Was Jesus really a human being? Jesus’ nature is one of the more difficult to understand elements of the Christian faith, especially when the Bible doesn’t give us an either/or answer, but a “yes.” So let’s look at what it says about Jesus’ humanity.
The Bible affirms that Jesus is God. It does this by describing Him as being equal with God, showing how He possesses attributes that God alone possesses, performing works only God performs, and by claiming to be God. But in addition to all that, the Bible also affirms that Jesus is fully human.
The Old Testament records many prophecies about God’s Promised Rescuer, the Messiah, like the ones found in Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6, and Micah 5:3. These prophecies affirm that the Messiah would be a human being.
The New Testament does likewise by showing how, in His life on earth, Jesus did all the things that human beings did. He was born, grew up, learned, and slept. He was hungry and thirsty. He experienced temptation, sorrow, and pain, something we see most clearly in the events of his arrest and crucifixion.
Jesus wasn’t and isn’t some kind of human-shaped specter. He was and is a real, flesh-and-blood person—who is also God. And this is good news for us because it means that Jesus understands the human condition, because He is one of us. And can go to Him in every situation and with every need because He can sympathize with our weaknesses; He was tempted in every way that we are, yet is without sin.
