The God Who Became a Human Being

John 1:1, 14 referring to the human life of Jesus Christ

How could God who is spirit, transcendent of anything that is physical, material become human like one of the very creatures He made? And when we say God we are of course talking about Jesus. Many people stumble and become confused about the person and life of Jesus. “Was he a real human being just like us… or was he a human being with incredible super powers?” Or “when He was a human being, was He still God?” Let’s take a look at these and other questions by looking at Jesus Christ…the God who became one of us

Matthew 1:23 Prophesied…. Not only with us but one of us – God had been with mankind before (Ex etc.)

 Jesus time on earth was different from the presence of YHWH in the tabernacle or the temple. Jesus didn’t shine like the sun, He was not glorified… He wasn’t even especially handsome. Jesus was just a plain human being. Yet, there was never a time when He ceased to be who He always was… the Word who was God and who was with God, the rock that was with Israel in the desert, the I AM of scripture.

When Jesus was in the womb of Mary, He was God. When He was a baby boy lying in the manger, He was God. When He was a youngster growing up in Nazareth, He was God. And when He was dying, He was God.

Prior to His human birth, He was infinite in knowledge, power and presence… knowing everything and have unlimited power to act on any object, anywhere. But if He really became a normal human, like you or me He had to be limited to only the normal abilities any average human being has… No superpowers.

Jesus had a physical body with physical limitations

One very human thing that Jesus had was friends… meaning that just like you and me there were some people who company He enjoyed above the company of other. Was Jesus partial? John the son of Zebedee was one of His closest friends… “the apostle who He loved”.

1 John 1:1 What did Jesus friend say about Him? He spoke of Jesus as a real flesh and blood human being. A man he had heard, touched, seen, and been friends with.

Jesus was born a baby and grew and developed just like any other child with a normal body…. all the same parts, the same need for food, water, oxygen.

• Luke 4:1-2 He experienced hunger when He fasted
• John 19:28 thirst
• John 4:6 fatigue from a long walk

Jesus suffered physically… when he hit his thumb with a hammer it hurt, when He was beaten and executed it hurt, the whip on His back hurt, the nails driven into His wrists and ankles hurt... betrayal hurt.

Jesus felt human emotions

Jesus thought, reasoned and felt the full range of human emotion and intellectual qualities.

• He had strong affection for people John 11:5 ; 19:26
• He experienced joy John 15:11
• He felt compassion and pity for the hungry and afflicted Matthew 9:36 ; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34
• He grieved and wept over the mourning of Lazarus' family and friends when Lazarus died John 11:33-35
• Angry and grieved with people's attitudes  Mark 3:5
• Indignant toward His own disciples Mark 10:14
• He was deeply troubled when considering that one of His disciples would betray Him John 13:21
• He acknowledged His distress/anxiety to His disciples when facing suffering and death John 12:27

During this "deep distress" and "exceeding sorrow" Jesus didn't want to be left alone to struggle with His thoughts and feelings before His arrest Matthew 26:37-40. Obviously Jesus possessed the same human capacity to feel sorrow and anguish as deeply as we sometimes do.

Jesus' knowledge

The written record clearly reveals Jesus had knowledge of the past, present and future in a way that was far beyond what any ordinary man would have… aren’t these super human powers of a sort? (expand on this)

• At 12 He showed understanding beyond His age in His discussions with the teachers at the temple Luke 2:46-47
• He knew the thoughts of both His friends Luke 9:47… And His enemies Matthew 9:4
• He knew of the Samaritan woman’s five husbands and current boyfriend John 4:18
• He knew Lazarus was dead from his illness even though He and the disciples were miles away John 11:1, 11-14
• He knew who would betray Him long before Judas had made the decision to do so John 6:70-71
• He told Peter he would deny Him three times on the night of hi arrest followed by a rooster’s crow Luke 22:34

Do these examples show Jesus’ life in the flesh was more than human? Did the Word… all knowing… all powerful carry over some of that divine power into His life in the flesh? Just in case… So he’d have an edge? No He did not.

Phil 2:5-8… (not grasped) Hebrews 2:6-9 (little lower than angels) Jesus did not carry His divine powers into human flesh… He brought His character. The mind of God.

So, where did Jesus knowledge come from?

John 5:30 Jesus remarkable abilities and knowledge were not something that He had inherently. They were given to Him by the Father. Jesus clearly said, "I can of Myself do nothing"—that is, nothing supernaturally beyond humanness on His own.

Jesus did not know everything

There was knowledge that He did not have and therefore asked to find out.

Mark 9:21 He inquired from the father of the child who had the mute spirit, "How long has this been happening to him?" He Mark 13:32 He admitted He did not know the exact time of His coming.

Jesus relied on the Father to inform Him of the time of His return. In the same way we can understand that the Father also gave Him the understanding of the hearts of men, prophetic events and other information that He did not gather through the 5 senses.

Jesus constantly depended on God the Father for guidance on what to do, what to say, how to answer. The Father gave Him insight into the hearts of men everything else He needed according to the will of the Father. Jesus went to God the Father for help to obey, for power over demonic spirits and strength to resist and overcome temptation.

