Jesus Is a Man

Jesus’ fully human nature makes him the perfect high priest, mediator, and example for every believer.

By REMI WIGZELL

Read Time: 5 minutes

Where to begin with a topic such as “Jesus is a Man?” It is a fact rich in context and information, worth becoming familiar with for any believer in Jesus Christ, especially those baptized into his name. It’s also a topic that, on first inspection, seems obvious and perhaps offers a clear answer, but is in fact a challenge, as evidenced by how many hold a Trinitarian faith.

The purpose of this study is not to directly confront the false beliefs of “God the Son,” but instead to stick to the original Bible teaching and examine the overwhelming evidence for the gospel truth preached so long ago by a man born of humble origins—to let the record speak for itself and show how the work done by Jesus Christ was critical for the salvation of man and to maintain the righteousness of Yahweh. The life he lived was plagued by battles of the flesh (though he never succumbed): his own temptation, others’ unbelief, false witnesses, faithless disciples, and corrupt spiritual leadership. It is nonetheless glorified and admired for the fact that he was a man, just as you and just as me.

So then, where to begin but the very birth of Jesus Christ? Luke 1 recounts  the interaction between the angel Gabriel and a virgin named Mary, in which a promise was fulfilled. Dating back to their ancestors, Abraham and David, were the promises of land (Genesis 12, 13) and eternal kingship (2 Samuel 7), as well as the promise of a seed who would sit on this throne in this land for eternity. But at that moment, this promise was being fulfilled through a mortal, human mother. And the record specifies he was to be conceived in her womb, just as an ordinary birth, as any other man or woman (Luke 1:31).

And though the town of Nazareth, where he grew up without distractions, wealth or fame, would have been crucial to his early development in his relationship with his Father, he had decades to learn about his Father through the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. Through these books, he would soon learn that his position and calling were different from those of his family and friends, and that he was destined for a greater purpose. As he would have read from Isaiah 53:2-3, “He shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground… when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected.” He would have understood the pain and the sacrifice he was fated to live before his Father. He knew the creator of heaven and earth had a plan for him to overcome the battle of flesh for a specific reason—to bridge the gap between man and God. Unlike us, he was able to read about his own work in conquering flesh.

When we turn our attention to the personal battles Jesus overcame during his ministry, we begin to relate more personally to his position. In Matthew 4, Jesus faced three separate temptations that reflect the temptations we face in the world—self-indulgence, power, and authority and supremacy. The tempter challenged Jesus to consider the actions he could potentially justify—to be consumed in the temporal things of this world, forgetting his calling and election. In fact, just as any man, Jesus had every opportunity to buy into his fleshly desires (as stated in Hebrews 4:15 and 2:18) and reap great reward from it. He could have taken his position as king, then and there, and set up his own kingdom. But in that very act, this kingdom would have been built on the same things as every kingdom of man which came before—on flesh and selfishness, but not on Yahweh. If this were the case, his kingdom, too, like all those other kingdoms, would pass off the scene and not have a greater calling or election. The very innate characteristic that makes us human is that once we pass, we return to dust, and “The dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). But Jesus Christ had the wisdom to recognize this truth, and acknowledge that his Father’s will was right, and the only true plan for salvation. This perception is where the true power of Christ’s nature becomes significant. His life of sacrifice was made holy because of his nature—because he had the ability to give in to sin and yet never actually did.

Therefore, when we read sections such as Hebrews 2 and 4 that speak in intimate detail about the nature of Jesus Christ, we are encouraged, because we have the very best candidate for our high priest and mediator. Hebrews 2:9 says, “Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” He was made a little lower because he was a man who could die and because of the inclination to sin. This idea is not to say that angels are greater now than Jesus, as the writer of Hebrews clarifies in chapter 1 by stating, “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” (v. 4). The emphasis and nuanced argument show that Jesus Christ was created lower than the angels by nature, but was made better because of his obedience and paternity, thereby demonstrating the word made flesh. The keyword is “being,” which illustrates the ongoing process by which Christ became better from his low point to eventually the right hand of the Father. But if this nuanced argument isn’t clear, the writer of the Hebrews specifies what Jesus Christ really achieved in this state. Though he lived a perfect life, he was “touched with the feelings of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).

The significance of his sacrifice is that he was able to relate to every man and woman who has lived upon the face of this earth. To feel the struggle, yet remain perfect. This sentence rolls off the tongue, but it is an incredible fact that challenges comprehension. How can we be confident he truly felt our temptations? Think back to the temptations of Matthew 4. Once the tempter left Christ’s presence, Matthew records that that angels were sent to minister and comfort him. In this time of trial, he required the support and comfort of angels to remind him of his purpose. A similar instance occurs in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:43, where an angel consoled Christ in his last hours.

And if there is still doubt about Jesus’ nature, potentially the most powerful argument of all is the fact that Jesus Christ died. How else could this be explained but through a recognition that Christ is a man?

In all these instances, Jesus Christ shows his nature, his struggles, his emotions and feelings—just as we, ordinary men and women, do. He demonstrated that he felt the same challenges we do. Yet, despite his nature, he overcame all the lusts and temptations of sin in his life. This is the man who lived over 2,000 years ago in Israel and preached the gospel message to his disciples, who then spread it to every corner of the globe. This is the message for which the Apostles Paul and Peter sacrificed their lives. However, humanity has corrupted the original teachings of the gospel message, elevating Jesus Christ to God while he was on earth. This mis-exaltation fails to appreciate the grace of God and His plan of salvation, because it doesn’t fully grasp that Jesus Christ had the ability to sin but overcame it in every sense. Because Christ is a man, we can truly approach Yahweh. This fact allows us to come boldly before His throne of grace and develop a relationship with Him. As a man, Christ showed us how to live—and so we strive to show the Word made flesh.

Remi Wigzell,
Enfield Ecclesia, SA