For there is one God and one Mediator
between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…
1 Timothy 2:5
One classic illustration of the gospel shows two cliffs with a wide canyon separating them. Man is on one side and God is on the other, with sin being the gulf between them. Since the distance is too far to jump, a bridge is needed to get from one side to the other. A bridge shaped like a cross is put in the middle, and the idea is that only Christ can bring a sinner to God.
Since the Savior is both God and Man, He is able to reconcile the sin problem with fallen Man and the Holy God. In studying the titles of Christ, I have seen dozens that emphasize His deity. People need to know this. Understanding that God Himself atoned for mankind’s sins is an essential truth of the gospel.
The humanity of Jesus is often taken for granted, and there aren’t a lot of details apart from the obvious. He had a body made of flesh, blood, and bone, was born in Bethlehem, and spent His childhood and early adulthood in the town of Nazareth. Christ was human, but He was also sinless, although sin is very much a human characteristic. That raises questions about the Man Christ Jesus.
Did Jesus cry as a baby? Did He ever get sick? Did He have a sense of humor? Did He ever work up a sweat? Did He have body odor? Was Christ ever bitten by mosquitoes? The answer to all of these questions is yes. The Lord Jesus experienced everything that’s involved in being human.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). The Man Christ Jesus knows what’s happening with us. He’s gone through it all Himself.
February 15
