The Humanity Of Christ

Dan Corner

The Lord is My Shepherd (mp3)
Humanity-Deity of Christ (mp3)

Here Is Why Jesus Is More Than Man

The humanity of Christ is important to know about when teaching the deity of Christ because Jesus is both God and man. Hence, he is the God-man. Not knowing about the humanity of Christ has misled some into believing the vicious attacks against the deity of Christ, as presented by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims and other counterfeit groups. They wrongly argue that he is man and therefore can’t be God, but that conclusion doesn’t follow, as you will see.

Jesus Was Called a Man

There should be no controversy about the humanity of Christ just based on the fact that Jesus was called man:

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Tim 2:5)

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! (Rom 5:15)

Jesus was called man, because he was a man, but there is even more indisputable proof for the humanity of Christ.

Jesus Had the Attributes of a Man

Jesus of Nazareth had the common attributes of a man—he slept, got thirsty, ate food, died physically, was born of a human mother, etc. The reason why he did all of those things is because he was a man:

Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. (Mat 8:24)

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28)

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. (Mark 11:12)

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor 15:2,3)

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, (Gal 4:4)

Don't Stumble Over Jesus Becoming
A Humble Human Servant

Do not allow Jesus becoming a humble human servant, who made himself nothing and becoming obedient to death -- relying entirely upon the Father as a servant (Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:9; etc.) stumble you. Before coming to earth he was eternal life (1 John 1:2), God (Jn. 1:1; Col. 2:9; Heb.1:8; etc.) and had glory with the Father which needed to be restored as it was before his incarnation (Jn. 17:5). Hence, Jesus was given (really restored) all power in heaven and earth (Mt. 28:18). All the angels worship Jesus (Heb. 1:6). Remember he is "might God" (Isa. 9:6) the same title given to YHWH in Isa. 10:21. Many more Old Testament to New Testament citations can also be cited.

The Humanity of Christ Plus

Now the question is, was Jesus only man or was he something else too? The Biblical evidence forces us to conclude he was also deity. So, how is it possible for Jesus to be both God and man? The answer is: the same way he can be both:

high priest (Heb. 7:24-26) and the sin offering (Rom. 8:3)

good shepherd (John 10:11,14) and the lamb of God (John 1:29,36)

Lord (John 13:13) and feet washer (John 13:5)

the First and the Last (Rev. 1:17; 2:8)

King (Rev. 17:14; 19:16) and servant (Lk. 12:37)

We would be blatantly wrong to argue that because Jesus is:

high priest, he can’t be the sin offering

the good shepherd, he can’t be the lamb of God

the First, he can’t be the Last

etc.

Though we can't easily understand how that can be, they are all fact. The Bible teaches them. In the same way, Jesus is shown to be God (deity) and also man. Remember:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa 55:8,9)

Tribute To The PRECIOUS Lord Jesus

Jesus is called God

Just as Jesus is called man, he is likewise called God:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

NOTE: In Isa. 10:21 YHWH is the mighty God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1,14)

        Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)

Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. (Rom 9:5)

NOTE: Rom. 9:5 mentions Jesus is/was human and God, which is similar to Phil 2:6-8:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Phil 2:6-8)

Other Scriptures also label Jesus as God (Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 2 Pet. 1:1, Col. 2:9, Rom. 9:5), but that doesn’t mean he is the person of the Father for he is not. He is a separate and different person from the Father, but of the same nature or substance as the heavenly Father. For more information on this, see Jesus Is Not The Father, But Is Deity.

Jesus is Shown To Be YHWH

By a close comparison between both Old and New Testament Scriptures Jesus is revealed as YHWH (the name for God).

A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” (Isa 40:3)

The word LORD in the OT stands for YHWH. Hence, the voice prepared the way for YHWH. In the NT, the identity of the voice mentioned by Isaiah is shown to be John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus:

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Mat 3:1-3)

We can only deduce by those Scriptures that Jesus is God (YHWH), because Isaiah and Matthew revealed those facts about John the Baptist. At various times similar comparisons show the same. One more example is:

The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. (Zep 3:15)

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” (John 1:47) “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” (John 1:48) Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” (John 1:49) Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” (John 1:50)

So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. (Luke 23:3)

YHWH is the king of Israel, according to Zephaniah, but the NT reveals the king of Israel to be Jesus!

Jesus Has The Attributes of God

God has at least four unique attributes. They are omniscience, omnipotent, omnipresent, and eternal. Jesus shared those same attributes:

● All-knowing:

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?" He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17)

● All powerful:

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Mat 28:18)

● Everywhere present:

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Mat 18:20)

● Eternal:

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. (1 John 1:2)

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Col 1:16, 17)

The Biblical evidence shows that Jesus is called God and shown to be God by his attributes, just as it also reveals that he is called man and shown to be man. Therefore, to know about the humanity of Christ and acknowledge it is important because Jesus is man as well as God. The humanity of Christ does not cancel out the deity of Christ or vice versa. Jesus is God in the flesh.

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