while it was still quite dark, and leaving the house He went away to a solitary place and there prayed.
And in the morning — that is, of the day after this remarkable sabbath; or, on the first day of the week. His choosing this day to inaugurate a new and glorious stage of His public work, should be noted by the reader.
rising up a great while before day — “while it was yet night,” or long before daybreak.
he went out — all unperceived from Peter’s house, where He slept.
and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed — or, “continued in prayer.” He was about to begin His first preaching and healing circuit; and as on similar solemn occasions (Luk_5:16; Luk_6:12; Luk_9:18, Luk_9:28, Luk_9:29; Mar_6:46), He spent some time in special prayer, doubtless with a view to it. What would one not give to have been, during the stillness of those grey morning hours, within hearing - not of His “strong crying and tears,” for He had scarce arrived at the stage for that - but of His calm, exalted anticipations of the work which lay immediately before Him, and the outpourings of His soul about it into the bosom of Him that sent Him!
He had doubtless enjoyed some uninterrupted hours of such communings with His heavenly Father ere His friends from Capernaum arrived in search of Him. As for them, they doubtless expected, after such a day of miracles, that the next day would witness similar manifestations. When morning came, Peter, loath to break in upon the repose of his glorious Guest, would await His appearance beyond the usual hour; but at length, wondering at the stillness, and gently coming to see where the Lord lay, he finds it - like the sepulchre afterwards - empty! Speedily a party is made up to go in search of Him, Peter naturally leading the way. JFB. Commentary.
10. He was tempted. Mat 4:1 At that time Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the Desert in order to be tempted by the Devil.
Mat 4:2 There He fasted for forty days and nights; and after that He suffered from hunger.
11. He learned obedience. Heb 5:7 For Jesus during his earthly life offered up prayers and entreaties, crying aloud and weeping as He pleaded with Him who was able to bring Him in safety out of death, and He was delivered from the terror from which He shrank.
Heb 5:8 Although He was God's Son, yet He learned obedience from the sufferings which He endured;
yet He learned obedience- not to his parents, or civil magistrates, though that is true; nor merely to the precepts of the law, which he did; but unto death: through sufferings he became obedient to death, even the death of the cross: and this he learnt; not that he was ignorant of the nature of it; nor was he destitute of an obedient disposition to it; but the meaning is, he had an experience of it, and effected it; and which was voluntary, and done in our room and stead; and is the rule and the measure of our righteousness before God: and this he learned,
by the things which he suffered; from men, from devils, and from the justice of God. Christ's Son-ship did not exempt him from obedience and sufferings; this shows the dignity of Christ's person, that he is the Son of God, not as Mediator, for as such he is a servant; and it would be no wonder that he should learn obedience as a servant; and this shows also the great humility and condescension of Christ in obeying and suffering for us; though so great a person; and likewise the vile nature of sin, and the strictness of divine justice: and we may learn from hence, not to expect to be exempted from sufferings on account of sonship; nor to conclude we are not sons, because we suffer; and that afflictions are instructive, and by them experience is learned.
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| Christ in agony before the Cross |
12. He Hungered Mat 4:2 There He fasted for forty days and nights; and after that He suffered from hunger. J.Gill says, “that is, as Luke says, "when" the "forty" days "were ended", Luk_4:2 which seized upon him, and is related, both to express the reality of his human nature, which though miraculously supported for so long a time without food, and insensible of hunger, yet at length had appetite for food; and also that very advantageous opportunity Satan had to attack him in the manner he did, with his first temptation.”
13. He thirsted. Joh 4:7 Presently there came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus asked her to give Him some water; John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that everything was now brought to an end, said--that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "I am thirsty."
14. He was weary Joh 4:6 Jacob's Well was there: and accordingly Jesus, tired out with His journey, sat down by the well to rest. It was about six o'clock in the evening.
15. He slept.Mat 8:24 But suddenly there arose a great storm on the Lake, so that the waves threatened to engulf the boat; but He was asleep.
16. He loved Mar 10:21 Then Jesus looked at him (the rich young man)and loved him, and said, "One thing is lacking in you: go, sell all you possess and give the proceeds to the poor, and you shall have riches in Heaven; and come and be a follower of mine."
17. He had compassion. Mat 9:36 And when He saw the crowds He was touched with pity for them, because they were distressed and were fainting on the ground like sheep which have no shepherd.
He was moved with compassion on them: his bowels yearned for them, he was touched with a feeling of their infirmities, as the merciful high priest, the good shepherd, and faithful prophet; being heartily concerned for the souls of men, their comfort here, and everlasting happiness hereafter: J.Gill
18.He was angered and grieved. Mar 3:5 Grieved and indignant at the hardening of their hearts, He looked round on them with anger, and said to the man, "Stretch out your arm." He stretched it out, and the arm was completely restored.
