Basic Bible Doctrine - How Do We Know Jesus Was Human? (Evidence of Jesus' Humanity from Mark 1) Free Reprint Article

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Basic Bible Doctrine - How Do We Know Jesus Was Human? (Evidence of Jesus' Humanity from Mark 1)

by Wayne Davies
7/01/2014 / Bible Studies

The Bible teaches clearly that Jesus was both God and man. Yet by the end of the first century, there were those who found this truth difficult to believe.

To combat the false teaching that Jesus did not really have a human body, the apostle John writes, "Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God" (1 John 4:2-3).

John spent three years with Jesus 24/7. And so he could not sit by idly and allow people to say that Jesus didn't really exist as a man.

And this is why it is so important for us, 2000 years later, to read the New Testament carefully and remind ourselves that Jesus Christ is no myth, but God himself who came to earth in a human body.

The gospel of Mark is a good place to witness firsthand the humanity of Jesus. Mark was a close companion of the apostle Peter, another Christ-follower who spent three years with Jesus. Mark's gospel is likely a written record of the teaching ministry of Peter.

The first chapter of Mark makes a compelling case for Jesus' manhood:

Jesus was tempted by the devil (Mark 1:12-13).
Immediately after his baptism, the Holy Spirit sent Jesus into the wilderness for a face-to-face showdown with his archenemy, the devil. By the power of this same Spirit, Jesus successfully resisted every temptation that Satan could throw at him.

As we face the temptations of life, there is much comfort here for you and me, because Jesus knows what it means to be tempted. Hebrews 2:18 says, "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted".

Jesus was helped by angels (Mark 1:13).
Matthew, Mark and Luke all record Jesus' 40-day fast in the wilderness. But only Mark makes this comment, "He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him" (Mark 1:13). Even though he was God and could have created a feast from thin air at any time, Jesus put aside that divine power and relied on others to sustain him.

He willingly humbled himself and made himself vulnerable to the elements, trusting his Father to provide for his needs. Is not this a powerful example for us to follow?

Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:9-11).
Like scores of other Jews, Jesus went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptizer. John knew that Jesus was the perfect Son of God and so initially resisted Jesus' request for baptism. But Jesus persuaded John and was baptized along with the sinful multitudes. He had no sin to confess, but identified himself with the people he came to save. Jesus' baptism was a preview of his death, the ultimate demonstration of his humanity and the ultimate act of sacrificial love for others.

Jesus prayed (Mark 1:35).
Here is one of the most amazing verses in the Bible "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed". Jesus was a man of prayer, and this was likely how he started his day in intimate communion with his heavenly Father.

As a man, if Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray?

The humanity of Jesus is undeniable. And here we have an example of what it means to be truly human.

As followers of Jesus, we too will be tempted by Satan, yet can find help to overcome from the One who was tempted just as we are. We too must depend on God rather than ourselves to provide our daily bread; the Father abhors self-sufficiency. We must be baptized to proclaim our need for the forgiveness provided by the death of Christ. And we too must live a life bathed in prayer, our lifeline to heaven.

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