The Person of Christ: The Humanity of Jesus
We can summarize the biblical teaching about the person of Christ as follows:
Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and will be so forever.
There is nothing in this definition that is negotiable.
The Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35)
(Note that Matthew 1:23 is quoted from Isaiah 7:14 and applied to this scenario showing the fulfillment of a prophetic word and the dynamic nature of the Old Testament)
1. The Virgin Birth shows that salvation must ultimately come from the Lord
- It is not through human effort that man is saved but by the work of God alone
2. The Virgin Birth makes possible the uniting of full deity and full humanity
3. The Virgin Birth makes possible Jesus’ true humanity without inherited sin
Keep in mind, the virgin birth of Jesus does not mean that Jesus came into existence. Jesus is eternal (John 1:1, Colossians 1:16, 17)
The Virgin Birth is the decisive way that God enters humanity in order to bring redemptive history to its climax in the work of the cross.
Jesus Had Human Weaknesses and Human Limitations
1. Jesus had a human body
2. Jesus had a human mind
3. Jesus had a human soul and human emotions
Jesus Was Sinless
Although Jesus was human, he was also God, and it is important to maintain the fact that he was sinless.
Hebrews 4:15; 7:26
1 Peter 1:18, 19; 2:22
1 John 2:1
Why was Jesus’ full humanity Necessary?
1. For Representative Obedience (See Grudem for Details)
2. To be a Substitute Sacrifice
3. To be the One Mediator between God and Man
4. To Fulfill God’s Original Purpose for Man to Rule over Creation (See Grudem for Details)
5. To Be Our Example and Pattern in Life
6. To Be the Pattern of Our Redeemed Bodies (See Grudem for Details)
7. To Sympathize as High Priest
8. Jesus Will Be a Man Forever
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