Amen.
All right, well, we're there in 1 Timothy, chapter number 2.
And of course, on Sunday nights, we're going through this series
on declaring doctrine.
And this is kind of an ongoing series
that we are just going through.
And if you remember at the beginning,
we're kind of taking sections at a time.
At the beginning of last year, or of this year, excuse me,
I did like eight sermons on the doctrine of the word of God.
And we kind of delved into that.
And then towards the end of this year,
and then we kind of left it off.
And I did other things on Sunday nights.
Then we started back up.
And we've been doing these sermons on the doctrines
of the Godhead.
If you remember, we talked about the attributes of God
and the moral attributes of God.
And now we've been talking about the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I did three sermons on the deity of Christ.
And then last week, I did a sermon
on the eternal sonship of Christ, which
if you didn't hear last Sunday night's sermon,
I would really encourage you to go back and listen to it.
Because it's something I've covered before,
but I don't think I've ever packaged it in that way.
And I think it helped a lot of people
as far as understanding what we were talking about.
Today, tonight, I'm dealing with the humanity of Christ.
And so we're kind of dealing with this in sections.
So if you've missed any of those previous sermons,
I would encourage you to go back and listen to them.
And the humanity of Christ is not really
a doctrine you hear a lot talked about,
but it's a very important doctrine.
It is the idea that we believe, and I
realize that this doesn't make sense logically
or to the human mind, but we believe that Jesus Christ
is completely God.
He's 100% God.
But we also believe that he was completely man.
He was 100% man.
And I can't explain that to you.
I can't tell you how that works.
You'll have to wait till you get to heaven and ask God.
But I can tell you that that is what the Bible teaches.
The Bible teaches that Jesus was God in the flesh.
And like I said, we spent three weeks looking at that.
And even last week's sermon on the eternal sonship of Christ
kind of dealt with that.
But the Bible also teaches that Jesus was a man,
that he was a human being.
And that's what we're going to talk about tonight.
You're there on 1 Timothy chapter 2.
I'd like you to look at verse number 5.
1 Timothy 2, 5 says this, for there
is one God and one mediator between God and man.
And I want you to notice these words, the man Christ Jesus.
I want you to notice the Bible tells us
that Christ Jesus was a man.
There's one mediator between God and man.
And that mediator is the man Christ Jesus.
He was a man.
You're there on 1 Timothy 2.
Flip over to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and look at verse 16.
And I encourage you to take notes with the sermon
tonight, of course.
And we're just kind of dealing with the major doctrines
of the Bible and looking at these subjects.
1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16, the Bible says this,
and without controversy, the word controversy
means dispute, debate, contention.
Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
And notice what the Bible says, God was manifest in the flesh.
God came to this earth in the flesh.
He was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles,
believed unto the world, and received up into glory.
So I'm beginning tonight by just kind of showing you
some just key verses on this idea of the humanity of Christ.
And I'm going to get into some points about what it meant
for Jesus to be a human.
But you're there in 1 Timothy.
Go to the book of Hebrews, if you would,
and Hebrews chapter number 2.
So you're in 1 and 2 Timothy.
You're going to go past 2 Timothy, past Titus,
past Philemon, into the book of Hebrews.
1 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews.
And do me a favor.
When you get to Hebrews, put a ribbon or a bookmark
or your bulletin or something there,
because we're going to leave the book of Hebrews.
And we're going to come back to it
throughout the whole sermon.
And we're going to be going back to Hebrews.
So I'd like you to be able to get there quickly.
Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 14.
Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 says this,
for as much then as the children.
And the children there is referring to you and I,
those of us that are saved.
But it says, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood.
Meaning you and I are the children of God.
But we were, before we were the children of God,
we were the children of Adam.
We were human beings.
You know, we still are human beings.
But we were just men and women.
And we were partakers of flesh and blood.
He says, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh
and blood, he, referring to Jesus,
also himself likewise took part of the same.
So what that means is, what that verse is saying,
is that Jesus took part in the same flesh and blood
that you and I took part in.
He became a human being that, through death,
he might destroy him that had the power of death
that is the devil.
And you know, one of the reasons that Jesus had to become,
that God had to become a man, that the second member
of the Godhead, the son of God, became the son of man,
is because he had to die.
And God can't die.
Jesus died as a human being.
And that's why the Bible says that, through death,
he might destroy him that had the power of death
that is the devil.
So keep your place there in Hebrews.
And go read the book of John, if you would,
the Gospel according to John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
towards the beginning of the New Testament, John, chapter 1.
And these are well-known verses.
While you turn there, let me say this.
Throughout the Bible, you find these two phrases.
And specifically in the New Testament,
you find this phrase, the son of God, or son of God,
referred to Jesus.
And that phrase is a reference to his deity,
the fact that he is the second member of the Godhead,
the son of God.
But you also see this phrase used about the Lord Jesus
Christ, the son of man.
And actually, the phrase the son of man
is used more times about the Lord Jesus Christ
than the phrase the son of God.
And Jesus often used that phrase to identify himself.
He referred to himself as the son of man.
He also referred to himself as the son of God.
But those two phrases are used because of the fact
that it gives us insight into this dual identity of Jesus.
This man, Jesus, was the son of God.
And we talked about that last week
in the eternal sonship of Christ,
and I'm not gonna go into that.
But he was also the son of man.
And we also talked about that last week,
that he descended, he had a lineage, he had a bloodline,
he had an ancestry that went back to David,
went back to Abraham, went back to Adam.
So he's the son of God, and he is the son of man.
Are you there in John chapter one?
Look at verse one.
We saw these verses not too long ago.
In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God,
and the word was God.
And of course, the word is also another term used
for the second member of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In 1 John, we're told that there are three
that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.
In the beginning was the word, the Bible says.
The word was with God, and the word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
And I'm not gonna delve into that.
We've dealt with that just not too long ago.
