Jesus the Man

Dale WellsPalm Desert Church of ChristMay 14, 2006

An important question to which history has given many answers:

Jesus, through the ages: Wandering rabbi or King of Kings

Cosmic Christ or Revolutionary

Clown of Godspell, or Disillusioned Celebrity of Superstar

The Founder of Modern Business

Bruce Barton “The Man Nobody Knows” (1925) Last chapter “The Founder of Modern Business”

Jesus as archetypal businessman who “forged 12 men from the bottom ranks of business into an organization that conquered the world.”

At age 12 he was about his father’s business. Luke 2:49 NKJV And He said to them, "Why did you

seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"

His story of achievement – secrets of success! Portraying Jesus as a super salesman is as

ludicrous as picturing Mother Teresa as a fashion model and Gandhi as a comic book superhero.

Henry J. Cadbury “The Peril of Modernizing Jesus” Professor of Divinity

at Harvard Awarded Nobel

Peace Prize in 1947 Wrote “The Peril of

Modernizing Jesus” (1947)

His emphasis was that we must get back to the authentic Jesus of the Bible

Personal Images of Jesus:Kind shepherd & unassuming guest

Crucified Savior & Risen Lord

Liberator & Judge

Jesus may be the ultimate Rorschach test.

What we see says more about us than him:

Doves see a pacifist; hawks see a warrior

The compassionate see him surrounded by happy children

Feminists see the women by his side

Gays seek affirmation of their lifestyle in his friendship with John

For God to reveal himself to us, he

had to become one of us

Fish in an aquarium always see their keeper as a threat, even though he always does them good and never harm.

For the keeper to get across that he is their friend, he would have to become a fish.

Jesus is the unique God/Man

In all heaven and earth, there is only one who is both God and Man

Therefore, he is the only mediator between God and Man 1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV For there is one God and

one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.

Both his deity & humanity have been attacked throughout history

Some deny humanity & focus on deity Docetics regarded the humanity of Jesus as

apparent, not real Clement of Alexandria: ridiculous to imagine

that he had the needs of man Athanasius: he “disguised himself” as a man. Philo of Alexandria: when he wept, ate, drank

& slept, it was a concession to our nature rather than a necessity of his own humanity

Others deny his deity & focus on his humanity John 1:1 NLT In the beginning the Word

already existed. He was with God, and he was God. John 1:1 NWT In [the] beginning the Word was,

and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.

Philippians 2:6 NLT Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. Philippians 2:6 NWT who, although he was

existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God.

Others deny his deity & focus on his humanity Hebrews 1:8 CEV But God says about his Son,

"You are God, and you will rule as King forever! Your royal power brings about justice. Hebrews 1:8 NWT But with reference to the Son:

“God is your throne forever and ever, and [the] scepter of your kingdom is the scepter of uprightness.

Titus 2:13 NLT … we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. Tit 2:13 NWT … we wait for the happy hope and

glorious manifestation of the great God and of [the] Savior of us, Christ Jesus

Others deny his deity & focus on his humanity

It is intellectually dishonest to start with a doctrine, then adapt your translation to fit that doctrine.

The honest approach is to start with the translation, then let your doctrine flow out of the text of scripture – not the other way around

Hebrews begins by affirming the balance of Jesus’ deity & humanity

Hebrews 1 focuses on Deity of Jesus God’s final word Creator of the universe Superior to the angels God, sitting on his throne of justice

Hebrews 2 focuses on Humanity of Jesus Hebrews 2:14 NASB Therefore, since the

children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Hebrews 2:17 NASB Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Notice that both verses begin with “therefore”

These two verses have one fundamental point He became like us.

Because we were flesh and blood, he became flesh and blood.

He was born like us, of a human mother. His birth was natural; his conception was supernatural.

He grew up like us. Luke 2:52 NIV And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature,

and in favor with God and men. He was called Son of God, but also Son of Man.

The Bible affirms the full humanity of Jesus.

Why did he become flesh and blood? He got hungry, thirsty, tired & sleepy. He ate, slept, wept, sweated & died. He felt human emotions: love, anger, joy, sorrow,

compassion, indignation. He had a human spirit with which he prayed to the

father & a human will which he submitted to the father.

His favorite title was “Son of Man”. Why was it necessary & fitting for him to become

like us? What is the significance of his identification with our humanity?

Hebrews 2 lists five experiences of Jesus

Experiences he had because he was human, that he could not have had if he had not become human

Experiences he had to have if he was to fulfill the role that the Father had given him to fulfill.

Rearranged so as to look at them in the order in which he experienced them – not the order in which they are presented.

First, Jesus was tempted

Hebrews 2:18 NLT Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.

Hebrews 4:15 NLT This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.

Jesus bore the full blast of Satan’s attack in a way no other human has.

