Focus: The Humanity Of Christ

Text: Jh.1:14

"And the Word was made flesh…"

Christ's humanity was unique. It was different from ours. Christ's humanity was original and authentic. His body was uniquely prepared by God. The Scripture says, "A body hast thou prepared me" (Heb.10:5). God crafted Christ's body in Mary's womb. It looks and feels like our own body, but it was quite different from our own.

John tells us that the Word, which was God, became flesh and lived among us. Paul tells us that "God was manifest in the flesh" (1Tim.3:16). The Word was truly God, not a mere word. The Word was not a proposition, but a personality. Simply put, God became human.

Now that human body of Christ was unique and radically different from our own humanity. Granted, His flesh was liable to limitations and death. He could not be everywhere at a time. He could be hungry and thirsty. He could eat, sleep and be tired. That is the only similarity His body had with ours.

Here are the marks or characteristics of our own flesh:

Paul describes our body as "the body of the sins of the flesh" (Col.2:11). Paul tells us of "the filthiness of the flesh." Peter tells us of "the filth of the flesh." Peter and Paul talk about "the lusts of the flesh." Paul tells us that the weakness of our flesh renders the law powerless (Rom.8:3). Paul declares, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption" (1Cor.15:50). 

Our human body in its present state of sin cannot inherit the kingdom of God, just like Adam in his sinful state was excommunicated or banished from the garden of Eden.

He was not allowed to inherit Eden in his state and condition of sin. According to the Lord Jesus Christ, a man must be "born again" and be "born of water and the Spirit" to see and enter into the kingdom of God.

Paul says, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh…" (Rom.8:5). He tells us that "they that are in the flesh CANNOT please God" (Rom.8:8). The flesh lacks the ability to please God. That is our own flesh. Jesus Christ says that the flesh profits nothing (Jh.6:63). Paul confesses, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" (Rom.7:18). The flesh is inherently bad morally, and has nothing good to offer spiritually. 

He goes on to say, concerning Abraham's children in the flesh, that "they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God" (Rom.9:8). He warns those of us who believe in Jesus Christ to "make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Rom.13:14). Our flesh is flawed and tainted by sin. Our flesh is morally and spiritually ugly. David declares, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Ps.51:5).

Paul gives us a list of the works of our sinful flesh. He writes, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal.5:19-21).

When it comes to the humanity of Christ, John says, "And 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" (Jh.1:14). 

The humanity of Christ was beautiful. His body was a medium of divine manifestation, a vehicle of vision, and an instrument of divine illumination. You could see God through Him.

Paul tells us that Christ "knew no sin" (2Cor.5:21). Peter tells us that Christ "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (1Pet.2:22). He had no carnal knowledge or consciousness of sin. He committed no sin with His words, in His thoughts or in His actions. The body in which He lived and died was also the body with which He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, and in that same body He will return to the earth. His birth was immaculate, and His life, perfect. 

At the resurrection of the saints in the last day, our body will be raised to be like His own body. John writes, "We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1Jh.3:2). We shall be fully restored to our original condition and position - a state of moral purity and spiritual elegance. 

Sin marred our humanity once, but then, in Christ's own humanity and through His redemptive death on the cross, we have recovered our true and pure humanity. Christ is the last man - the Adam. In Christ we live, move and have our being. Our true essence is both derived from and realized in Christ. I, therefore, say to you, child of God, rest yourself in Christ!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter