In one sense Jesus was an ordinary person. When he worked at his carpenter’s bench he would have known the tiredness that comes from a hard day’s labour, and the pain of hitting your thumb with a hammer! He would have enjoyed the pleasure of a good meal and the company of friends. He knew the loss of loved ones. He experienced the sort of things that we experience as human-beings. Indeed the gospels show times when Jesus was tired (John 4:6), hungry (Matthew 4:2) and when he wept (John 11:35)—he didn’t seem to have a problem expressing his emotions in public!
Yet in another sense Jesus was anything other than an ordinary person. He had an unrivalled moral character. He displayed an authority that left people amazed. He made claims that would have been blasphemous for a mere person to make. And have you ever seen someone who walked on water or fed thousands of people with a boy’s lunch?
In this blog we are thinking about Jesus during his earthly life.
Jesus was born to a virgin
Both Matthew and Luke are very clear that Mary was a virgin and that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in her womb. One reason the virgin birth is an important doctrine to take seriously is that it shows the unique contribution of humanity and divinity in his parentage. His ordinary birth to an ordinary mother points to the fact that he was born an ordinary human child. The fact that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit points to the fact that this person is divine.
Yet in another sense Jesus was anything other than an ordinary person. He had an unrivalled moral character. He displayed an authority that left people amazed. He made claims that would have been blasphemous for a mere person to make. And have you ever seen someone who walked on water or fed thousands of people with a boy’s lunch?
In this blog we are thinking about Jesus during his earthly life.
Jesus was born to a virgin
Both Matthew and Luke are very clear that Mary was a virgin and that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in her womb. One reason the virgin birth is an important doctrine to take seriously is that it shows the unique contribution of humanity and divinity in his parentage. His ordinary birth to an ordinary mother points to the fact that he was born an ordinary human child. The fact that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit points to the fact that this person is divine.
We are only given some details of his early life
The gospels are not written like the sort of biographies about famous people that we read today. If I were writing about someone I would tell you lots about them growing up but we can only glean some details of his life before his public ministry. He was an older brother (cf. Mark 3:31), he was conscious of his relationship with his heavenly Father (Luke 2:49), he was obedient to his parents (Luke 2:51), he learned a trade from his step-father and he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men (Luke 2:52).
Jesus’ baptism
While the gospels do not tell us much about Jesus’ childhood they spend most of their time on the three years of his public ministry.
This public ministry begins with Jesus being baptised by John the Baptist. The baptism of John signified the forgiveness of sins. But why would Jesus need to be baptised if he had never sinned? In Jesus’ baptism he was identifying himself with sinful humanity, as he would later do by dying on the cross to take the punishment for our rebellion.
The words spoken by the Father at Jesus’ baptism are significant. ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’ (Mark 1:11). These words echo Psalm 2, a psalm which speaks of the enthronement of God’s king. It appears that at this time the Father was installing the Son as king of his kingdom.
Jesus’ temptation
Following Jesus’ baptism he was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). Jesus was being tempted to take a different path than the one that would lead to the cross. Whereas Adam failed when tempted in the garden of Eden Jesus remains obedient. When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time (Luke 4:13).
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that because [Jesus] himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18). Wayne Grudem explains, ‘If Jesus had not been a man, he would not have been able to know by experience what we go through in our temptations and struggles in this life. But because he has lived as a man, he is able to sympathize more fully with us in our experiences.’ He was tempted in every way yet he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).
Jesus’ ministry
We can see that was often moved by compassion. He healed people and drove out demons. We should also realise that preaching was central to his task. He said to Simon and his companions “Let us go somewhere else—to nearby villages—so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come” (Mark 1:38).
His preaching focused on the kingdom of God. This kingdom is not a geographical area but rather God’s reign over God’s world. The prophet Isaiah had proclaimed the good news that God would establish his reign personally. Jesus preaches that this time has arrived. That in his ministry God’s reign is been seen. It is been seen in Jesus himself. The appropriate response to hearing about God’s kingdom is to repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:15). We are to turn from living for ourselves and live under the kingship of Jesus.
As we witness Jesus’ ministry we should seek to be both people of actions and words. As those who live under the Lordship of Christ we will want to imitate his compassion. We should be moved when we see suffering around us. We should want to help people in Jesus’ name. Yet we must also remember that he came to share a message. If we are slow to speak the good news we are ignoring humanities greatest need which is to turn to God in repentance, proclaiming Jesus to be our king, and so experience God’s forgiveness and acceptance.
Jesus knew that he was God
Many people accept that Jesus was a great teacher and Muslims believe that he was a prophet. Yet Jesus knew that he was more than these, he was God.
