There are times when I look at my children and am reminded of the humanity of Jesus. When I’m tucking them in to sleep, when I see them playing, when I hear them laughing or saying “daddy” or “I love you.”
The Bible only gives us a quick glimpse at His human life: we see His birth, a glimpse of Him at age 12, and then before you know it He’s 30. I think it is easy at times for us to not really think about the life of Jesus being like every other human being. When we think of the humanity of Jesus, let’s remember this:
Mary carried Him in the womb for 9 months. Jesus would have grown like every other baby. He would have slowly but surely developed features. Mary would’ve begun to feel Him kicking and moving inside of her.
Mary experienced the wonder of giving birth to Him and Joseph was there to see the miracle of birth. Jesus would have needed cleaning off and swaddling. He would have been crying and hungry to nurse. Jesus had a mom and a dad.
Jesus grew and learned how to talk and walk in His first few years. He would cry, laugh, play, get into trouble like any other toddler. He was bathed and changed.
Jesus experienced what it was to be 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old. Jesus had parents that He loved and obeyed and was corrected by. He submitted to His parents (cf. Luke 2:51). Jesus would have played in His daddy’s workshop. He would have begun to do chores and help His parents like all other children. Jesus would have to learn right and wrong. He would have to make choices like everyone else.
Jesus would have experienced bumps, scrapes, and bruises. He would have been sick at times and in need of rest and care.
Jesus knew what it was to grow up with brothers and sisters (cf. Mark 6:3). Did they fight at times? Most likely. Did they play together? Sure. Did they learn to love each other? Absolutely.
Jesus experienced His teenage years. He continued to grow and learn what it was to be an adult. He would eventually become a carpenter like His dad. He probably had important talks about life with His parents. He loved and cherished His mother. He respected and honored His father.
Jesus lived though His 20’s. He worked, labored, and was a part of His family. He probably had friends and acquaintances.
We’re not told much at all about Jesus’ life between His birth and His ministry. But we can be assured He experienced one day at a time, one year at a time, one change at a time.
Above all, here’s what we do know:
When Jesus was about 30 years old He began His ministry of teaching and healing people (cf. Luke 3:23). Jesus got busy with His Heavenly Father’s work.
3 years later Jesus would feel the cold sting of betrayal. He would feel each blow and force of those who struck and beat Him. He would feel the wet of the saliva that was spat upon Him. Jesus would go on to feel the flesh being ripped apart on His back by scourging. Jesus felt the weakness of losing blood and being weary. He would feel the weight of the beam of the cross as He was forced to carry it to the point of exhaustion. He would feel the nails penetrating His wrists and feet as they were nailed in. Jesus would experience the pain of hanging from a cross by the nails in His body. Jesus saw His mother and beloved friends watching Him slowly suffer and die. Jesus felt His final breath leave His body and entered the realm of the dead.
But on the 3rd day after His death, Jesus experienced what no one had experienced before Him; He rose from the dead never to die again! He was in His body once again, a body that now would never be destroyed.
Jesus went through all of this for one reason: to save you and me.
“Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, 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. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).
To GOD be the glory, great things He has done!
A Cord of Blue 