• Luke 5:16 Sometimes He prayed for long periods
• Luke 6:12-16  prayed before making big decisions like choosing the 12 apostles
• Luke 22:41-44  prayed repeatedly to the Father to  send an angel to strengthen Him when facing His death

Hebrews 5:7 As a human being, Jesus trusted the Father completely for the strength He needed to prevail against the forces that worked so fervently against Him.

In the same way Jesus faith in the father is the explanation behind the miracles He performed.

The Jews only found Him guilty of claiming to be the Son of God. Pilate said he found Him not guilty

Was it possible for Jesus to sin?

First, the Bible is quite clear that Jesus did not sin.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul says that Jesus "knew no sin"
• 1 John 3:5 John confirms that "in Him there is no sin"
• John 8:46 None of His enemies could convict Him of sin

But could He have sinned?

Because… if sin wasn't even possible for Jesus, then can we say His temptation was genuine? Like yours or mine? And if not real temptation then He skipped an important part of the human condition under the judgment of God.

Hebrews 4:15 Jesus temptation was the real deal… so did God’s plan hang in the balance during Jesus life? Did God roll the dice with Jesus? Was it a risky plan?

It's perhaps more fitting to say that while Jesus had the option to sin, it was always certain that He would not. Jesus faced genuine struggles and temptations, but refused to give in to the temptation to sin because of who He was… the Word who became flesh who at all times relied totally on the Father.

Matt 4:1-2  Was this just a game? If there was no real temptation what was the point? Strongest temptation ever!

Luke 22:44-46  Jesus faced strong temptation with fasting, prayer, “with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death".

Hebrews 2:17-18 For Jesus to fully know how human beings have to deal with sin. He had to be tempted exactly like you are… and beyond! (expand below)

If a person yields to temptation, he has not felt its full power, there was still more to resist. Only the one who successfully prevails against a particular temptation and remains sinless knows the full extent of that temptation.

Was Jesus really God?

We have previously explained that The God Revealed in the Old Testament Was the One Who Became Jesus Christ (John 1:1). What was the difference, then, between how He was God prior to His human birth and when He was a human being?

Phil 2: 6-8 (not to be grasped)

Jesus gave up the independent use of His divine power. He didn’t lose them… but, to become truly human, He voluntarily gave up the ability to exercise them on His own while in the flesh. He became totally reliant on the Father for everything.

As we read earlier in John 5:30 Jesus could exercise the attributes of divinity only in submission to the will of the Father. John 14:10-14 – also says something important about humans like you! As a limited flesh and blood human, you can do great things and ask for anything – if we too ask and do in accordance with the will of the Father.

Repeatedly, Jesus declared that the works He did were the Father's, not His own, and He pointed to the works as proof that He had been sent from the Father (John 8:28, John 10:32).

As YHWH of the Old Testament, the one who became Jesus could speak on His own authority. In the flesh Jesus spoke and acted under authority to God and in full dependence on Him. John 5:19

Jesus' salvation

John 6:57 – Jesus placed His entire future squarely in the hands of the Father. The self-existing I AM now would have no life unless it were through the Father. If He were to again have eternal life, He would now have to obtain it as a human being, in the same way you and I achieve salvation—through submission to the Father and the resurrection from the dead.

Hebrews 5:8-9 Jesus blazed the trail (showing what was possible AND that it is possible) by experiencing the entire process of salvation as a human being, birth, life, death… resurrection—with one exception. Jesus didn't have to repent of sin. He was perfect.

Jesus endured suffering, He faced down temptation, He was always obedient… and in these things He was perfected, tested and strengthened through hardships and trials.

Romans 1:4 As “the Word” He was perfect even before His human birth. Through His life in the flesh Jesus was perfected as a human being and "declared to be the Son of God ...by the resurrection from the dead".

Hebrews 2:10 , 14-17

Could God die?

As an infinite, immortal spirit Being, God cannot or does not die. God is life, the self-existent one. So wouldn’t Jesus, who was subject to death be something other than “God”.

But, if that member of the God family volunteered to become a human being. Volunteered to have only the attributes and qualities of the flesh. Volunteered to possess life only as given to him by the Father then Jesus could die.

And Jesus did die. Not some fakey death where He went off to hang out in a spirit being waiting room for 3 days and 3 nights.  He was really dead. No thoughts or consciousness his spirit returned to God like you will be when you die. It had to be a real death otherwise it would not have been a real substitution—His life for ours.

Without a real death, it would have just been a game. God’s righteous requirement for sin a hollow platitude.

Jesus was dead. But His salvation and resurrection to life was through the Father in whom He had complete confidence – and that confidence can be yours too. Total, complete and utter trust in and reliance on His Father. The one who became Jesus put His salvation on the same basis as yours. He is your forerunner, your example, the author of your salvation.

Was there ever a doubt in the outcome? There was none—not because Jesus couldn't fail, but because He and the Father knew what each could do and would do. The strength of God is the greatest strength there is, and the faith of Jesus was absolute. It is the same faith through which we are saved.