2. The Humanity of Jesus (Rom. 8:3)

This sermon was preached on Thursday, 1/10/2009

What was Jesus like and what kind of life did he live? Paul gives one summary of the life of Jesus in Romans 8:3: ‘For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.’

This verse is a reminder that there are different roles played by each person of the Trinity in the plan of salvation. One aspect of the role of the Father in sending his Son to be the Saviour was the preparation of his human nature, which is referred to here in the phrase, ‘the likeness of sinful flesh.’ This phrase has played a central role in theological study as it has considered the Saviour’s human nature.

Sent by the Father
To begin with, this verse reminds us that the Son of God existed before he became a human – we can see this in the statement that he was sent by the Father (a person has to exist before he can be sent). Here we draw near to what is most mysterious. Although the persons of the Trinity are equal in power and glory, each possessing all the divine attributes in their fulness, there is an order between them. An aspect of this order is stated here: the Father sent the Son, which means that in some way the Son agreed to perform the Father’s will. With regard to the other person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, we are told elsewhere that he was sent into the world by the Father and by the exalted Son (John 15:26). So the Spirit also agrees to do the will of the Father and the Son.

What Paul is saying here about Jesus is also mentioned in other places in the New Testament. We can see the same emphasis in the text that used to be the best-known verse in the Bible: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16), which is followed immediately by a reference to the sending of Jesus by the Father: ‘For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him’ (John 3:17). Another passage that states this divine role of the Father is Galatians 4:4-5: ‘But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.’ We are familiar with the sacrificial love of Jesus in giving himself as the Substitute of sinners on the cross. At the same time, we should recall that the Father gave his Son to that end.

Thinking of Jesus as the One chosen by the Father stimulates us to regard him highly. God the Father would have chosen the best possible Person for this important role of redeeming sinners and providing the way by which they could become members of his family.

Voluntary submission of Jesus
A person can be sent in two ways: he can be sent by force or he can be sent voluntarily. With regard to Jesus he was not compelled to come because he was not in any way inferior to or weaker than the Father. Instead his coming to obey the Father’s will was entirely voluntary, done out of love to his Father.

One biblical passage that describes the voluntary submission of Jesus is Philippians 2:6-8: ‘who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.’ These verses mention two occasions when Jesus submitted himself: one was when he became a servant at his incarnation and the other was when he humbled himself to live a life of obedience that brought about his death. The first occasion involved his divine person taking into union with himself a human nature; the second occasion involved his human mind, emotions and will submitting to the path of obedience laid out for him by his heavenly Father.

Because of the fact that Jesus is both divine and human, his humanity is totally unique. The person of Jesus functions in two natures: divine and human. Many attempts have been made to describe this twofold activity, and it was the cause of much discussion in the early church as well as today. I have found the Westminster Shorter Catechism Answer 21 to be very helpful: ‘The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.’

If I can compel a person to come and help me, I cannot know if he wants to help me or not. His help may be given reluctantly. In contrast, if I know that my helper chose freely to come to my aid I can admire his interest in me and appreciate more deeply his contribution. Since Jesus came voluntarily as our Deliverer from sin, we can admire his actions with greater insight.

Problems in meaning
The phrase that we are considering here in verse 3 has been the source of at least two problems regarding the humanity of Jesus. First, there is the word ‘likeness’. This word has been interpreted as saying Jesus was like a man but not really a man. It seems that this was one of the first heresies to afflict the early church. The apostle John writes in 1 John 4:1-3: ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.’ But Paul used the word to say that when people saw Jesus they saw a person who looked like a normal man because he was a true man.

The second problem concerns the words ‘sinful flesh’. Some people argue that Paul means that Jesus became so like us that he could have sinned. They admit he did not sin, but they insist that he could have sinned. Two arguments are given in support of this idea: (1) he was born of a woman and (b) his temptations had to be real.

The Roman Catholic Church deals with the first by saying that Mary was sinless, which is an absurd doctrine given that she called God her Saviour (Luke 1:47). The answer to the sinlessness of his mother is that the Holy Spirit, in a way we cannot understand, ensured that Mary’s sinfulness was not passed on to her firstborn Son. Jesus would have taken genetic features from his mother but he did not take her sinfulness.

Concerning the reality of his temptations, those who argue that Jesus could have sinned forget or ignore that Jesus as a person was more than a human; he was also God. If Jesus could have sinned as a man, he could also have sinned as God. God could become a man, and in the person of his Son experience human situations, but he could not do something which brought about the possibility of sinning. Adam was able not to sin, but Christ was not able to sin. Concerning the ferocity of temptation, we must remember that it is the person who holds out against it longest who feels it the most. If a person succumbs quickly, he has not felt its full force. Jesus never succumbed, therefore he felt the force of temptation more than any other did.

