“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us,” (Matt. 1:23).
God instructs us to consider many things: the ant; the lilies of the field. Have you ever really considered the human nature of Christ? From the very first moment of its existence, Christ was adorned with all kinds of rich and glorious gifts, as for instance, (1) the gratia unionis cum persona tou Logou, that is, the grace and glory of being united to the divine Logos, also called the gratia eminentiae, by which the human nature is elevated high above all creatures, and even becomes the object of adoration; and (2) the gratia habitualis, consisting of those gifts of the Spirit, particularly of the intellect, of the will, and of power, by which the human nature of Christ was exalted high above all intelligent creatures. His impeccability, the non posse peccare, especially should be mentioned here.
Louis Berkhof said, “Another effect of the union is, that the Mediator just as He now exists, that is, in both natures, is the object of our prayer. It should be borne in mind that the honor adorationis does not belong to the human nature as such, but belongs to it only in virtue of its union with the divine Logos, who is in His very nature adorabilis. We must distinguish between the object and the ground of this adoration. The object of our religious worship is the God-man Jesus Christ, but the ground on which we adore Him lies in the person of the Logos.” Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology.
You might be thinking, how does considering Jesus Christ in this way, in his human nature, apply to you directly? Is his humanity important? It is, most assuredly. It is a fundamental Christian doctrine that either widens the entrance to the gate of heaven for believers, or closes it shut for those who abuse the doctrine of his incarnation.
“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.” (Heb. 4:15).
The importance of the incarnation, that Christ come in human flesh not only provides atonement for all true believers, but provides atonement in the only manner which God would accept. Christ was a sinless sacrifice, who appeased God’s wrath, so that we might see God face to face; that we might come boldly before the throne of grace.
Contemplation:
Lord, I know that Jesus had to be born as a human being to save me. Galatians 4:4–5 says: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” Only a true man could be “born under the law.” No animal or angel is “under the law.” Only humans are born under the law, and only a human being could redeem other human beings born under God’s Law. I know that born under the law of God, all humans are guilty of transgressing that law. Only a perfect human—Your One and Only Son Jesus Christ—could perfectly keep the law and perfectly fulfill its righteous requirements, redeeming me from that guilt. Jesus accomplished my redemption on the cross, exchanging my sin for His perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
I know that he had to be fully human. Only by the shedding of blood can I have remission of sins (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22). The blood of animals, although acceptable during the OT administration of the covenant of grace only provides a temporary foreshadowing of the blood of the perfect God-Man, Jesus Christ. Those OT sacrifices were eternally insufficient for the permanent remission of sin because, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins,” (Hebrews 10:4). Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, sacrificed His human life and shed His human blood to cover my sins, and the sins of all believers. If the Lord Jesus was not human, this would have been impossible, and there would be no hope of eternal salvation.
