The Humanity of Jesus Christ

.

THE HUMANITY
OF JESUS CHRIST
"Christ Jesus... thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men..." Philippians 2:5-7

© 1977, 1998 by Diane S. Dew

'Mother and Child' by Rik Berry
Used by permission

I. One of the first heresies to enter the early church was the doctrine of docetism
(from the Greek verb dokeo, "to seem").

1 John 4:2, 3

A. This teaching claimed that Jesus Christ only seemed to be human, that He
did not actually become flesh.

B. Advocates of this doctrine taught that Jesus possessed divinity only from
the time of His death. This denies the truth of the incarnation as taught in
scripture (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 22, 23; Luke 1:26-31, 34, 35).

II. Except that He never sinned (John 8:29; 14:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews
4:15; 7:26; 9:14; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:22; 1 John 3:5), Jesus Christ was fully
man as well as He was God.

Acts 3:22
John 1:14
Philippians 2:7
Hebrews 2:14, 17

III. Physically, He was the same as we are.

Romans 5:15 (Christ was man even as Adam was man.)

A. He was born of our flesh, of a woman.

Genesis 3:15
Isaiah 7:14 (Matthew 1:23)
Matthew 1:16, 21, 25
Luke 1:31, 32; 2:7
John 1:14
Acts 2:30
Romans 1:3; 8:3
Galatians 4:4
Hebrews 2:14-18

B. He grew physically.

Isaiah 53:2
Luke 2:40, 52

C. He had a body of flesh and bones.

Luke 24:39
1 Timothy 3:16
Hebrews 2:14

D. His veins contained blood.

John 19:34

E. He hungered.

Matthew 4:2 (Luke 4:2)
Matthew 21:18
Mark 11:12

F. He thirsted.

Psalms 69:21
John 19:28

G. He became weary and slept.

Matthew 8:24 (Mark 4:38)
John 4:6

H. He died.

Matthew 27:50 (Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30)
1 Peter 3:18
Hebrews 2:9, 14

IV. Jesus also had a human soul and therefore possessed the same
emotions as any other man.

A. He rejoiced.

Luke 10:21

B. He was angered.

Matthew 21:12, 13; 23

C. He suffered great mental anguish.

Luke 22:44

1. Isaiah described Him as "a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief."

Isaiah 53:3
Matthew 26:37, 38 (Mark 14:33, 34)
John 11:33, 38; 12:27; 13:21

2. He was forsaken, deserted, alone. One of His closest friends
betrayed Him. Matthew 26:56

Mark 14:50
Isaiah 53:3
Psalms 69:20

3. He was laughed at and mocked.

Matthew 9:24b (Mark 5:40)
Luke 22:63

D. He felt compassion for those to whom He ministered.

Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 20:34; 15:3
Mark 6:34; 8:2, 3
Luke 7:13

E. He wept.

Hebrews 5:7

1. At Lazarus' death.

John 11:33, 35

2. Over Jerusalem.

Luke 19:41

V. The fact that He was the Son of God did not make Jesus Christ
exempt from spiritual warfare, either.

A. He, too, struggled in prayer.

Luke 22:41-44

B. He was tempted as we are.

Matthew 4 (Mark 1:13; Luke 4)
Hebrews 2:17, 18; 4:15

VI. Therefore, having lived a normal life as the carpenter's son (Matthew
13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 2:51), and having endured much suffering
Himself, Jesus understands and can "sympathize" with our feelings
and weaknesses.

Hebrews 4:14, 15 ("be touched" = "sympathize," Greek)
Hebrews 5:2

Complete, printed and bound copies of these studies (100+ topics, 850+ pages)
may be obtained, at cost, from:

Diane Dew, PO Box 340945, Milwaukee, WI 53234

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