But look at verse 14.
The Bible says this.
And the word was made flesh.
The word was made flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
And that kinda goes with 1 Timothy 3.16,
without controversy, great as the mystery of godliness,
God was manifest in the flesh.
So the Bible is clear that God became a man,
and the Lord Jesus Christ was deity.
He was God in the flesh.
He was the Son of God.
He was the Son of Man, and he was a human being.
And as we saw last week, in fact,
go with me to the book of Luke, if you would.
You're there in John.
If you just go back to the book of Luke, Luke chapter two.
As we saw last week, he subjected himself
to all of the things that human beings are subject to.
And this is where we're gonna spend our time this evening.
And I'll give you several points in regards to this.
And some of this might be basic for some of you.
Some of this might be things you've never heard before.
But let me give you five kinda points
in regards to the humanity of Jesus Christ.
We know that the word was made flesh.
We know that God was manifest in the flesh.
We know that he partook of flesh and blood.
So what does that mean exactly?
Well, number one, and if you're taking notes,
you can write this down.
As a human, Jesus subjected himself
to the growth of humanity.
As a human being, Jesus subjected himself
to the growth of humanity.
And if you remember last week's sermon,
this is kind of the difference between the Old Testament
appearance of the Son of God as a man,
like Melchizedek and those appearances,
and then, of course, the New Testament only begotten Son.
The fact that Melchizedek was never actually born,
and when he appeared, he just appeared as a man.
When Jesus would appear in the Old Testament,
he would appear as a man.
But when the word was made flesh,
when he was actually born, when he was begotten
of the Holy Ghost through the Virgin Mary,
he actually subjected himself to the growth of humanity.
He didn't just come down as a full-grown man.
He was born, he was birthed as a baby,
and then he actually was subject
to the growth of human beings,
just like you and I have to grow,
just like babies have to grow and develop.
Jesus, as a human being, subjected himself
to the growth of humanity.
You're there in Luke chapter two, look at verse 39.
The Bible says this, and when they,
and the they there, and I don't have time to develop it,
we got a lot to cover tonight.
You can look at it in the context.
That's Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus.
And when they had performed all things
according to the law of the Lord,
and this has to do with the things that they had to do
after the birth of Christ,
they returned into Galilee to their own city, Nazareth.
Look at verse 40.
And the child, referring to Jesus, notice these words, grew.
The child grew and waxed strong in spirit,
filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
So I want you to notice that the Bible tells us
that he grew.
Jesus, the son of God, the son of man, was born,
and he subjected himself to the growth of mankind.
He grew as a human being, meaning,
and this is something that sometimes people get this idea.
Jesus was God in the flesh,
but it's not like he was just a baby,
and he was just talking, and speaking,
and giving parables, and let me give you the parable
of the milk bottle, or whatever.
He was just a baby like any other baby.
He had to learn to talk.
He had to learn to walk.
He had to develop, and he went through the development
of a human being.
Look at verse 51, same chapter, Luke chapter two, verse 51.
And he went down with them, this is Jesus,
going down with Mary and Joseph, and came to Nazareth,
notice these words, and was subject unto them.
What does that mean?
That means that as a child, he submitted himself
to the authority of his parents.
He was subject unto them, because the Bible says,
children obey your parents and the Lord,
for this is right.
And Jesus subjected himself, the Bible says that he was,
I mean, think about that.
He's the creator of the universe.
He's the second member of the Godhead,
and he was born to this earth, to these earthly parents,
and he subjected himself, the Bible says,
and he was subject unto them,
but his mother kept all these things in her heart.
Notice verse 52, and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature,
he grew physically, and in favor with God and man.
Think about that.
As a human being, he wasn't just born,
and he was just, you know, had everything he needed.
He had to grow in wisdom, he had to learn some things,
he had to grow physically, he grew in wisdom and stature,
and in favor with God and man.
Meaning, Jesus, you know, he had a daily Bible,
devotional time with God himself, you know,
just like any other human being should.
He spent time in prayer,
and we see that throughout the Gospels where he's praying.
He developed and cultivated a relationship with God.
And by the way, it says that he grew in favor
with God and man.
He also just developed his own personal people skills,
and he had good relationships with people around him.
You know, Jesus as a human being,
he had to submit himself to the growth of humanity,
just a physical growth of growing up physically
and being able to do things,
but also in wisdom and spirituality and those things.
Like any other human being,
he subjected himself to the growth of humanity.
You're there in Luke, go back to Mark if you would,
if you just go backwards to the book of Mark,
Mark chapter 11.
Let me give you a second point tonight.
I've got five of them,
and we'll move through these as quickly as we can.
I said, number one, as a human,
Jesus subjected himself to the growth of humanity.
But secondly,
as a human, Jesus subjected himself
to the limits of humanity.
He subjected himself to the limits
that we have as human beings.
And I want you to notice the Bible
kind of highlights this for us.
We'll just look at some passages just to prove the point.
Mark chapter 11 and verse 12,
the Bible says this about Jesus,
and on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany,
this is Jesus traveling.
Notice these words.
He was hungry.
So look, Jesus, you say, well, he was God in the flesh.
Yeah, but you know what?
His flesh got hungry just like your flesh does.
He was hungry.
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves,
he came if happily he might find anything thereon.
And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves,
for the time the figs was not yet.
And of course, there's a story there,
and he curses the tree and all that.
But we see here that he was hungry.
We'll look at this in a little bit,
but even during the temptation of Christ,
the Bible tells us that he was hungry.
Why?
Because he's a human being,
and he experienced the limits of humanity,
so Jesus experienced hunger
just like you and I experience hunger.
You're there in Mark, go to John.
John chapter four, Mark, Luke, John.
John chapter four, look at verse six.
Not only does the Bible tell us
that Jesus experienced hunger,
but Jesus also experienced being tired.
