The Human Christ

"While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions." (Matthew 22: 41-46)

"What do you think about the Christ?" That question is still being asked today. Every gospel minister, yea, every Christian, is called upon to present this question to every man. It is a question that each person must answer for himself. How one answers this question is of the utmost importance, determining one's eternal destiny.

In the instance above, Jesus was asking this question of people who believed the Old Testament, with its promise of a coming Savior and Messiah. Jesus wanted them to express their views respecting the coming of this Messiah. How did they interpret those Messianic prophecies? Did they properly understand the Old Testament scriptures respecting the promise of Messiah? Did they correctly understand both the person and work of him who would be "Christ," God's anointed Savior and King?

What do you think of the Messianic promises of the Old Testament? This question is similar to the ones Jesus had earlier asked his apostles. It is also a question that every Christian soul winner puts to every Jew today who has not believed the good news about Jesus and his being the Messiah.

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some (say) Elias; and others(say), Jeremias, or (say) one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16: 13-16)

There are two questions here. First, "what is the popular opinion respecting my person and work?" Second, "what is your opinion?"

There were but few Jews, if any, at the time of Christ's appearing, who properly understood all things respecting Messiah. The popular views were generally defective, not only on such things as God's purpose in the giving of the law, but also on other doctrinal issues. Among the "doctors of the law," the ones Jesus disuputed with in the Temple when he was twelve years of age, there were sects, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Herodians. When confronting these sects, Jesus often corrected each sect's chief errors in biblical interpretation.

"How can the Messiah be David's son (which he is) and also his lord?" In Hebrew thought, no father calls his son lord, but vice versa. The Jews believed in the humanity of Christ, as they should, but they had not believed in his divinity. Others sects would later arise, like the Gnostics, who would accept the idea of Christ's divinity, but would deny his humanity.

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." (Revelation 22: 16)

Humanly speaking, one cannot be both the root and the offspring of another. Jesus is unique. He is the root of David, as he is divine, as he is the eternal Son of God. He is the offspring of David, however, as he is human, as he is the Son of Man.

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." (John 8: 58)

"John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me." (John 1: 15, 30)

Again, Christ, in his humanity, came after Abraham; but, in his divinity, he preexisted Abraham. Also, Jesus was born physically six months after John the Baptist, thus John says that he "comes after me." But, as Jesus is not merely human, but divine, he preexisted the Baptist - "he was before me."

Jesus got tired, but God does not get tired. Jesus was hungry and thirsty, but God does not get hungry and thirsty. Jesus slept but God does not sleep. Jesus grew in wisdom, but God does not grow in wisdom.

Does all this prove that Jesus was not God, as some suppose? No, it only proves that he was human. It does not disprove that he was also divine, or God. Things are said of Jesus that can only be true of his humanity, while other things are said of him that cannot be true of his humanity, but only of his divinity. He is appropriately both Son of God and Son of Man, two of his titles, one referring to his humanity, and the other to his deity.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (I Timothy 2: 5, 6)

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2: 14, 15)

"Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." (Romans 1: 3, 4)

So, we cannot deny the humanity of Christ. He was fully man. He was not merely a man, but he was man. He also is still man, though glorified. The purpose in his becoming human, becoming a man, was so that he might be able to die, that he might be able to represent our race before God, that he might be accepted as a substitute, as a sacrificial offering for the sins of man.

Friend, what do you think of Christ?