Summoned By Jesus

(Excerpts from GiveHim15)

The Humanness of Christ

Christ possessed real emotions and the ability to feel pain. In His earthly life, Christ experienced grief, sorrow, anger, and disappointment; He enjoyed friendships, knew joy and laughter, felt hunger and thirst, and grew tired and sleepy. Though fully God, Jesus was also fully human, but without the Adamic fallen nature. He had to be human in order to represent us as our legal substitute.

Philippians 2:6-7 tells us that “Although He existed in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” 

In the weeks before the Cross, Christ began feeling the pressure. He knew that in Jerusalem, He would face arrest, torture, and agonizing death. But there would be no backing out; nothing would deter Him from accomplishing His purpose. Traveling by foot and stopping along the way to minister and rest, the journey would take several weeks.

Luke, in his gospel, reveals the humanness of Christ more than the other Gospel writers. Under Holy Spirit’s guidance, each Gospel writer had a different goal in his version of Christ’s life. This is why each man shared different (not contradictory) accounts of Christ’s works and teachings. Matthew, for example, wrote his Gospel to reveal Christ as the King of God’s Kingdom. Mark presented Him as a man of action, filled with power and under authority. John revealed Christ as truly God. Luke presented the humanness of Christ. As a man, He was qualified to be our substitute at the Cross. 

Luke wants us to know that Jesus felt the pressure. Eleven times Luke reminds us that Christ was journeying toward Jerusalem and, therefore, the Cross. In Chapter 12, Luke quotes Him as saying, “I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished” (verse 50). Jesus knew well of the coming suffering and was dreading it.

Let us spend some time this week reflecting on the passion of Christ. Thank Him for the price He paid. Worship Him not only as God the Creator, but also as Son of Man, the Redeemer.