John chapter four and verse six,
this is another famous story of Jesus.
Jesus, when he interacts with the woman at the well,
and he is at Jacob's well there.
John chapter four, verse six, the Bible says this.
Now Jacob's well was there.
Notice these words,
Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey,
sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour.
So notice the Bible tells us that he got hungry.
The Bible tells us that he got tired,
and I want you to understand this
because sometimes people get this idea,
and they think, well Jesus, yeah,
he was a man, but he was God.
So he didn't deal with all the issues
that you and I deal with.
It was easy for him to work for God or serve the Lord,
but listen to me, Jesus got hungry just like you get hungry.
Jesus got tired just like you get tired.
Just like you make excuses on Saturday morning,
and you say, well I can't go soloing
because I'm too tired.
Well you know what, Jesus got tired too.
And in fact, in this story, John four, six,
he's tired, he's sitting there getting some rest
while his disciples go to get food
because he's also hungry, and this woman shows up.
You know what he does?
He gives her the gospel, and he gave her that gospel.
He gave her the gospel while he was tired,
while he was hungry, as an example for you and I
to get up and go soloing.
Get up and work for God.
You say, I'm tired.
Well you know what, Jesus was tired too.
As a human, Jesus objected himself
to the limits of humanity.
So he wasn't like some superman.
You know, just never got tired, never got hungry.
No, you know what, he experienced hunger.
He experienced being tired.
Jesus, like a human being,
experienced not knowing certain things.
Let me show it to you.
Go to Mark chapter 13.
If you go backwards, past Luke into the book of Mark,
13, we've been talking about this in our study
in the book of Job, how one of the reasons
that Job is so upset with God, and just so discouraged,
is because he knows that God knows what God's doing,
but Job says, I don't know what God's doing.
God hasn't explained it to me.
And we talked about that, that you know what,
God doesn't have to explain himself to you.
He doesn't have to explain himself to me.
God can do whatever he wants,
and he doesn't have to give us an explanation.
We're called to walk by faith, not by sight.
But in the same way, Jesus on this earth limited himself
to not knowing everything.
I mean, think about that, he's God.
You know, in his deity, he's omniscient, he's omnipotent,
he knows everything, he can do everything,
but as a human being, he limited himself
to not knowing everything, and part of that,
we already talked about, it's not like he came out
of the womb and he just knew calculus and algebra,
he was just God, no, look, everything he knew,
he had to learn, just like you and I.
Think about this, everything he knew about the Bible,
he had to learn as a human being, and he did,
he did learn it.
In Mark 13, 32, the Bible says this,
this is Jesus speaking, but of that day and hour,
it says, but of that day and that hour,
this is Jesus speaking about end times,
but of that day and that hour, notice the Bible says,
knoweth no man, know not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the son, referring to himself, but the father.
Jesus is saying, what he's saying is, on this earth,
he's speaking as a human, and he's saying,
look, no one knows the day or the hour,
he says, of that hour knoweth no man,
he says, know not the angels which are in heaven,
he says, I don't even know, he says,
neither the son, but the father.
Now what he's explaining there is that he obviously
didn't know while he was on this earth as a human being,
why, because he limited himself
to the limits of human beings.
Obviously, Jesus knows the day or the hour right now,
do you understand that?
After he resurrected and he ascended up on high,
and he sat next to the right hand of the father,
and he sat next to the man, obviously in heaven,
in his glorified body as God, he knows the day or the hour,
he knows everything's gonna happen,
but on this earth as a human,
he experienced not knowing some things,
because everything that Jesus knew,
he had to learn like a human being.
And by the way, that ought to tell you
that not only does nobody know,
but nobody can figure it out.
So when Kent Hovind tells you, I've got the day,
no he doesn't, nobody has the day.
When Harold Camping wants to put billboards out
saying, I've got the day, nobody knows,
because look, if there was any human being on this earth
who could have figured it out, it's Jesus.
I mean, do you agree with that?
Are you smarter than Jesus?
Do you know more than Jesus, Kent Hovind?
Because Jesus said, as a human being, I'm pretty good.
In fact, I'm so good, I can die for your sin.
I'm so good, I'm not a sinner.
And Jesus said, I don't know, I don't know.
Because you know what, as humans, we don't know everything.
And Jesus limited himself, and by the way,
don't ever fall for these preachers
who just tell you they know everything.
Sometimes as a pastor, I like telling people, I don't know.
Because you know what, the Bible says,
the secret things belong unto the Lord our God.
The Bible says that we see through a glass darkly.
There's some things that we just don't know.
Jesus himself, as a human being on this earth,
they ask him certain questions, and he says, you know what?
That hour knoweth no man.
No, not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father.
He says, no, there's just some things
that human beings don't know and we're not going to know.
Obviously, God knows.
And Jesus, in his deity, knows now.
But as a human on earth, he subjected himself
to the limits of humanity.
So he experienced hunger, and he experienced being tired,
and he experienced not knowing certain things.
Go to Matthew chapter 4.
Matthew chapter number 4.
You're there in Mark, so just go backwards one book to Matthew,
Matthew chapter 4.
So I'm just explaining to you, what does it mean?
What did it mean for Jesus to be a human,
for God to become a man?
Well, as a human, Jesus subjected himself
to the growth of humanity.
He had to grow like any other human being.
He had to learn like any other human being.
He had to learn how to walk and talk.
He had to learn everything he knew.
But secondly, as a human, Jesus objected himself
to the limits of humanity.
This is why Jesus looked at his disciples,
and he says, hey, you know, as my father sent me,
so said I you.
He said, you can do greater works than these.
And he wasn't talking to the quality of the work,
because nobody can do greater works than Jesus in quality.
But he meant quantity, because what he was saying was,
I'm not like a superman who just doesn't need to sleep,
doesn't need to eat, never gets tired.
He says, I'm a human being.
