Phil. 2:5-8; Luke 1:26-38, True Man (2)

o   The attaining of Jesus’ humanity.

How did God become truly human?  The answer is bound up in the Virgin Birth.  Being born of Mary God fulfilled in perfect detail the first promise of a Savior in Gen. 3:15: Jesus was born of the woman.  This is the common way humans enter this world.  The event described in Luke 1:26-38 made this possible.  Jesus did not have a sinful nature.  But not having a sinful nature did not detract from Jesus’ true humanity; in fact it made Him as Adam and we can say more truly human than we who have been born in sin. 

o   The extent of Jesus’ humanity.

This idea that true humanity does not require the presence of sin is critical.  The record is very clear that Jesus had no sin: no sin nature, no sinful acts.

§  Jn. 8:46: when Jesus asked, “can any of you prove me guilty of sin,” no one answered.

§  Jn. 14:30: Jesus said the prince of this world (Satan) has no hold on Me.

§  2 Cor. 5:21: Jesus is described as He who knew no sin.

§  Heb. 4:15: Jesus was tempted in every way, as we are, yet without sin.  And remember, the fact that He never yielded as we do means His temptations had greater intensity.  When we yield the temptation is over.

§  Heb. 9:14: Christ offered Himself unblemished to God.

§  1 Pet. 2:22: Jesus committed no sin; no deceit was found in his mouth.

§  1 Jn. 3:5: IN HIM IS NO SIN!

How could this be?  Again, we note, the Virgin Birth is crucial.  The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35).

o   The purpose of Jesus’ humanity.  Why was it necessary for God to become Man?  The rich answers to this question are amazing.

§  So He could reveal God to man (John 1:14,18; Heb. 1:1-2).

§  So He could be exalted (Col. 1:19; Isa. 9:6-7; Luke 1:30-33).  The King exalted to David’s throne must be David’s Son.

§  So He could suffer and die (Heb. 2:9-10).  The eternal cannot experience our death unless He becomes one of us.

§  So He could identify those who need to be sanctified (Heb. 2:11).  Jesus is our Redeemer (Gal. 4:4), or more specifically, our Kinsman Redeemer (Ruth 1:4).  For this He must be nearest of kin, one of us.

§  To be able to destroy the one who had power of death (Heb. 2:14-15).

§  To be able to make propitiation, to satisfy our debt to God (Heb. 2:17).

§  To be able to be our merciful and faithful High Priest, our Mediator (Heb. 2:18; 1 Tim. 2:5).  The priest is taken from among those He represents.

Truly we must say, what a wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord!