All in the Family
This weekend, we begin a short series that leads us through Holy Week, to Maundy Thursday, to Good Friday, and then to the celebration of Easter. We will be looking at the Humanity of Jesus for the next three weeks. What does the humanity of Jesus have to do with the experience of the Cross and the glory of the Resurrection?
We begin by looking at the term “Son of Man.” It is used often in the Old Testament. Most of the time, in the Old Testament, it can be literally translated as “the human one.” The New Testament references are mostly used to describe Jesus as THE “Son of Man” and is used most often by Jesus to refer to Himself, the complete human and the fullness of the human one. While the divinity of Jesus illustrates for us the identity of God, the human side of Jesus is the model for us to seek to become as fully human. Jesus enfolds both the fullness of the Divine and the fullness of humanity, Son of God and Son of Man.
Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says,“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;in the assembly I will sing your praises.” And again,“I will put my trust in him.”And again he says,“Here am I, and the children God has given me.” - Hebrews 2 :11-13 NIV
The humanity of Jesus is the catalyst for adoption into the family. Wearing the name Son of Man means He is our brother. He lovingly claims us as brothers and sisters.
“To me, it is unmistakable what Jesus is saying through the “Son of Man” title. He is declaring for all of humanity—I am not a distant, detached God; I want to have relationship with you.” Michael Chandler
Why did he have to become the Son of Man? Why did he…
“Who, being in very nature God,did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” - Philippians 2:6-9 NIV
He was so human that He had to die and, beyond that, face the worst type of death, death on a cross. Jesus proves the divine and the human can coexist. His divinity dwells in us in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
God has revealed Himself to be a relational God. He desires communion with his creation. When man (Adam) rebelled in the Garden of Eden, he was banished East of Eden and the relationship with God was fractured. Eden means, literally, “the eye to the door of life.” Man chose to try and make it on his own. God’s heart was broken because, using the free will he created them to have, they chose to seek emancipation from their Father and go through life on their own. The only way to bring them back and restore them to the family was to go and get them.
God chose to do so by becoming a human like them. By coming in human form, He could show them the love, power, and desire for relationship in a way they could relate to. He became like them but in the fullness of what they could be. He became human. He became the perfect Son of Man. The other side, our side of the relationship, was broken and needed to be repaired. The only way it could be repaired was if God did it because we are just not capable. So He repaired it by giving Himself up and taking the punishment for our rebellion from Him. He died on the cross.
The NASCAR experience of watching a race on TV, cars going by at 200 mph inches from each other is nothing compared to standing on the edge of the track at Daytona and experiencing it in person. It is unbelievable. God did not just tell us He loves us from afar; He chose to become human like us so we could experience His love in a real relationship, not just in something we hoped for or read about or even watched on TV. It is unbelievable.
JOURNAL: What does this mean to you? How does it feel to know that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross to repair the broken relationship between us and God because of our sin?
PRAYER: Write a love letter to God thanking Him for the ultimate gift of His Son and the eternal life He offers us in Heaven.
We begin by looking at the term “Son of Man.” It is used often in the Old Testament. Most of the time, in the Old Testament, it can be literally translated as “the human one.” The New Testament references are mostly used to describe Jesus as THE “Son of Man” and is used most often by Jesus to refer to Himself, the complete human and the fullness of the human one. While the divinity of Jesus illustrates for us the identity of God, the human side of Jesus is the model for us to seek to become as fully human. Jesus enfolds both the fullness of the Divine and the fullness of humanity, Son of God and Son of Man.
Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says,“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;in the assembly I will sing your praises.” And again,“I will put my trust in him.”And again he says,“Here am I, and the children God has given me.” - Hebrews 2 :11-13 NIV
The humanity of Jesus is the catalyst for adoption into the family. Wearing the name Son of Man means He is our brother. He lovingly claims us as brothers and sisters.
“To me, it is unmistakable what Jesus is saying through the “Son of Man” title. He is declaring for all of humanity—I am not a distant, detached God; I want to have relationship with you.” Michael Chandler
Why did he have to become the Son of Man? Why did he…
“Who, being in very nature God,did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” - Philippians 2:6-9 NIV
He was so human that He had to die and, beyond that, face the worst type of death, death on a cross. Jesus proves the divine and the human can coexist. His divinity dwells in us in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
God has revealed Himself to be a relational God. He desires communion with his creation. When man (Adam) rebelled in the Garden of Eden, he was banished East of Eden and the relationship with God was fractured. Eden means, literally, “the eye to the door of life.” Man chose to try and make it on his own. God’s heart was broken because, using the free will he created them to have, they chose to seek emancipation from their Father and go through life on their own. The only way to bring them back and restore them to the family was to go and get them.
God chose to do so by becoming a human like them. By coming in human form, He could show them the love, power, and desire for relationship in a way they could relate to. He became like them but in the fullness of what they could be. He became human. He became the perfect Son of Man. The other side, our side of the relationship, was broken and needed to be repaired. The only way it could be repaired was if God did it because we are just not capable. So He repaired it by giving Himself up and taking the punishment for our rebellion from Him. He died on the cross.
The NASCAR experience of watching a race on TV, cars going by at 200 mph inches from each other is nothing compared to standing on the edge of the track at Daytona and experiencing it in person. It is unbelievable. God did not just tell us He loves us from afar; He chose to become human like us so we could experience His love in a real relationship, not just in something we hoped for or read about or even watched on TV. It is unbelievable.
JOURNAL: What does this mean to you? How does it feel to know that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross to repair the broken relationship between us and God because of our sin?
PRAYER: Write a love letter to God thanking Him for the ultimate gift of His Son and the eternal life He offers us in Heaven.
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