So Jesus said, everything I did on this earth, you can do it.
And he set himself as an example for us.
Let me give you a third thing.
As a human, Jesus subjected himself
to the temptations of humanity.
As a human, Jesus subjected himself
to the temptations of humanity.
Go to Matthew chapter 4.
And if you're there in verse number 1, of course,
Matthew 4 is the famous passage on the temptations of Christ.
And I'll just read through these just to show them to you.
Matthew chapter 4, verse 1, the Bible says this.
Then was Jesus led up with the Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted of the devil.
And when he, Jesus, had fasted 40 days and 40 nights.
And look, Jesus was not some superman here.
He fasted, and you know what?
It was just as hard for Jesus to fast as it is for you to fast.
And he fasted 40 days and 40 nights.
There's only three people in the whole Bible
who fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and Jesus was one of them.
And he wasn't just like, you know, it wasn't his joke.
Well, I fasted 40 days, but I don't get hungry.
No, he got hungry.
Look, the Bible says, and when he
had fasted 40 days and 40 nights,
he was afterward in hunger.
I would say so.
Some of you can't skip a meal without just dying.
And he fasted 40 days, and he was hungry.
He limited himself to the limits of humanity.
Look at verse 3.
And when the tempter came to him, he said,
here's the first temptation.
If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones
be made bread.
But he answered and said, it is written,
man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of God.
Then the devil taketh them up into the holy city,
and set them up on a pinnacle of the temple,
and saith unto him, here's temptation number two.
If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down,
for it is written, and he quotes Psalm 91,
if you're interested, verses 11 and 12, he misquotes.
He shall give his angels charge concerning thee,
and in their hands they shall bear thee up,
lest at any time thou dash thy foot against the stone.
And by the way, the devil's really good
at taking scripture out of context,
and trying to make us say things it doesn't actually say.
Look at verse 7.
Jesus said unto him, it is written again,
thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God.
Verse 8, again the devil taketh them up
into an exceeding high mountain,
and showing them all the kingdoms of the world,
and the glory of them, and saith unto him,
here's temptation number three,
all these things will I give thee,
if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him, get thee hence Satan,
for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,
and him only shalt thou serve,
and the devil leaveth him,
and behold the angels came and ministered unto him.
Now this is just one big kind of battle
between the devil and Jesus,
the devil trying to get him to sin,
and tempting him to sin.
Obviously Jesus spent his whole life
as a human being tempted,
but I want you to notice that as a human,
Jesus subjected himself to the temptations of humanity,
and just understand this,
it's the same temptations you feel.
It wasn't like, well I'm tempted,
but I'm God, so I'm not really tempted.
No, you know what?
His flesh had needs, and desires, and things,
just like your flesh does.
He was hungry when the devil said,
why don't you make these stones into bread?
And he subjected himself to those temptations.
Now let me just show you quickly
the purpose of the temptations.
Go back to Hebrews if you get replaced there.
Hebrews chapter two, and look at verse number 16.
Hebrews chapter two and verse 16.
You know, what's the purpose of the temptations?
Hebrews chapter two and verse 16.
And there's these doctrines out there.
There's one guy who's like attacks us
and our churches like ours,
and his whole big doctrine,
I can't even remember what he called,
the impeccability of Christ or something,
where he teaches that, well Jesus was God in the flesh.
He was a human being, but he didn't really get tempted.
He couldn't have really sinned.
It was just kind of more of a show.
And he just thinks that we're just like,
reprobates for not believing that.
But look, here's the reason why we don't believe that,
is because that's not what the Bible says.
And it wasn't this joke where Jesus was like,
well, I'm down here on this earth,
but I'm not really hungry.
I'm just kind of eating,
just to kind of identify with human beings.
I'm not really tired, I'm not really tempted.
That's not what the Bible says.
The Bible says that he was actually tempted.
The only difference is that he didn't sin
like you and I sin.
Hebrews chapter two and verse 16.
Notice what the Bible says,
for verily he took not on him the nature of angels.
And by the way, that's a verse right there,
I pointed that out before.
Some people like to say Jesus was an angel,
that's a great verse to prove he was not an angel.
He did not take upon him the nature of angels,
but he took on him the seed of Abraham,
the nature of mankind, he became a human.
Verse 17, wherefore in all things it behooved him
to be made like unto his brethren.
You say, why did he become a human being?
Because it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren.
Why, why did it behoove him?
Here's why.
That he might be a merciful, notice that word merciful,
and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God
to make reconciliation for the saints of the people.
Notice verse 18, for in that he himself have,
notice these words, for that he himself had suffered
being tempted, he is able to succor,
the word succor means to aid or to support, to give help.
He's able to succor them that are tempted.
What does that mean?
Here's what it means.
The Bible says that the reason that Jesus as a human being
suffered temptation was so that he could then show mercy
and give help to those of us that are tempted by sin.
See, Jesus can empathize with you.
He can sympathize with you.
He can have mercy on you because he knows,
because look, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit,
God as deity has never experienced hunger,
has never experienced pain,
has never experienced being tired,
has never experienced temptation,
but God became flesh, dwelt among us.
We beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father
full of grace and truth.
He became one of us so he can empathize with us.
And it says, the Bible says that he might be a merciful
and faithful high priest.
Jesus shows a lot of mercy towards us
because of the fact that he knows
what it feels like to be tempted.
He said, the Bible says that he himself
had suffered being tempted.
And not only that, but he can help us.
Look, him showing mercy to us is not him,
you know, looking the other way
or him, you know, helping us in our sin.
But he just, his heart breaks as he realizes
what temptation there is and therefore he's merciful
and he can help.
Go to Hebrews chapter four.
This is highlighted in Hebrews chapter four as well.
Look at verse 15.
Right there in Hebrews two,
just flip over to Hebrews chapter four.
