Son of Man and God

I was listening to At the Table with Jesus by Louie Giglio on my drive in this morning. Day 8 is about Jesus being fully human. He spoke about how Jesus is 100% man and 100% God.

“I and the Father are one.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭30‬ ‭

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”” Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭10‬ ‭

He commented on how Jesus emptied Himself to come down to earth to rescue us. He commented about how much Jesus sacrificed for us as God. It was a lot.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭

As the narrator went on, my mind started to think about the contrast of Jesus as the Son of Man and Jesus as the Son of God. In my view, as God, He is love. He is filled with compassion, mercy and grace. He is just. He knew we needed saving and that He had the ability to do it. I feel like as God, Jesus had to respond as He did. His love for us is so great. I would sacrifice for my children, whatever the cost. God is so much more of a parent, of course He would do the same. While I understand all that He left, as a parent I would sacrifice anything I could for my kids and fell like Father God would react that way even more so.

So my awe is in Jesus as man. He walked a perfect life; as man that is hard. I can’t make it through a day without messing up. He faced the temptations. He was abandoned by his disciples, his closest friends. He was betrayed by one in His inner circle. He was despised. He was beaten. He knew what was coming, and still agreed to come and to willingly die. He knew the pain. He was forsaken by the Father. He did all that, as man not as God.

I love God. I admit this side of Heaven I will never fully understand what He did, why He did it that way, and why He loved us so much. I will never understand here, I don’t know what it is like to God. I am not an eternal deity. I don’t have all power and knowledge. My limited wisdom pales in comparison to even a fragment of His wisdom.

However, I can have a glimpse of what the Son of Man, Jesus Christ experienced as man. I can understand in my flesh I want to be selfish. I wouldn’t give myself for my enemies punishment. Jesus was selfless.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭

I cringe at the idea of experiencing pain, let alone volunteering for it. Jesus saw it as a joy set before Him to take our place.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭

I don’t like feeling embarrassed or being the center of negative attention. Jesus took that on Himself, He stepped up, He didn’t step back.

“Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”” John‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭

I am quite vocal when I feel wronged, Jesus stood in silence.

“And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”” Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭62‬-‭63‬ ‭

Jesus is both the Son of God and the Son of Man. He alone has the ability to save. As Son of Man, Jesus experienced everything we do, and yet still made that choice for us. He paid the price for sin regardless of the choice each of us make. The gift is available to all.