The Humanity of Christ
Jesus Christ’s true humanity is shown in that He was born and raised with a human life. He was not served by angels, His body could ache/tire/hunger and long for sleep.
It is important for us in our Christian faith because we now know that “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. (Heb 2:18).
In this article, we will examine His virgin birth backed by the scriptures as well as debunk some misconceptions about the virgin birth. We will also look at the relationship of Jesus with God the Father (His deity) and His humanity. Despite Him taking on the human form, He is still sinless, and this has been testified by various people in the Bible.
Virgin Birth of Jesus
All men conceived through the natural course have a sinful nature. Hence, they are born in sin.
Psalm 51:5: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Psalm 58:3: “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”
Scriptural Evidence of the Virgin Birth
A prophecy from Isaiah:
Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
‘child is born’, ‘son is given’
These statements refer to Jesus’ human nature.
‘his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace’:
This statement refers to His divine nature.
Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Mary’s conception happened before her marriage to Joseph. Fornication is forbidden according to the law of Moses and is punishable by death by stoning.
Matthew 1:19: “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.”
Joseph never had sexual relations with Mary until Jesus was born.
Matthew 1:25: “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
In this verse from the book of Luke, Mary expressed her disbelief in Jesus’ birth knowing that she was a virgin.
Even Luke, a physician, believed in the virgin birth.
Luke 1:34: “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”
‘We be not born of fornication’
Even the Pharisees knew that Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary, accusing Him of being a bastard.
John 8:41: “Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”
Why would King David call his own descendant Lord? Not unless God intervened.
Matthew 22:41-45: “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?”
Jesus was from God the Father. Mary said to Jesus that ‘me and your father (Joseph)’, but Jesus replied that He is doing His Father’s (God) business.
Luke 2:48-49: “And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
Misconceptions about the Virgin Birth
There are misconceptions and myths about the virgin birth.
1.It is not a virgin birth.
There are people who claim that the Hebrew translation of virgin in Isaiah 7:14 can mean either virgin or young lady and that it actually means ‘young lady’. However, one can counter this argument with the Greek translation, the only one there is, in Matthew 1:23, which means a ‘virgin’.
2. Mary remained a virgin forever.
Mary remained a virgin until Jesus’ birth.
Matthew 1:24-25: “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
Jesus had brothers and sisters who were conceived after Mary had sexual relations with Joseph.
Mark 6:3: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”
3. Paul never talked about the virgin birth.
Here, ‘his Son’ refers to God as the Father.
Romans 1:3: “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;”
4. Mormons believe that God the Father came down to earth and had sexual relations with Mary.
But if that’s the case, then virgin birth is no longer possible. The following scriptures show that Jesus Christ was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:35: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
‘a spirit hath not flesh and bones’ Remember that the Holy Spirit is involved in Jesus’ birth. Physical sexual relation is not possible with the spirit.
Luke 24:39: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
5. Science cannot explain this.
Paul said that it is a mystery. It is beyond human understanding. If all men can understand God’s thinking then they’d all be gods.
1 Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
Proves the two natures of Jesus: human (Son of man) and divine (Son of God).
Luke 12:8: “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:”
John 10:36: “Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?”
Relationship of the Son to the Father
Jesus Christ, because of His human nature, is lower than God. When Jesus Christ came down as a man, He left all the highness and exaltation of being God, but He is still God.
Jesus lowered Himself below the angels. When He lowered Himself, He was below God.
Hebrews 2:6-7: “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:”
Hebrews 2:9: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”
Jesus in the form of God lowered Himself into the form of a man.
Philippians 2:5-8: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Jesus is lower than God.
John 14:28: “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”
Jesus cannot act until God tells Him to.
John 5:19: “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”
Jesus obeyed His Father’s commandments.
John 10:18: “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
Jesus is lower than God. Jesus is God the Son. As in the Bible, the son must obey the father, so He is lower than the Father.
1 Corinthians 11:3: “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”
When Jesus left heaven to become a man, as a man He’s supposed to worship God.
John 20:17: “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
Jesus was subservient to the Father.
1 Corinthians 15:27-28: “For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”
There is no other verse in the bible that shows Jesus’ birth except through the virgin birth.
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Humanity of Christ
Why is it important for Jesus to be human? His genuine humanity is so that He can understand and sympathize with us, Christians.
Jesus had the worst kind of temptation, from Satan himself, and yet He overcame it.
Hebrews 4:15: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Matthew 4:1-11: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
He had human history/ancestry.
Luke 2:7: “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 1:23-28: “And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”
He was conceived by Mary.
Galatians 4:4: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”
He took on human form and was of the human race.
John 1:14: “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.”
Hebrews 2:14: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”
1 Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
1 John 4:3: “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
Matthew 26:12: “For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.”
Jesus is subject to the law of human development, he was a true human.
He grew up.
Luke 2:40: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
He asked questions.
Luke 2:46: “And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.”
He increased in wisdom.
Luke 2:52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
He learned obedience.
Hebrews 5:8: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”
He suffered.
Hebrews 2:18: “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”
He worked as a carpenter.
Mark 6:3: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”
He hungered.
Matthew 4:2: “And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”
He thirsted.
John 4:7: “There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.”
He got weary.
John 4:6: “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.”
He slept.
Matthew 8:24: “And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.”
He wept.
John 11:35: “Jesus wept.”
He prayed.
Matthew 14:23: “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”
The Sinlessness of Christ
How sinless Jesus Christ was:
John 17:4: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
Hebrews 7:26: “ For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;”
1 Peter 1:19: “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
Jesus may be perfect, but He can still be tempted just like Adam and Eve.
Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Genesis 1:31: “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
If Jesus cannot sin then why would Satan bother to tempt Him?
James 1:13 says God cannot be tempted to sin. This is God’s nature.
Hebrews 4:15-16 says that Jesus has been tempted to sin from every point.
Jesus has 2 natures: God and human.
Satan attacks the human nature of Jesus.
Even Jesus struggled to obey.
He prayed to God so hard for the cup to pass Him that He was sweating blood.
Luke 22:42-44: “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Testimony of His Sinlessness
His birth
Acts 4:27: “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,”
Acts 4:30: “By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.”
The Devil
Luke 4:34: “Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.”
Pilate the Governor
John 18:38: “Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.”
The Thieves
Luke 23:41: “And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”
The Sinful Woman
Matthew 27:19: “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”
The Centurion
Luke 23:47: “Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.”
Jesus himself
John 8:46: “Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?”
The Bible
1 Peter 2:21-22: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”
1 John 3:5: “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”
2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Hebrews 4:15: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
1 John 3:3: “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”