The same idea, merciful and sucker, mercy and help,
is highlighted in Hebrews 4.15.
Notice what the Bible says.
For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmity.
See, remember Melchizedek, he could not be touched
with the feelings of our infirmity.
But that's, but we have Jesus.
He's of the order of Melchizedek.
But he says, for we have not a high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities.
Notice what the Bible says,
but was in all points tempted like as we are.
Look, everything you've ever been tempted for,
and I'm not talking about every specific sin,
but in every area that you and I have been tempted in,
Jesus was tempted in those same areas.
And you know, the devil gives us a pretty good rundown there
of the types of temptations.
He tempted him with power, influence, fame.
He tempted him with his physical desire of having food.
He tempted him, you know, with different things.
The Bible says, for we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities
but was in all points tempted like as we are.
Here's just the major difference, yet without sin.
I mean, I don't know that we can even really understand this
Jesus was a human being that suffered
all the same temptations that you and I suffer.
He was tempted to do all the same things,
but he never gave in, not once, he never sinned.
He was yet without sin.
And then because of that, the Bible says in verse 16,
let us therefore, the word therefore means for that reason.
For what reason?
The reason, the fact that he was tempted in all points
like as we are yet without sin,
the Bible says because of that,
because we have an high priest that can be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities,
then verse 16 says, let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.
See, the purpose of Jesus being tempted
was that he might show mercy unto us
and that he might help us in our temptations,
that he might aid us in our temptations,
that he might succor us in our temptations,
because look, he suffered all the same temptations.
I mean, do you realize that there's nothing, no temptation
that you've experienced that Jesus did not experience?
I'm not saying that he experienced every sin,
tempted with every sin, but I'm saying the areas,
you're tempted to be lazy, Jesus was tempted to be lazy.
Here's the difference between you and Jesus,
he wasn't lazy, you are.
You know, he was tempted to, you know, some of you are,
I don't know, let me stop talking, go to 1 Peter.
And there in Hebrews, James, 1 Peter,
then you're gonna start asking, well, which ones?
And then it gets awkward, 1 Peter chapter two,
Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 1 Peter chapter two.
So as a human being, Jesus subjected himself
to the growth of humanity,
he had to grow like every other human being,
and he subjected himself to the limits of humanity.
He got hungry, he got tired, he didn't know everything,
just like you and I don't know everything,
and you know, I would imagine that he knew far more
than you and I know, but he was still,
was subject to the limits of humanity.
And as a human, Jesus subjected himself
to the temptations of humanity, he never sinned.
You know, and I wanna make that clear,
and you just need to understand this,
because some people don't, you know,
they think that temptation is sin.
And let me just say this,
what most people consider a temptation is a sin.
You know, because most guys think like,
well, you know, I'm already,
like they're already lusting in their hearts,
and they're like, oh, I'm being tempted.
It's like, no, you're full blown sinning, that's a sin.
Okay, so what most people think a temptation is,
is actually a sin.
But Jesus was tempted in the genuine sense of the word,
like any other human can be tempted,
but yet without sin, he never sinned,
he never crossed a line of sinfulness.
Number four, as a human, Jesus subjected himself
to the sufferings of humanity.
So not only did he subject himself to the growth
of humanity, to the limits of humanity,
to the temptations of humanity,
but he subjected himself to the sufferings of humanity.
And I would say if there's one characteristic
that is emphasized throughout the whole Bible
about the Lord Jesus Christ, it is this word suffer,
or suffering, the fact that he suffered.
First Peter chapter two, look at verse 21.
The Bible says this,
for even here unto were ye called.
Now this, look, this chapter right here,
what we're about to read,
this is like Job 2.0.
This is gonna mess up all your prosperity theology,
your prosperity gospel theology.
Because the Bible says this,
for even here unto were ye called.
This is what you were called to.
As a Christian, you were called.
Really, great, what's my calling?
Let's look at it.
For even here unto were ye called,
because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps.
Now usually Christians, they like to talk about the fact,
oh, we're supposed to follow the steps of Jesus.
We're supposed to be like Jesus.
But wait a minute, look at the context of that phrase.
We're supposed to follow in his steps.
What steps?
The fact that he suffered for us,
leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps.
What does that mean?
That means that Jesus suffered for others,
therefore you and I should suffer for others as well.
We should suffer.
What's the example that Jesus left us to suffer?
Because he suffered.
Well that doesn't sound as nice.
Well I know, but that's what the Bible says.
Look at verse 22.
Here's the difference between you and him.
Who, referring to Jesus, did no sin.
He never sinned.
He was the spotless, perfect, lamb of God.
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,
who when he was reviled,
Now this is the problem.
This is the problem with Bible preaching,
is that when you make statements,
and people are like, okay, Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example that we should follow his steps, okay.
But then when he starts applying it,
that's where the rubber meets the rope.
Because he says, look, Jesus left an example
that you should suffer.
You should follow in his steps,
and you should suffer like he suffered.
Okay, Peter, what does that mean?
He says, well let me give you some application.
Verse 23, who when he was reviled,
what does it mean to be reviled?
He said they were just saying mean things to him,
and criticizing him, and mocking him.
When he was reviled, reviled not again.
When he suffered, he threatened not,
but committed himself to him that judges righteously.
I mean, how would that change your marriage?
How would that change your parenting?
How would that change your relationship with your parents?
I mean, how would that change your relationship
with your in-law?
How would that change all of your relationships
if you seriously took this idea
that I'm supposed to suffer like Jesus suffered?
That means when he was reviled, he didn't revile again.
He didn't answer back.
When he suffered, he didn't threaten.
He didn't threaten people.
But he committed himself to him that judges righteously.
What did he do?
He said, you know what, I'm gonna let God deal with it.
God will deal with you.
Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness
by whose stripes you are healed.
And look, this is what we like to do as humans.
We say, oh yeah, that's nice about Jesus, but he was God.
