We have been examining the Bible’s evidence that Jesus Christ was completely human. First we saw that it was necessary that the Christ come as a human to be our representative human obedience and to die a human death for us. Next we saw that Jesus was indeed human because he had a human body, soul and emotions. Finally this week I want to show how the people near Jesus saw him only as a man. This helps demonstrate that Jesus was 100% human.

Jesus grew up in the village of Nazareth and was known by his family and the other people who lived there. Yet when Jesus began his ministry by teaching and performing miracles it is interesting that those who had known him for years did not follow him. Many people did follow him but not those closest to him. We see this in Matthew 13:53-58: ‘When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.’

This fact is most compelling to Jesus’ humanity. Those who had grown up with Jesus – eaten with him, worked with him, traded with him, worshipped with him – did not think that he was a great prophet, let alone God himself. When they looked at Jesus they saw simply a human being, the carpenter’s son – certainly not someone worthy of any religious respect. This means that for thirty years Jesus had lived a human life that was so completely ordinary that those who knew him best were amazed that he could teach and perform miracles. This included his family: ‘For even his own brothers did not believe in him’ (John 7:5).

Therefore when you see Jesus in the pages of the New Testament don’t be tempted to be blown away by the miracles and forget Jesus’ humanity. He was completely human and completely qualified to be our substitute for the obedience that God requires and the death that God requires for our sin. Praise God that he sent his one and only son to be 100% human for us.

Joel Radford.