C. THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST'S HUMANITY
What was the need of such a unique personality? What are the crucial reasons why God took the human form as mentioned above? Many things can be noticed, we shall consider only the most fundamental ones.
i. To put away sin by an effective sacrifice.
“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins...” “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. “ 1John.3:5, 8.
“In as much as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14, 15.
The foremost purpose of His humanity was to die in the place of man. No man could bear the consequences of sin and live, so to fulfill the law of God and to redeem mankind from the penalty of his sins God the Son took the human form and died in his place as a substitute. Cf. Psalm 49:7—10; Hebrews 7:26; Romans 5:12
ii. To set an example for us.
“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps”. 1Peter 2:21. The Lord Jesus Christ lived as a perfect man, as God had intended Adam to live in the Garden of Eden. We know that first man failed miserably. In Christ –the second man- we see the pattern for our life to please God. Not only He gives us an example, He does give those who trust Him the grace and strength to follow His footsteps. Matthew.11:28, 29; Philippians. 2:5—8; Hebrews 12:2—4.
iii. To be our sympathetic High Priest.
“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2: 17, 18
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15.
The Old Testament priests had many limitations. In their nature and experience they were inadequate. They could not identify fully with man. But the Lord Jesus Christ as God He knows the demands of God fully and able to relate to God perfectly. At the same time as perfect Man, He knows fully of man and able to relate to man perfectly. Thus He is able to be the perfect mediator between God and man. 1 Timothy 2:5.
Years ago, Job sought for such a mediator. “For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, who may lay his hand on both.” Job 9:32, 33.
It was not just the desire of Job, millions around the globe longed for a man who can bridge the gap between God and fallen man. There is no one else but Christ who is qualified to be such a wonderful arbitrator because of His dual nature- deity as well as humanity.
In the Lord Jesus Christ the yearning of man has been answered. We have a God who has can understand us well. He has gone through all that we face today. Poverty, suffering, harassment, false accusation, hunger, thirst or whatever, all of our problems, He knows exactly, even more than we understand of its seriousness. He has satisfied the demands of God on behalf of us. Even today, the Bible says, He is pleading for us before the Father in heaven. What a comfort it gives to our heart!
D. CHRIST’S HUMANITY TODAY
As we saw earlier, even today He possesses the human form. From Acts.7:56, we understand that just before Stephen died as the first Christian martyr, he saw Christ –the Son of Man- standing at the right hand of God. Apostle John also saw the risen, ascended Christ as a Son of Man while in the isle of Patmos. Revelation 1:12ff.
The Bible says, one day The Lord Jesus Christ shall come back to earth in all His glory, and then we shall see Him as He is and shall be transformed to the image of Christ. Romans.8:29; Philippians 3:20, 21; 1 John 3:2. We shall see even the marks the nail, and fall prostrate at His feet to worship Him. Let us do the same even today in our spirit!
Praise Be to His Great Name!!