No, no, no, no, no, he was a man.
He did everything he did.
He did as a man.
When he reviled not again, that wasn't God.
That was him as a human being with every temptation.
I'm so tempted to say something.
I'm so tempted to type something.
I'm so tempted to say something.
All those temptations you felt, he felt too.
Here's the difference.
He did no sin.
And then the Bible says that you and I
are supposed to follow in those steps,
that ye should follow his steps.
Go to Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53, towards the end of the Old Testament,
you have the major prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Lamentations, and Ezekiel, you have those big books.
Go to Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53 is probably the most famous prophecy
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a prophecy written, I don't know,
700 years before Christ, something like that.
And it is a prophecy of Jesus.
And I want you to know, there's so much
that we could talk about in Isaiah 53.
We could preach a whole sermon or a whole series
out of Isaiah 53, but I wanna just highlight for you
that what's brought up over and over and over and over again
in this chapter is the fact that Jesus suffered.
And you say, well, what's the point?
Here's the point.
Say, why would Jesus have to suffer?
Here's why, because you suffered.
Isn't it true?
You and I suffer, and you know what we know about Jesus
is that he knows how it feels to suffer.
Because he suffered.
Isaiah 53, verse one, who has believed our report?
To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
Notice he begins to speak about Jesus prophetically.
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant.
And as a root out of the dry ground,
he had no form nor comeliness.
And when we shall see him,
there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Look, listen, Hollywood lied to you.
I hate to break it to you.
Jesus was not a real good looking person.
I know every time you see Jesus on the screen,
he looks like some Brad Pitt
or some Hollywood actor or whatever.
First of all, he dead sure wasn't blonde with blue eyes.
Hate to break it to you.
It's funny how every race, quote unquote,
and I'm using the worldly sense of the word,
thinks that Jesus was whatever race.
You know, you go to Africa, Jesus is black.
Europe, white.
Mexico, Mexican.
He says like, wherever you go.
That's what, he literally has become
all things to all men, I guess.
But you know, he was a Jew.
I don't know if you know that.
But he wasn't, there was nothing, look.
He hath no form nor comeliness.
The word comel means something that's attractive.
And when ye shall see him,
there is no beauty that we should desire in him.
That's what the Bible says.
Look, ugly people are right with God, all right?
That's why the power of God is on my life.
Look at verse three.
He is despised, notice what the Bible highlights.
He is despised and rejected of men.
This is what's highlighted about Jesus, that he suffered.
He is despised and rejected of men.
Notice these words, a man of sorrows.
And acquainted.
The word acquainted means he really got to know this.
Acquainted with grief.
And we hid as it were our faces from him.
He was despised.
Notice how it keeps on saying,
he was despised and we esteemed him not.
What does that mean?
That means that nobody looked at Jesus and thought,
now there's a guy.
Look at that guy.
Nobody said that.
When he walked in the room, nobody was impressed.
Like whoa, look at him.
He was despised and we esteemed him not.
Surely he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God and afflicted,
but he was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquity.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray, the Bible says.
And we have turned everyone to his own way
and the Lord had laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Notice verse seven.
He was oppressed and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth.
We saw that in First Peter.
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter
and as a sheep before his shears is dumb,
so he opened not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment
and who shall declare his generation?
For he was cut out of the land of the living
for the transgressions of my people.
Was he stricken and he made his grave with the wicked
and with the rich in his death
because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth,
yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him.
Notice his words.
He had put him to grief.
When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands.
I want you to notice the Bible emphasizes this idea
that Jesus was a man who suffered.
He was a man of sorrows.
Now go with me if you would to the book of Philippians
in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts,
Romans, 1st, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians.
You go to Philippians and I'm gonna read some verses to you
that I don't need you to turn to.
I'll just read these for you
or you can jot them down if you'd like.
But let me just kind of emphasize this thought
about Jesus' suffering.
Because you know the Bible says
that suffering is a good thing.
The Bible says it's better to go to the house of mourning
than to the house of myrrh.
Myrrh is like to laugh or to be happy.
Look, I'm all for laughing and being happy.
I try to be a happy guy
and I like to joke around and all those things.
There's nothing wrong with that.
The Bible speaks positively about that.
But you know, God says if you have to choose
between suffering or just being happy all the time,
he says, you know what's better for you is to suffer.
And what's emphasized about Jesus is that he suffered.
You know, what's interesting
and I'm not gonna have you turn to these passages.
I'll read these for you.
Throughout the Bible, the New Testament,
the Bible never documents Jesus laughing or smiling.
Now I'm sure he laughed and I'm sure he smiled.
And there are some stories in the Bible
that they kind of read in a way
where I feel like Jesus is kind of being sarcastic
and I would imagine, I don't know,
but I would imagine that maybe certain things he said
to certain peoples, he said those with a smile on his face.
I don't know, I don't want to read into it.
But I can tell you this.
We're told other places in scripture
where this person laughed or that person laughed.
You know the Bible does, as far as I can tell or remember,
maybe somebody can correct me if I'm wrong,
I can't really recall of a scripture
where the Bible just documents that Jesus was laughing
or just smiling or laughing about something.
But you know what's interesting?
The Bible documents Jesus weeping for us
three different times.
Three different times in his life we document,
and I'm sure he wept more than that,
but three times where the Bible documents him weeping.
Let me just give you these examples.
You go to Philippians, I'll just read these for you.
You can jot these down if you'd like.
Luke 19, 41, the Bible says,
and when he was come near,
he beheld the city and wept over it.
And this is Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem.
And if you look at the context,
what he says when he begins to weep over the city,
he's weeping over the coming destruction of the city.
So the Bible documents for us
that he was weeping for the city.
Then John 11, 35, one of the most famous verse in the Bible
says Jesus wept, right?
John 11, 35, verse 36,
then said the Jews behold how he loved him.