With a severe and stern countenance; with indignation at their hypocrisy and hardness of heart. This was not, however, a spiteful or revengeful passion; it was caused by excessive “grief” at their state: “being grieved for the hardness of their hearts.” It was not hatred of the “men” whose hearts were so hard; it was hatred of the sin which they exhibited, joined with the extreme grief that neither his teaching nor the law of God, nor any means which could be used, overcame their confirmed wickedness. Such anger is not unlawful, Eph_4:26. Barnes Notes
19. He wept. Jn 11:35 Jesus wept. (at the tomb of Lazarus)
Luke 19:41 When He came into full view of the city, He wept aloud over it, and exclaimed,
Luk 19:42 "O that at this time thou hadst known--yes even thou--what makes peace possible! But now it is hid from thine eyes.
Luk 19:43 For the time is coming upon thee when thy foes will throw up around thee earthworks and a wall, investing thee and hemming thee in on every side.
Luk 19:44 And they will dash thee to the ground and thy children within thee, and will not leave one stone upon another within thee; because thou hast not recognized the time of thy visitation."
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| Jesus Wept over Jerusalem |
He wept over it - Showing his compassion for the guilty city, and his strong sense of the evils that were about to come upon it. See the notes at Mat_23:37-39. As he entered the city he passed over the Mount of Olives. From that mountain there was a full and magnificent view of the city. See the notes at Mat_21:1. The view of the splendid capital - the knowledge of its crimes - the remembrance of the mercies of God toward it - the certainty that it might have been spared if it had received the prophets and himself - the knowledge that it was about to put “him,” their long-expected Messiah, to death, and “for” that to be given up to utter desolation - affected his heart, and the triumphant King and Lord of Zion wept! Amid all “his” prosperity, and all the acclamations of the multitude, the heart of the Redeemer of the world was turned from the tokens of rejoicing to the miseries about to come on a guilty people. Yet they “might” have been saved. If thou hadst known, says he, even thou, with all thy guilt, the things that make for thy peace; if thou hadst repented, had been righteous, and had received the Messiah; if thou hadst not stained thy hands with the blood of the prophets, Barnes
20. He experienced Joy. Heb 12:1 Therefore, surrounded as we are by such a vast cloud of witnesses, let us fling aside every encumbrance and the sin that so readily entangles our feet. And let us run with patient endurance the race that lies before us,
Heb 12:2 simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus, our Prince Leader in the faith, who will also award us the prize. He, for the sake of the joy which lay before Him, patiently endured the cross, looking with contempt upon its shame, and afterwards seated Himself-- where He still sits--at the right hand of the throne of God.
Who for the joy that was set before him - That is, who in view of all the honor which he would have at the right hand of God, and the happiness which he would experience from the consciousness that he had redeemed a world, was willing to bear the sorrows connected with the atonement.
Endured the cross - Endured patiently the ignominy and pain connected with the suffering of death on the cross.
Despising the shame - Disregarding the ignominy of such a mode of death. It is difficult for us now to realize the force of the expression, “enduring the shame of the cross,” as it was understood in the time of the Saviour and the apostles. The views of the world have changed, and it is now difficult to divest the “cross” of the associations of honor and glory which the word suggests, so as to appreciate the ideas which encompassed it then. There is a degree of dishonor which we attach to the guillotine, but the ignominy of a death on the cross was greater than that; there is disgrace attached to the block, but the ignominy of the cross was greater than that; there is a much deeper infamy attached to the gallows, but the ignominy of the cross was greater than that. And that word - the cross - which when now proclaimed in the ears of the refined, the intelligent, and even the frivolous, excites an idea of honor, in the ears of the people of Athens, of Corinth, and of Rome, excited deeper disgust than the word “gallows” does with us - for it was regarded as the appropriate punishment of the most infamous of mankind.
We can now scarcely appreciate these feelings, and of course the declaration that Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame,” does not make the impression on our minds in regard to the nature of his sufferings, and the value of his example, which it should do. When we now think of the “cross,” it is not of the multitude of slaves, and robbers, and thieves, and rebels, who have died on it, but of the one great Victim, whose death has ennobled even this instrument of torture, and encircled it with a halo of glory.
We have been accustomed to read of it as an imperial standard in war in the days of Constantine, and as the banner under which armies have marched to conquest; it is intermingled with the sweetest poetry; it is a sacred thing in the most magnificent cathedrals; it adorns the altar, and is even an object of adoration; it is in the most elegant engravings; it is worn by beauty and piety as an ornament near the heart; it is associated with all that is pure in love, great in self-sacrifice, and holy in religion.
To see the true force of the expression here, therefore, it is necessary to divest ourselves of these ideas of glory which encircle the “cross,” and to place ourselves in the times and lands in which, when the most infamous of mankind were stretched upon it, it was regarded for such people as an appropriate mode of punishment. That infamy Jesus was willing to bear, and the strength of his confidence in God, his love for man, and the depth of his humiliation, was shown in the readiness and firmness with which he went forward to such a death. Barnes
For Moore on this Theme see <http://www.russellmoore.com/2012/01/25/the-humanity-of-christ-matters/>
21. He was Troubled Joh 11:33 Seeing her weeping aloud, and the Jews in like manner weeping who had come with her, Jesus, curbing the strong emotion of His spirit,
Joh 11:34 though deeply troubled, asked them, "Where have you laid him?" "Master, come and see," was their reply.
