The Humanity of Jesus
What is the shape of your story?
From childhood, to a teenager, to a young adult, and onto adulthood, our life experiences shape us into who we are.
Most of us, if we looked at the pattern of our lives, could point to some real high highs, and could point to some real low lows.
And Jesus relates with you (Hebrews 4:15-16)…
Though Jesus lived a “perfect life and died a perfect death,” His days were full of very human moments. I’ll highlight three below:
Jesus had messy teenage years:
As a preteen, Jesus ditched his parents, and left them freaking out for three days, while he camped out “cool and calm” in the temple:
“His parents didn’t know what to think. ‘Son,’ his mother said to him, ‘why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.’ ‘But why did you need to search?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they didn’t understand what he meant.” Luke 2:48-50 NLT
Even as a teen, Jesus is somehow able to reveal deep truths about His self-identity as the Messiah while also “playing it cool” in front of His parents.
Jesus experienced family pressures:
“The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there… The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, ‘They have no more wine.’
‘Dear woman, that’s not our problem,’ Jesus replied. ‘My time has not yet come.’
But his mother told the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” John 2:1, 3-5 NLT
Jesus goes on to do his first major miracle because His mama pushed Him, even though He already said “no!” He experienced and felt what we call “family dynamics” ;)
And Jesus experienced defeat, grief, and sadness:
“So [Jesus’ cousin] John was beheaded in the prison…John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.
“As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:10-14 NLT
Even when the human side of Jesus’ heart was hurting, grieving and needing space with His Father, the crowds and increasing popularity demanded Jesus’ attention. What did He do? His real ache for His loss didn’t hijack his actions, but propelled His compassion, and healing poured out on all those who came to Him.
The humanity of Jesus is equally as important as His divinity, and is equally as revealing. As we’ll see during “The Shape of our Story” series, the lived realities of Jesus’ everyday life are a special way we can feel connected to Him and renew our own lived experiences, too… living in the same earthly world that He was unashamed to inhabit.
And this not only makes studying His story amazing and wonderful but gives us permission to open up our own stories with Him, too!
We’ll see that “The Shape of our Story” is ultimately shaped by His, and when we bring ours closer to His story—we’ll experience powerful intersections of Heaven and earth.
Join us this Sunday as we study Jesus’ story through the lens of a triangle, “One Shape, Three Sides.”
See you soon!
Pastor Dave
PS. As we enter the Lenten season of the church calendar, we begin with reflecting and connecting the struggle and conflict in Jesus’ story with our own personal struggles. Lent is a season (40 days, not counting Sundays), inherited from Catholic believers, of intentional repentance and humility to prepare for the resurrection at Easter. Though we ought not to imagine this repentance as penance or earning—instead, Norm Nason’s words, repentance really is “invitation to return to the Path we were on with Jesus” and join again His footsteps toward the Cross.
This all fits wonderfully with “The Shape of our Story” series and, beckons those who would go deeper into the intersection of Jesus’ and our story. I recommend Biola’s Lenten Project for weighty and relevant content that arrives on your phone or inbox as daily art, scripture and reflection on Lent.