Humanity of Christ in the Gospels, Part 1

Driving home: Every prophecy concerning the coming Redeemer, though it sets before us hints of more than humanity, never less than true humanity.

Pastor Martin compares the doctrine of Christ to a ticket or legal form: tear off any element of His true deity, and the entire transaction is stamped 'INVALID' — there is no salvation without a fully divine Savior.

And may I underscore as we pick up our studies at that point that over this teaching is stamped, as you have sometimes found on a ticket or a receipt or some other legal form, invalid or not valid or void if detached. Now, the teaching we're engaged in in these mornings concerning the fact that Jesus Christ is truly man is void if detached from the previous consideration. He is truly God. Now, some of you have only come in at the point where we're asserting His humanity.

3:50 - 4:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: There was no halo about his head.

The Creator of the universe became 'a speck of life attached to the womb of a little humble virgin' — the Lord of the galaxies who once gave birth to stars by speaking now needs to cry to be fed.

and oh, the wonder of it, the wonder of it, that the creator of the universe should become a speck of life attached to the womb of a little humble virgin. The wonder of it, that the sustainer of the universe should be sustained by an umbilical cord.

22:22 - 22:43 Read in full sermon

Driving home: There was no halo about his head.

Pastor Martin tells listeners to scrub away all the cherubic features and halo from medieval paintings — Jesus as a baby was 'everything any Hebrew baby was,' nothing more, nothing less.

There was no halo about his head.

23:19 - 23:22 Read in full sermon

When Mary called Jesus in from playing with the other boys, he came the first time — but if she ever did call him a second time, his answer might have been: 'I'm coming, Mother.' He was like the others, yet not like them.

When he's out playing with the kids and I call him, he comes like the others do. Except he always comes the first time I call. and I never had to call the second time. But if on the way he stumbles on a rock, his knee bleeds, and he cries and I have to put a band-aid on him just like the other kids.

32:33 - 32:50 Read in full sermon

Pastor Martin pictures the boy Jesus saying, 'Mom, any orders for me today? I've got a couple of hours before I go work on my Hebrew alphabet.' He had to learn his ABCs (or aleph-beth-gimel) like any other child.

And while she's pondering, He comes home and says, Mom, any orders for me today? I've got a couple of hours before I go work on my Hebrew alphabet.

33:06 - 33:14 Read in full sermon

Jesus was no academic egghead — His arms were made sinewy by the demands of carpentry, His shoulders rippled with muscle developed by laboring tasks. He was no precocious wisp of a child.

There were arms made sinewy by the demands of his carpenter's work and shoulders that probably rippled with well-developed muscle from the laboring tasks to which he submitted himself day after day and year after year in Joseph's carpenter's shop. He advanced in wisdom. He advanced in stature and in favor with God and with men. The more the Father beholds the development of His Son, the more the Father is pleased with His obedience.

34:31 - 35:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That Jesus that you have in your head is not the Jesus of the Bible. He's all that man is, as much as though he were never God. Sin accepted.

If Jesus had spent days in study and then hiked into the country to get fresh air in his lungs, his muscles would have been sore the next day — just like ours. The 'no, not Jesus' instinct in our heads is not the Jesus of the Bible.

May I state it even more earthly, in a more earthly manner. If Jesus had spent a few days studying a little more than he normally did and then to get some fresh air in his lungs and to clear his head, he went out and ran with the fellows in the neighborhood. if he stretched some muscles that he hadn't used for a few days, his muscles would ache the next morning, just like his playmates did. Yes.

39:56 - 40:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Ground your salvation in Christ's humanity as much as in His deity — a Savior less than truly human cannot be your sufficient mediator.

The wisdom of God learning his aleph-beth-gimel; the power of God needing to be lifted into bed by Joseph. Wonder at the measure of Christ's love that He stooped to such humility.

The wisdom of God learning his alis-bate gimme. Think of it. The power of God needing to be lifted up into bed by Joseph.

43:52 - 44:02 Read in full sermon