One of the coolest things for me to think about when thinking about Jesus is His humanity. We know that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has the power to save, to heal, to walk on water, to defeat death, etc. He shares the power that His father has. But his divinity was not enough to save on its own. It gave Him the power too but He needed to understand who He was saving and what He was saving them from. He needed to understand humanity. And so Jesus came down to live among mankind. But not just to observe. He came to share in humanity with us. He came to live as a man. When He stepped down from heaven he relinquished His power to live like us. He was born like we are born. He grew up like we do. Remember the scene when Jesus was young speaking with the religious leaders, answering questions. When His parents found out they got on to Him just like our parents would to us if we disappeared for a couple of days. He worked a job like we do or will. He probably, as a carpenter, even whacked His finger with a hammer like many of us have. He was baptized like many of us. He experienced temptation like we do. He cried at lost like we do. He ate and drank like we do. And, ultimately, He died like we will. When Jesus stepped down from heaven He did so to live like us, to experience what we do, to understand our life. But what makes it even more amazing for me to think of is that He lived His own life. He truly lived a human life. He only lived in a small area within Israel and did not venture to far from home. He lived only as a man. He did not completely understand what it means to live in another country just as much as you and I do not because we have never lived there. He did not completely understand what it meant to live like a woman because He never did, just as we do not know what it truly is like to live as the opposite gender. He does not completely understand because, as a man, He lived His own life. He truly lived a life as human. While He cannot relate to each and everyone of us, He can understand. Our Lord and savior understands pain, loss, temptation, happiness, joy, etc, all feelings and emotions we will experience in our own way. Who else can claim that their God does this? How amazing and comforting is it to know this, to know that salvation was not just some impersonal act but one out of love and understanding and longing. Think about this and what it can mean and do for your life today and then consider these questions.
- How can you, knowing that Jesus understands, open up to Him about what is going on in your life?
- What can you learn from Jesus’ life as a human?
- How does this bring comfort into your life?