Communion With the Christ:: The Humanity of Jesus

"and the Word became flesh" Jhn: 1:14

Many Theologians and Biblical Scholars of varies denominations and traditions are growing in their understanding of the importance of the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have seen the importance of our Lord's deity yet we can miss the importance of his humanity.

Yet, Jesus’ humanity is of equal importance as his deity, for they are both his. Jesus is equally, that is fully, both, deity and humanity, but at time his humanity can be over looked or what his humanity means for us can be misunderstood or not truly appreciated.

There is only one Jesus who is both divine and human fully, not half or one or of the other, fully both. Jesus knew, and knows who he is. Jesus shares our humanity; he is one of us.

Jesus, the second or last Adam.

"So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit."1Cor:15:45

St. Paul explains some of details of Jesus' introduction into the History of Salvation for us and the results of his coming into our world and how, though Jesus, God has given humanity an all-new life if we will but freely except it. Rom: 5:1-20

Recapitulation

Through Jesus' coming in the incarnation, that is deity taking on our very humanity, Jesus has become the head of the human race. As Adam had been the Federal Head of all humanity, binding each and all of us to his choice and passing it onto the whole race. Jesus , in the same way has become, through his humanity, the new Federal Head of the whole of the human race. This is what the ancient church called “Recapitulation”.

“Recapitulation”, means, to be given a new head, this could be accomplished because Jesus is fully God, yet fully humanity, both the creator and in the incarnation having joined his creation.

Perfect Deity and sinless humanity, in one person accomplished through Jesus' incarnation. Humanity has a new head in Christ, yet not all humanity knows this or experience it.

Jesus' Humanity

Understanding Jesus’ humanity is as important as his deity. This is the means by which we understand how Jesus is all that he is to us and for us, “the way, the truth, the life”.

“Son of Man”

St. John wrote in his Gospel account that "Word became flesh". The very eternal Son and Word of God became "the Son of Man”. It is important to understand that Jesus is not the Son of God because of the incarnation, but rather, the incarnation is because Jesus is the Son of God. The incarnation only shows us what has eternal been true, that Jesus is God's eternal Son the second person of the Holy Trinity.

The "Son of Man" is Jesus’ most often used title for himself. This shows that Jesus identifies with us, understand us, this is not just a theoretical title which Jesus has assumed for the sake of power and position, but it is his sharing of the human experience that he did not isolate himself from the suffering of humanity. Jesus is truly is one of us, a human being.

Jesus is approachable. This is not just out of convenience, or necessity, or a strategy of some sort, but is out of love for us, out of our God's desire to have a relationship with us.

Jesus' humanity makes an intimate love relationship with God possible. God is not distant far off and aloof, but subjective and personal, relational.

Our High Priest

Jesus understands our frailties, and knows and understands us for he is one of us and can help us as our High Priest.

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."Heb:4:14-16

Jesus has firsthand experience of all the frailties of us all or he has witnessed the frailties of others for himself. Having this first-hand human experience among as one of us he is able even now to help us all with understanding and compassion. Jesus is gentle with us.

"Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness."

"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek". Heb: 5:1-2, 7-10

Brings Us into Worship

In Jesus’ humanity we are made one in his worship of the Father. It is in truth, Jesus who brings to pass and oversees all the worship of the Great God, both through the word being proclaimed and through the hymns of praise.

"In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises. “And again, “I will put my trust in him. And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity"Heb:2:12-14a

Jesus is the means through which God understands us as well, not as one who looks down on life from the vantage point in eternity but our God through Jesus has firsthand experience of this life and brings us into union with himself.

Humanity that Died and Arose

At the glorious resurrection of Jesus our Lord did not leave his humanity in the grave forever captive within the bounds of death. It is Jesus' humanity that rose and defeated death from within death itself and then ascended into the Heavens.

In Christ, all humanity has, through Jesus' humanity, joined him in death and has died with Jesus, so that, as all died, in the same way through his bodily resurrection all have been raised. This has been accomplished by and in Jesus' humanity but it required his divine uniqueness as God's Son to give his humanity the power to accomplish this for us.

St. Paul give us the explanation which through prayer and discussion, the Apostolic Church had arrived at an understanding as to what had been accomplished through Jesus for humanity. In a very theologically weighty statement about just what occurred for us all in Jesus' death and resurrection.

"For Christ’s love compels us, for we have considered that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."2Cor:5:14-15

St. Paul speaks again that in Jesus we all have died and have been raised, therefore in his resurrected life we live as well, and that eternal life is now ours by Jesus.Rom:6:4-11

This life which we live is experienced over a life time, but what if we fall short and “sin”?

We can approach our God through Jesus, (and if we understand the reality of what God has done for us we will see that Jesus has already approached God for each and all of us as our High priest and Advocate) and cite or, acknowledge our "sin". This is to ever and always remind us of our need for him and all that Jesus has accomplished for us. This shows us again, his never faltering Grace for us and our eternal dependence on Jesus for transformation into the very image of Jesus. This is what the Ancient Church called "deification”, becoming Christ-like.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."1Jhn:1:8-10

His Life Not Ours

The Christian life is not just conforming to “morals or ethics” or following an example of a historical personality but rather, it is a living way of life which comes from being in union with Jesus. We then participate in Jesus' life. We are in Union with who and what Jesus is doing not just what he has done. It is we have a sharing in all that is Jesus' except his deity; this is Jesus' alone.

St. Paul tells us: “The life I live by faith of the Son of God” Gal: 2:20

humanity but it required his divine uniqueness as God's Son to give his humanity the power to accomplish this for us.

St. Paul speaks again that in Jesus we all have died and have been raised, therefore in his resurrected life we live as well, and that eternal life is now ours by Jesus.Rom:6:4-11

This life which we live is experienced over a life time, but what if we fall short and “sin”?

His Life Not Ours

St. Paul tells us: “The life I live by faith of the Son of God” Gal: 2:20

This life which St. Paul speaks of is Jesus' not ours, understanding this lifts the burden off of us. It means, that Jesus has the faith to save us, all of us- He has the faith to sustain us in our hard times – we do not have to rely on ourselves.

The Christian life shows us what is already true for each and all who will but freely receive it when they hear the message of the Gospel. Scripture calls us “complete” and "righteous” in Jesus.

This is accomplished by and trough Jesus' shared humanity with us, and the deity He shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, our works are works of because of salvation, not works for salvation. The works are salvation being given expression through us.

Jesus is God with us and us with God.

From the eternal vantage point of God, we are even now with him not just someday beyond the confines of this earthly life, but here and now, present tenses, Jesus is there and we in him.

This new life of Christ which we live out only shows us what is already true and what will be in eternity made manifest.

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."Eph:2:4-10

One in Jesus

Jesus' prayer that we might be “one” as he and the Father are “one”. The same "oneness" which Jesus shares with his Father, he wants us to experience with himself.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."Jhn:17:20-23

Jesus does not see his Father, or the Holy Spirit, as “different or separate persons” from himself as we understand it. That is, Jesus wants us to see each another in him in the same way, this can be by seeing we are in Jesus. We should not see Jesus as a separate person from ourselves.

We are "one in Jesus”. There are no words and in any language of here upon the Earth which adequately can describe this reality which has been accomplished for us through Jesus, but it is true in and for all of us through the humanly of Christ which makes it all possible for us.

Benediction: May we each and all thank our Lord Jesus for the humanity which he shares with each and all of us, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.