And of course, this is Jesus weeping
at the grave side of his friend Lazarus.
And the Bible documents for us here that Jesus wept.
The third time that the Bible documents Jesus weeping,
it's a little more tricky, but I'll show it to you.
And it's the Garden of Gethsemane.
Right before Jesus is going to be arrested and die,
Luke 22, 43, and 44 says this,
and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven,
strengthening him and being in an agony.
The Bible says about Jesus, he was in an agony.
He prayed more earnestly and his sweat,
you say, Pastor, I'm really stressed.
Well, let me tell you something.
Jesus was a human, he suffered stress as well.
The Bible says that his sweat was as it were
great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
And it says he knows that he's gonna die.
And he actually, as a human, doesn't want to die.
You remember in the garden, he's praying,
let this cup pass from me.
He's saying, God, if there's, Father,
if there's any way that we can avoid this,
I want to avoid it, because he was a human being,
and he knew what was in store for him,
he didn't want to die.
And in Hebrews, chapter five, verses seven and eight,
if you want to jot this down, I'll read this for you.
The Bible says this, who in the days of his flesh,
so when it says the days of his flesh,
we know that this happened during the lifetime
of Jesus Christ, when he had offered up prayers
and supplications with strong crying and tears
unto him that was able to save him from death.
So I believe this is referring to the Garden of Gethsemane,
because that's where we see Jesus asking God the Father,
like, can I not do this, please?
He said, let this cup pass from me,
and praise the Lord that he said, not my will,
but thine be done.
And he submitted it to the cross, but he didn't want to.
And here we're told, who's in the days of his flesh, when
he had offered up prayers and supplication with strong crying
and tears unto him that was able to save him from death,
and was heard that he feared, though he were a son,
yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.
And this was maybe up for debate a little bit,
but I believe that's referring to the Garden of Gethsemane,
where he was crying.
And the Bible says he had tears, and he's asking God,
the Father, can I not do this?
And the answer comes back and says, no, you have to do this.
And he submitted himself, though he were a son,
yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.
So the Bible tells us in Hebrews that in that garden,
his sweat was great drops of blood, the Bible tells us.
But the Hebrews tells us that he was crying.
He was crying, like yelling, and also he had tears.
He was weeping.
So it's interesting.
Isaiah 53, it highlights a man of grief, a man of sorrow,
a man that suffered.
He suffered a lot.
And then the Bible never documents for him laughing.
I'm sure he laughed.
I'm sure he smiled.
I don't think Jesus was just Mr. Grumpy.
I'm sure he was a nice, because remember, he grew in favor
with God and man.
The word favor means that people like you.
So people liked him, they liked to be around him.
I'm sure he was a nice guy and a fun guy to be around.
But you know, the Bible doesn't document that he laughed,
but the Bible documents three different times
that he wept, that he suffered, that he cried.
So look, and you say, well, what's the point?
Here's the point.
Jesus knows.
When you say, I've been betrayed,
well, you know what, Jesus was betrayed.
I've been lied about, Jesus was lied about.
I've had people say mean things to me.
Well, Jesus had people say mean things to him.
He suffered in every way like you suffered.
He was a human being.
So he subjected himself to the growth of humanity
and to the limits of humanity
and to the temptations of humanity
and even subjected himself to the sufferings of humanity.
And he suffered like you suffered,
and I would probably say he suffered more than you suffered.
And he experienced suffering.
Go to Philippians chapter two, hopefully you're already there.
Philippians chapter two, let me give you the fifth point.
As a human, Jesus subjected himself to the death of humanity.
Jesus died.
Philippians chapter two and verse five
knows what the Bible says.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,
who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
And look, unless you got something other
than a King James Bible,
what that is saying is that there was nothing wrong.
If Jesus wanted to equate himself to God,
and when Jesus equated himself to God,
there's nothing wrong with that because he was God.
Who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to make himself equal with God.
But then notice, with that said, verse seven,
but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men.
He became a human like you and I.
And being found in fashion as a man,
he humbled himself, notice,
and became obedient unto death.
Even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
and given him a name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of things in heaven, and things in the earth,
and things under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Look, one day he's going to be coming down in great glory,
and every tongue, the Bible says,
in things of heaven and earth, under the earth,
whether you're in heaven, whether you're on earth,
whether you're in hell,
everyone will acknowledge him as the Lord of glory.
But you know, before that day came,
and before that day comes,
he submitted himself unto death.
And he experienced that, he died.
Like you and I died.
Like you and I will die.
Like humans die.
As a human, Jesus objected himself to death.
He died.
And so here's the point of the sermon.
Go to Job, if you would.
If you open up your Bible, just right in the center,
you're more than likely found in the book of Psalms,
right after Psalms, right before Psalms, excuse me,
after the book of Job.
Job chapter nine.
We're going to go three passages, and we'll finish up.
Okay, Job nine, Romans eight, first Timothy two.
Now we started in first Timothy,
so hopefully you can get there quickly.
Romans, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans,
and go to Job nine.
And let me just say this.
You know, the point of the sermon,
what I've been trying to show you,
I started the sermon in the introduction
by just giving you verses that say,
that just flat out say,
that God became flesh.
God became a man.
The man Christ Jesus.
And then I gave you the characteristics.
You know, what does that mean?
Well, it means that he grew just like any other man grows.
He was limited just like any other man is limited.
He suffered temptation just like any other man
suffers temptation.
Major difference though, yet without sin.
He suffered just like any other man suffers,
and he died just like any other man dies.
Major difference was he resurrected.
He resurrected from the dead.
But you know, let me just kind of end with this idea.
You know, why?
What's the point?
Why did God have to become man?
And you know, Job chapter nine is a chapter
we were in a couple of weeks ago,
and I pointed this out when we were in Job nine,
but I want to point it out again,
because I just think it's beautifully illustrated here.