He groaned in the spirit - The word rendered “groaned,” here, commonly denotes to be angry or indignant, or to reprove severely, denoting violent agitation of mind. Here it also evidently denotes violent agitation - not from anger, but from grief. He saw the sorrow of others, and he was also moved with sympathy and love. The word “groan” usually, with us, denotes an expression of internal sorrow by a special sound. The word here, however, does not mean that utterance was given to the internal emotion, but that it was deep and agitating, though internal.
In the spirit - In the mind. See Act_19:21. Paul purposed in the spirit that is, in his mind, Mat_5:3.
Was troubled - Was affected with grief. Perhaps this expression denotes that his countenance was troubled, or gave indications of sorrow (Grotins).Barnes
Joh 12:27 Now is my soul full of trouble; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this purpose I have come to this hour.WNT
22. He sweat drops as of blood.Luk 22:44 while He--an agony of distress having come upon Him--prayed all the more with intense earnestness, and His sweat became like clots of blood dropping on the ground.
Matthew Henry comments “Sweat came in with sin, and was a branch of the curse, Gen_3:19. And therefore, when Christ was made sin and a curse for us, he underwent a grievous sweat, that in the sweat of his face we might eat bread, and that he might sanctify and sweeten all our trials to us. There is some dispute among the critics whether this sweat is only compared to drops of blood, being much thicker than drops of sweat commonly are, the pores of the body being more than ordinarily opened, or whether real blood out of the capillary veins mingled with it, so that it was in colour like blood, and might truly be called a bloody sweat; the matter is not great. Some reckon this one of the times when Christ shed his blood for us, for without the shedding of blood there is no remission. Every pore was as it were a bleeding wound, and his blood stained all his raiment. This showed the travail of his soul. He was now abroad in the open air, in a cool season, upon the cold ground, far in the night, which, one would think, had been enough to strike in a sweat; yet now he breaks out into a sweat, which bespeaks the extremity of the agony he was in.”
23. He suffered. 1Pe 4:1 Since, then, Christ has suffered in the flesh, you also must arm yourselves with a determination to do the same--because he who has suffered in the flesh has done with sin-- WNT
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh - Since he as a man has died for us. See the notes at 1Pe_3:18. The design was to set the suffering Redeemer before them as an example in their trials.
Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind - That is, evidently, the same mind that he evinced - a readiness to suffer in the cause of religion, a readiness to die as he had done. This readiness to suffer and die, the apostle speaks of as armour, and having this is represented as being armed. Armour is put on for offensive or defensive purposes in war; and the idea of the apostle here is, that that state of mind when we are ready to meet with persecution and trial, and when we are ready to die, will answer the purpose of armour in engaging in the conflicts and strifes which pertain to us as Christians, and especially in meeting with persecutions and trials. We are to put on the same fortitude which the Lord Jesus had, and this will be the best defense against our foes, and the best security of victory.
24. He bled Joh 19:34 One of the soldiers, however, made a thrust at His side with a lance, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
25. He died Mat 27:50 But Jesus uttered another loud cry and then yielded up His spirit
1Co 15:3 For I repeated to you the all-important fact which also I had been taught, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;
26. He was buried. Mat 27:59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean sheet of fine linen.
Mat 27:60 He then laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn in the solid rock, and after rolling a great stone against the door of the tomb he went home.
The Humanity of Jesus. by David Mathis
When the Word became flesh—when the eternal Son of God took on humanity—he did not merely become a man in part. He fully became a true human being.
The Personal Union of Jesus’ Two Natures
So “hypostatic union” may sound fancy in English, but it’s a pretty simple term. Hypostaticmeans personal. The hypostatic union is the personal union of Jesus’ two natures.
Jesus has two complete natures—one fully human and one fully divine. What the doctrine of the hypostatic union teaches is that these two natures are united in one person in the God-man. Jesus is not two persons. He is one person. The hypostatic union is the joining of the divine and the human in the one person of Jesus.
What Is the Significance?
Why bother with this seemingly fancy term? What good is it to know about this hypostatic union? At the end of the day, the term can go, but the concept behind the term is infinitely precious—and worshipfully mind-stretching.
It is immeasurably sweet—and awe-inspiring—to know that Jesus’ two natures are perfectly united in his one person. Jesus is not divided. He is not two people. He is one person. As the Chalcedonian Creed states, his two natures are without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation. Jesus is one.
This means Jesus is one focal point for our worship. And as Jonathan Edwards preached, in this one-person God-man we find “an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies.”
Because of this hypostatic, one-person union, Jesus Christ exhibits an unparalleled magnificence. No one person satisfies the complex longings of the human heart like the God-man.
Theopedia “Only as man can Jesus truly represent men to God, (Heb. 2:17). He understands our lives because He has lived it also, (Heb. 2:18). Because He understands, coming to Him we "obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need," (Heb. 4:15-16). As man He provided for us the pattern for living as men, (1 Pet. 2:21).”
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