We admire Jesus because he was chosen by the Father to be the Saviour, because he freely chose to come as the Saviour, and because he was perfect in his humanity.

What was his humanity like?
Having said these comments, I want to highlight some other aspects of the Saviour’s humanity, and we can begin by noticing that his humanity was a real humanity. Although the conception of Jesus was miraculous, his birth was normal. He was a baby boy, dependant on his mother. He went through all the stages of human development, as a child, as an adolescent, as an adult. He learned by asking questions, both as a teenager and as an adult. Jesus grew socially, in favour with his neighbours. He engaged in manual labour, involved in the building of houses. He enjoyed friendship with others. If he stood on a stone, he felt pain. When family members died, he knew bereavement. He participated in family celebrations, such as weddings (John 2:1-11). Throughout his life on earth, he lived as a real man.

Second, the humanity of Jesus was a religious humanity. This was the case outwardly and inwardly. He attended the public meetings in the synagogue and went to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. Inwardly, he kept the law of God with all his heart and developed in a consistent and balanced manner the fruit of the Spirit. In Jesus there was perfect response to very situation: sorrow when needed, joy when appropriate, anger when required. He delighted in prayer and meditating on the Scriptures, and it was through them that he discerned how to live for God. Every moment of every day he lived by faith in God. His sinlessness was not only an expression of grace, it was an achievement of faith (David McIntyre). It was by faith Jesus endured the cross and despised its shame.

Third, the humanity of Jesus was a representative humanity. All that he did, throughout each stage of his life, he did on behalf of others. His entire life was a life of obedience, whether as a child in the home, as an inhabitant in his village, as a travelling teacher instructing his disciples, or as a suffering victim on the cross. In every moment he obeyed God lovingly and thought of his neighbours lovingly. When the rich young ruler walked away, Jesus loved him. On the cross, he showed his love for his neighbours by praying for the soldiers, assuring the penitent thief of heaven, and providing for his mother. That beautiful life becomes ours, imputed to us when we believe in Jesus.

Fourth, the humanity of Jesus is a risen and glorified humanity. There are differences between his appearance before his death and after his resurrection. It is not always clear why his disciples did not recognise him. The two on the way to Emmaus were prevented from recognising him, by God presumably. Mary Magdalene may have been blinded by her tears, although she recognised his voice, which the two from Emmaus did not. He was capable of doing things, such as disappearing from sight or coming into a room with a locked door, which humans usually cannot do. As a man he was able to ascend through the sky, defying the laws of gravity.

But leaving these differences for the moment, let us rejoice that Jesus is alive in the fullness of his humanity, and that he has risen as the firstfruits from the dead, the guarantee that all his people will rise as well. He has entered into heaven as a man, he has been glorified with divine blessings and favour. And in heaven he sympathises with us in all our needs.

The humanity of Jesus is a royal humanity. This is connected to his glorification, for he has taken his seat on the throne of God. Today, he is not only risen, for he also reigns. His reign involves control over all things, but it is helpful to divide it into two areas. First, there is his reign of grace, as through the gospel conveyed into the hearts of sinners by the Holy Spirit, he brings people into his kingdom and rules over them in grace. Second, there is his kingly role over the rebellious world, which will climax at the end of time when he will judge that world and assign to every individual who has ever lived their eternal destiny.

The humanity of Jesus is a rich humanity. He is the heir of all things – everything is his, in time and space, for eternity. But his riches he shares with his people, and although there are millions of them his possessions do not decrease. The word used in the Bible for his riches is glory, and all the wealth and power of this world is inadequate for giving any conception of the riches of Jesus.

These six aspects of his humanity should cause us to regard Jesus as our hero. He is a real man with nothing sham about him, he is a religious man who loved on earth to serve God and still delights to do so today, he is a representative man who did for me what I could not do for myself, he is a risen man who has gone through death and travelled to heaven in order to guarantee our inheritance, he is a royal man who rules over all things on behalf of his church and defeats all her enemies, he is a rich man permanently full of grace. What a man!

How do I know if I truly admire him? Heroes are those about whom we want to discover more and whose characters and deeds we wish to copy. I know that Jesus is my Hero when I imitate him as my role model. He has left us an example of humble service for us to imitate as we follow in his steps. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to conform us to the image of Jesus. That is our destiny, says Paul in verse 29, as far as our future is concerned; it should be our delight as far as our desires are concerned; but it is also our duty, what we owe to him for coming to our aid.