May 12, 1953, the day after the Waco tornado

The wreckage of the Padgitt Building against the ALICO building.

Which felt the full blast of the wind?

Those that collapsed fell before the wind climaxed.

Those standing were exposed to the full force.

We fall before temptation reaches its climax; but Jesus felt the full blast & was left standing.

How can you say Jesus was tempted in all points? He was a man – he didn’t know the

temptations of women. He was young – he didn’t know the

temptations of age. He was single – he didn’t know the

temptations of the married or parents. He lived in 1st Century rural Palestine, not

21st Century Southern California. In all points – not particulars, but principles

All sins are variations on a few themes: 1 John 2:15-17 NLT Stop loving this evil world

and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. (16) For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. (17) And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.

Jesus temptations deal with themes common to all temptations: Disobey God by taking independent action (turn

stones into bread) Doubt God (throw self from temple & forcing

God’s hand), rather than trusting God Deny God (worship Satan & secure homage of

world that way) Every temptation – pride, malice, greed, envy,

young, old, single, married, man, woman – is a variation on those themes: Disobedience, Doubt or Denial.

Jesus was tempted in all points as we are:

His temptations were real, frequent, savage.

He understands & sympathizes with our weaknesses & is able to help us in our weaknesses.

Second, Jesus, suffered.

Jesus suffered slander, rejection, mockery, pain. Hebrews 2:10 NLT And it was only right that God-

who made everything and for whom everything was made-should bring his many children into glory. Through the suffering of Jesus, God made him a perfect leader, one fit to bring them into their salvation.

Hebrews 5:8 NLT So even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

He learned obedience through the things he suffered.

His obedience to the Father needed to be put to the test. Until it had been tested and he passed the test, his human experience was not complete.

Through his suffering he brings us glory. Suffering & glory go together. Through his

suffering, he was glorified & brings us to glory. But he couldn’t have suffered if he hadn’t

become a man.

Third, Jesus died. To be our savior, he had to die for our sins, but in

order to die he had to become man. Gods don’t die, but the God/Man died, because

he had become man in order to die. Hebrews 2:14 NLT Because God's children are

human beings-made of flesh and blood-Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death.

By his death, he destroyed the Devil & rescued the Devil’s slaves.

Jesus was born in order to die. He took our nature on him in order to take

our sin and guilt upon him. He took a body that the flesh might be

crucified & the blood spilled. God condemned our sin in the flesh of

Jesus & by his blood we are cleansed.

Fourth, Jesus is our High Priest

Hebrews 2:17 NLT Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.

The High Priest is a representative of people.

To represent us, he must be one of us. Priests brought the people to God. Jesus has done this to perfection. He made one sacrifice once for all & ever lives

to make intercession for us. How could he be our High Priest if he did

not become man? Must be human to represent us –humanity

made it possible for him to be our High Priest

Fifth, Jesus has been crowned.

Hebrews 2:6-8 NLT For somewhere in the Scriptures it says, "What is man that you should think of him, and the son of man that you should care for him? (7) For a little while you made him lower than the angels, and you crowned him with glory and honor. (8) You gave him authority over all things." Now when it says "all things," it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all of this happen.

David marveled that God set man over His works

Psalms 8:4-6 NIV what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (5) You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. (6) You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

Psalm 8 was a meditation on Genesis 1. Genesis 1:26-28 NIV Then God said, "Let us make

man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (28) God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

It isn’t true – Man doesn’t exercise dominion

All things have not been put under our feet. But Jesus, the ideal man, has been

crowned with glory & honor & he exercises eternal dominion.

Hebrews 2:9 NLT What we do see is Jesus, who "for a little while was made lower than the angels" and now is "crowned with glory and honor" because he suffered death for us.

Ephesians 1:20-23 NRSV

God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. (22) And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, (23) which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 2:4-6 NLT

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, (5) that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!) (6) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms-all because we are one with Christ Jesus.

Each of the 5 experiences of Jesus were “fitting” & “necessary”

In order to help us when tempted, he had to be tempted himself & he couldn’t do that unless he became man.

In order to be made perfect in obedience, he had to suffer, but he couldn’t suffer unless he became man.

In order to save us from our sins he had to die on the cross, but he couldn’t die unless he became man.

Each of the 5 experiences of Jesus were “fitting” & “necessary”

In order to be our high priest, he had to be our representative before God, but he couldn’t do that unless he became man.

In order to exercise dominion, he had to be crowned with glory and honor & fulfill the prophecy about man in Psalm 8, but he couldn’t do that unless he was man.

Seated at the right hand of God, is a man.

Glorified man, Jesus Christ. He took our flesh and blood & has never

repudiated that identification with us. He is our brother who suffered & feels with us He is our high priest who represents us He is the ideal man to whom dominion has

been given. A man reigns on throne of the Universe.

You can come to him with confidence.