Job chapter nine in verse 32, the Bible says this.
This is Job speaking.
He says, for he, and he's referring to God.
And if you remember the context of Job nine,
Job nine is saying like, you know, I can't argue with God.
And he's wanting to have a mediator.
He says, I wish somebody would debate for me.
I wish somebody would stand up for me with God.
And this is what Job is saying.
Of course, he's going through a difficult time,
a dark time in his life.
We understand that.
But here's what he says in Job nine through two.
He says, for he, referring to God.
He says, for he is not a man as I am.
Job says, here's why I can't argue with God.
Here's why I can't come to God.
Here's why I can't, you know, bring my cause before God,
because God is God, and I'm a man,
and God is not a man like I am.
That I should answer him.
And we should come together in judgment.
He said, God and I can't come together.
I'm a man, and he's God.
And then Job says this in verse 33.
He says, neither is there any days men.
And that word days men, it's an older word.
We don't use it a lot today, but it means an arbiter.
Someone who settles disputes.
It's the same idea that you and I today,
we say like a referee or an umpire.
Someone who settles disputes.
And Job says, he says, I can't go to God with my disputes.
I can't go to God with my problems,
because God is not a man as I am.
And then Job says this, and Job is saying this wrongly,
because there was a days men, but he says,
neither is there any days men betwixt us
that might lay his hand upon us both.
Here's what Job is saying.
Job is saying, I'm a human being.
I can't go to God.
I can't talk to God.
I'm a sinner.
The Bible says our sins have separated us from God.
He says, God is not a man as I am.
And then Job says this, Job says,
I wish there was a days men.
And he uses this beautiful terminology.
He says, neither is there any days men betwixt us,
between us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
He says, wouldn't it be great, Job says,
if there was a man that could reach with one hand
and touch a human and reach with another hand
and touch deity?
He says, wouldn't it be great if there was a days men,
if there was a mediator between us
that could touch both God and man?
And what Job isn't thinking is that there was that man.
Christ Jesus.
Why did God become man?
Two reasons.
To substitute for man.
Romans 8.3, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans,
Romans 8.3, there's what the Bible says.
For what the law could not do.
Look, please get this.
You cannot be saved by keeping the law, period.
Say, why is that?
What's wrong with the law?
Nothing wrong with the law, something wrong with you.
Look, do you know that hypothetically
you could keep the law and go to heaven?
Problem is you can't keep the law.
Problem is that you gave in to temptation.
For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh.
Look, there's nothing wrong with the law,
something wrong with you.
For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
You say, why did God have to become a man?
Because as a man, he could only substitute for man as a man.
He lived a sinless life as a man.
He never sinned as a man.
He took our sins upon him as a man.
We took his righteousness upon us as a man.
Why did God do this?
Because it's the only way to substitute for man
was for God to become a man.
Because no man, no man could keep the law.
For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh.
God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
Do you understand?
He won the victory for salvation in the flesh.
As a human.
Why would God become man?
Well, first of all, to substitute for man.
Look, I don't care what religion tells you.
You cannot be saved by keeping the law, period.
Because if you wanna play that game,
you gotta keep every law, you gotta never mess up.
And you can't play that game.
You're disqualified before you even start.
Here's the second reason.
Not only to substitute for man, but to mediate for man.
Where we started, 1 Timothy 2, verse five.
For there's one God and one mediator.
By the way, there's only one mediator.
I pray to the saints,
I don't know what saints you think you're praying for,
but there's only one mediator between God and man.
I pray to the Virgin Mary, she can't mediate for you.
She was a sinner like you and I,
she needed Jesus like you and I.
God blessed her and we respect her and we love her,
but she was a human being.
For there is one God and one mediator
between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus.
One baseman betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both.
And the Bible says that Jesus,
he's our advocate with the Father.
He's our lawyer with the Father.
He fights on our behalf.
He shows mercy and he helps us
and he succors us in time of need.
Because he knows what it means
and how it feels to be a human, because he was one.
So look, please understand this.
When we say Jesus was a human, we mean that.
We're not being poetic, we're not just, you know,
spiritual talk, he was God and he was man.
No, no, no, he literally, physically was a man
just like you and I, but he was also God.
See, I don't get that, neither do I.
That's why the Bible says that it's a mystery.
Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifesting the flesh.
How can God become flesh?
I don't know, it's a mystery.
The problem is you're limited and I'm limited
because we're human beings, but that's what the Bible says,
we accept it by faith.
But there is one mediator, why do you do it?
To mediate on our behalf, so that there could be one
who could put his hands on the shoulders of man
and put his hands on the shoulder of God
as the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus,
the humanity of Jesus Christ.
And look, and here's the sobering thought,
everything you see Jesus do in the Bible
other than, you know, the resurrection.
And by the way, let me just say this,
the Bible even teaches this, when Jesus did miracles,
he did not do those with his own power.
I know this is kind of getting into something
a little more classic, but it was the Holy Spirit
doing those miracles through him.
We understand the Holy Spirit is God
and we understand that, but the point is this,
Jesus was a human just like you.
And you know, everything you see Jesus do,
he did it not as God, he was God, but he did it as a man
and he left us an example that we should follow in his steps.
So let's bow our heads in that word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for your word,
thank you for the Bible, thank you for this clear teaching
in the Bible that we serve Jesus who was 100% God
and yes, 100% man, and we thank you for that.
Because we do have a daysman, we do have a mediator,
we do have someone that stands between God and man,
the man Christ Jesus, we thank you for that.
And Lord, I just pray you'd help us to
take the advice of Hebrews, therefore let us come boldly
unto the throne of grace to obtain help in time of need.
And Lord, help us to remember that.
Thank you for sending your son to die on the cross
for our sins to live a sinless life.
We love you in the matchless name of Christ, we pray, amen.
All right, well, we're gonna.