Jesus does things that only God can do. When a paralysed man was lower through roof by his friends Jesus looks at him and declares¸ “Son, your sins are forgiven.” This prompts some teachers of the law who were sitting there to think to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:6-7).
Jesus calms a storm by simply speaking a word to it. This prompts the disciples to ask, “Who is this even the wind and the waves obey him?” (Mark 4:41). The Psalms say that it is only God who can calm a storm. You are ruler over the surging seas; when its waves mount up, you still them (Psalm 89:9).
When Jesus told his Jewish opponents that Abraham had seen his day, they exclaimed, “You are not fifty years old . . . and you have seen Abraham!”(John 8:57). He responds using the very words that God had used when he identified himself to Moses at the burning bush said ‘I AM who I AM’ (Ex. 3:14). “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58). His opponents knew the significance of this claim as can be seen by their reaction: . . . they picked up stones to stone him . . . (John 8:59).
Near the end of John’s Gospel the risen Jesus appears to Thomas. John records that Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)—it is fitting that this gospel that had opened declaring Jesus to the Word who was God (John 1:1) should end on a similar note, with a declaration of Jesus’ divinity.
Jesus came to die
The gospel writers give us little about Jesus’ early life, focus on three years of public ministry and give detailed attention to the events surrounding his death. Mark devotes six of his sixteen chapters to the week leading up to the crucifixion. Understanding Jesus’ death is essential to understanding his life.
Jesus saw himself as the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. He taught his disciples saying that “the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and his give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
In the Garden of Gethsemane we can the agony as Jesus anticipates the cross. He shuddered not just at the physical pain that awaited him but at the fact that he would be separated from his Father’s presence. He prayed “Abba, Father . . . everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). The cup that Jesus is referring to is the cup of God’s wrath that is spoken of in Isaiah 51:17. Jesus was going to endure the full weight of God’s righteous anger at the rebellion of humankind.
The fact that Jesus is both fully human and fully God is essential to what he achieved on that cross. The Apostle Paul says, For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). Because the sin had been committed by humankind the atonement had to be made by a person. Only a human could be the substitute for other people. Yet the substitute had to be a perfect sacrifice, of infinite worth to pay the price for the sins of the world—he had to be divine as well. Only the man who was God, Jesus Christ, could be the mediator between humanity and God.
Conclusion – Jesus in perspective
Supposing says ‘what is it about Jesus that makes you want to be one of his people?’
We could start by pointing to Jesus’ compassion and show what a caring person he was. He looked at people in their suffering and his heart went out to them. But that could only the beginning of our explanation.
We could point to his teaching. Think of the Sermon on the Mount which has inspired generations of people to practice justice and show mercy. Jesus was indeed a great teacher but he was much more.
We must seek to demonstrate that Jesus did what only God can do and claimed to be God. Jesus’ deity was central to his self-understanding. Likewise the fact that Jesus became fully human must be affirmed.
And then we must point to this man who was God dying on the cross for our sins. The Apostle Paul knew the centrality of this good news when he wrote to the Corinthians, ‘for what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures’ (1 Cor. 15:3).
The gospels are not written like the sort of biographies about famous people that we read today. If I were writing about someone I would tell you lots about them growing up but we can only glean some details of his life before his public ministry. He was an older brother (cf. Mark 3:31), he was conscious of his relationship with his heavenly Father (Luke 2:49), he was obedient to his parents (Luke 2:51), he learned a trade from his step-father and he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men (Luke 2:52).
Jesus’ baptism
While the gospels do not tell us much about Jesus’ childhood they spend most of their time on the three years of his public ministry.
This public ministry begins with Jesus being baptised by John the Baptist. The baptism of John signified the forgiveness of sins. But why would Jesus need to be baptised if he had never sinned? In Jesus’ baptism he was identifying himself with sinful humanity, as he would later do by dying on the cross to take the punishment for our rebellion.
The words spoken by the Father at Jesus’ baptism are significant. ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’ (Mark 1:11). These words echo Psalm 2, a psalm which speaks of the enthronement of God’s king. It appears that at this time the Father was installing the Son as king of his kingdom.
Jesus’ temptation
Following Jesus’ baptism he was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). Jesus was being tempted to take a different path than the one that would lead to the cross. Whereas Adam failed when tempted in the garden of Eden Jesus remains obedient. When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time (Luke 4:13).
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that because [Jesus] himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18). Wayne Grudem explains, ‘If Jesus had not been a man, he would not have been able to know by experience what we go through in our temptations and struggles in this life. But because he has lived as a man, he is able to sympathize more fully with us in our experiences.’ He was tempted in every way yet he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).
Jesus’ ministry
We can see that was often moved by compassion. He healed people and drove out demons. We should also realise that preaching was central to his task. He said to Simon and his companions “Let us go somewhere else—to nearby villages—so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come” (Mark 1:38).
