Jesus as He walked the earth could touch the Heavenly Father
in a way that made a difference in the lives of everyone He touched. Some may say this was so because He was
God. They do say it. Frequently.
Boldly—as though it were an unquestioned statement of faith. But such a declaration prompts more questions
than it provides answers. If Jesus, in
His humanity before His death and resurrection, were God, what becomes notable
about anything He did? Worse still, the
many scriptural admonitions that would have us become like Him become a cruel
and unattainable mockery.
So, come, let us begin to think together afresh who Jesus
was, in His humanity, that our theology might become handmaiden to our becoming
“the righteousness of God in Him [Christ
Jesus]” (II Corinthians 5:21b) and
enable us to be conformed to His image (See: Romans 8:29).
Here’s why I believe Jesus was so effective and none of it
had to do with His being God. In fact, with my understanding of the nature of
authority and what was required for Jesus to win back the authority Adam
surrendered to Satan, it would have been impossible for Jesus to be God. It was to a sinless man—Adam—all authority
over the earth had been given, subsequently losing it, and it was required a
sinless man win it back.
The “wilderness temptations” of Jesus highlight the
authority issue. “Then the devil, taking Him [Jesus] up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a
moment of time. And the devil said to
Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory: for this has been
delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You will worship before me, all
will be Yours’” (Luke 4:5-7). Jesus did
not dispute this claim inasmuch as Satan spoke the truth. Here we go.
1) Jesus was sinless. There was divine activity with regard to
Jesus’ conception, insuring His sinless-ness at birth. It happened like this. The angel said to Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb [as opposed to
the Fallopian tube where conception almost always occurs] and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus” (Luke
1:31). This guaranteed the “taint of sin”
of which David spoke, “And in sin my
mother conceived me” 9Psalm 51:5b, would not be upon the child Jesus. Of itself this process did not make Jesus
divine, it simply started Him on a level playing field with Adam who also began
life “sinless”.
Sinlessness is a concept absolutely beyond our comprehension
and is one of the reasons many are so quick to ascribe deity to Him. Again, it’s instructive to point out Adam and
Eve walked in this state “for a season” [we have no clue how long it
lasted]. Though sinless, Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet
without sin” (Hebrews 4:15b)—He didn’t get a free pass. Further, “though
He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews
5:8). This willingness to “learn
obedience” enabled Jesus to “do always those
things that please Him [the Father]” (John
8:29).
Application. This “sinlessness” enabled Jesus always
to act from the right motive.
“Sinlessness” is not our goal, rather obedience, for our righteousness
is established in Christ Jesus (see reference above). Obedience will keep us from sin, but when we
stumble we have a precious promise, “If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
I have 3 other reasons to present and “Five Operational
Facts” but they must await subsequent articles.
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