THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST
By Nelson Thomas, Mumbai
Introduction: -
We have seen that the Lord Jesus Christ who lived on this earth more than two thousand years ago is perfect God who came down from heaven. At the same time we also understand from the word of God that He is a perfect man, who possessed all the qualities of humanity except sin. Both His humanity and deity are very important teachings. If He was merely an ordinary man, and not God, our faith in Him and His work is worthless. Similarly, if He is just God and not man, again, our faith in Him as the substitute sacrifice for our sins and our saviour is useless. So both the truths are significant for a Christian. He was fully God as well as fully Man.
In the first century itself there were those who denied this vital truth. They said that if God takes the form of a human body, He will be contaminated by the evil of the matter, and that is unthinkable. So they concluded that God did not take the human form but just appeared as if he had one, but it was not a real body. Apostle John attacks them in his epistle. “ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon , and our hands have handled, concerning the word of life – the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” 1John. 1:1, 2.
John says emphatically that they have seen, looked upon and even touched the Son of God. Christ was not a phantom for Him. He and his companions walked with and lived with Him. With out any hesitation Apostle John called those who deny these truths as liars and antichrists. 1John.2:22.
Some others suggested that Christ the God came upon Jesus the man at his baptism but departed just before His death. John refutes that too in 1 John.5: 6 “ This is He who came by water and blood- Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.” The one who took baptism in the river Jordan is the same one who died on the cross of Calvary . John is a witness to it.
The New Testament teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is not only fully God but also He is completely a man having a body to be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity. We will see four things in connection with this truth.
A. THE PROOF OF HIS HUMANITY
B. THE UNIQUNESS OF HIS HUMANITY
C. THE PURPOSE OF HIS HUMANITY
D. CHRIST'S HUMANITY TODAY