His preaching focused on the kingdom of God. This kingdom is not a geographical area but rather God’s reign over God’s world. The prophet Isaiah had proclaimed the good news that God would establish his reign personally. Jesus preaches that this time has arrived. That in his ministry God’s reign is been seen. It is been seen in Jesus himself. The appropriate response to hearing about God’s kingdom is to repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:15). We are to turn from living for ourselves and live under the kingship of Jesus.
As we witness Jesus’ ministry we should seek to be both people of actions and words. As those who live under the Lordship of Christ we will want to imitate his compassion. We should be moved when we see suffering around us. We should want to help people in Jesus’ name. Yet we must also remember that he came to share a message. If we are slow to speak the good news we are ignoring humanities greatest need which is to turn to God in repentance, proclaiming Jesus to be our king, and so experience God’s forgiveness and acceptance.
Jesus knew that he was God
Many people accept that Jesus was a great teacher and Muslims believe that he was a prophet. Yet Jesus knew that he was more than these, he was God.
Jesus does things that only God can do. When a paralysed man was lower through roof by his friends Jesus looks at him and declares¸ “Son, your sins are forgiven.” This prompts some teachers of the law who were sitting there to think to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:6-7).
Jesus calms a storm by simply speaking a word to it. This prompts the disciples to ask, “Who is this even the wind and the waves obey him?” (Mark 4:41). The Psalms say that it is only God who can calm a storm. You are ruler over the surging seas; when its waves mount up, you still them (Psalm 89:9).
When Jesus told his Jewish opponents that Abraham had seen his day, they exclaimed, “You are not fifty years old . . . and you have seen Abraham!”(John 8:57). He responds using the very words that God had used when he identified himself to Moses at the burning bush said ‘I AM who I AM’ (Ex. 3:14). “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58). His opponents knew the significance of this claim as can be seen by their reaction: . . . they picked up stones to stone him . . . (John 8:59).
Near the end of John’s Gospel the risen Jesus appears to Thomas. John records that Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)—it is fitting that this gospel that had opened declaring Jesus to the Word who was God (John 1:1) should end on a similar note, with a declaration of Jesus’ divinity.
Jesus came to die
The gospel writers give us little about Jesus’ early life, focus on three years of public ministry and give detailed attention to the events surrounding his death. Mark devotes six of his sixteen chapters to the week leading up to the crucifixion. Understanding Jesus’ death is essential to understanding his life.
Jesus saw himself as the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. He taught his disciples saying that “the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and his give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
In the Garden of Gethsemane we can the agony as Jesus anticipates the cross. He shuddered not just at the physical pain that awaited him but at the fact that he would be separated from his Father’s presence. He prayed “Abba, Father . . . everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). The cup that Jesus is referring to is the cup of God’s wrath that is spoken of in Isaiah 51:17. Jesus was going to endure the full weight of God’s righteous anger at the rebellion of humankind.
The fact that Jesus is both fully human and fully God is essential to what he achieved on that cross. The Apostle Paul says, For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). Because the sin had been committed by humankind the atonement had to be made by a person. Only a human could be the substitute for other people. Yet the substitute had to be a perfect sacrifice, of infinite worth to pay the price for the sins of the world—he had to be divine as well. Only the man who was God, Jesus Christ, could be the mediator between humanity and God.
Conclusion – Jesus in perspective
Supposing says ‘what is it about Jesus that makes you want to be one of his people?’
We could start by pointing to Jesus’ compassion and show what a caring person he was. He looked at people in their suffering and his heart went out to them. But that could only the beginning of our explanation.
We could point to his teaching. Think of the Sermon on the Mount which has inspired generations of people to practice justice and show mercy. Jesus was indeed a great teacher but he was much more.
We must seek to demonstrate that Jesus did what only God can do and claimed to be God. Jesus’ deity was central to his self-understanding. Likewise the fact that Jesus became fully human must be affirmed.
And then we must point to this man who was God dying on the cross for our sins. The Apostle Paul knew the centrality of this good news when he wrote to the Corinthians, ‘for what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures’ (1 Cor. 15:3).
2 comments:
"Many people accept that Jesus was a great teacher and Muslims believe that he was a prophet. Yet Jesus knew that he was more than these, he was God."
Are you saying that Jesus knew he was God?
I all the quotes you give it shows only that Jesus did Godly things, or that his disciples thought he was God.
They do not (at least I can not see how!) show that he knew or claimed to be God.
The words of John 8, the acceptance of worship from Thomas and his understanding of what he was doing in pronouncing sins forgivene would suggest to me that he knew he was God.
Paul
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