“Touched With Humanity”

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Netchaplain

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“For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are” (Heb 4:15).

Would not the “feeling” of the “infirmity” of being forsaken by His Father be the greatest among the sufferings which our Lord Jesus chose to endure? The Creator could not have related more to us than in the partaking of becoming the incarnate Word (Jhn 1:14), taking on our human infirmities, but not our human nature, for His is divine!

Another clear significant manifestation of His humanity is seen in “the cup” (Mat 26:39, 42), which contained the sufferings and death He was presently about to enter. There were other evidences manifesting the humanity of Christ, such as His weeping at the death of Lazarus, and just noting, was not for him, because He knew He was about to raise him. His sadness was over the Jews that were with them (Jhn 11:19, 31, 33, 37, 38), who He knew would not believe, even after seeing the miracle (Jhn 11:46 – but “many believed” – v 45).

Much has been said about the theory of God’s abandonment of His Son while on the Cross, but I think it lacks Scriptural support for the concept. The purpose of this article is to support the truth that God never abandons His own—especially His “own” Son, who knew prior to the sacrifice of His covenant with the Father, that He would resurrect Him after suffering and dying for the sins of those becoming reborn (Heb 13:20, 21).

The abandonment theory is based on the concept that God could not look on His Son with all the sin in the world on Him. Scripture demonstrates that God’s “face” is against sinners, but this is not so that He would not see their sin, but so they cannot see or sense Him; which in my opinion is to denote distaste and disapproval for the purpose that they might of seek His face.

Some of the basis for this is the misunderstanding of passages like, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity (Hab 1:13). Here, the terms “behold” and “look” are hyperbolic expressions (which are often used in Scripture) that God does not regard or accept their persons. Another prime passage is, “the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (Psa 34:16; 1Pe 3:12). It’s not as though God cannot endure seeing all the evil, as if He would be somehow alarmed concerning it (not necessarily in order - Pro 5:21; 15:3; Job 34:21, 22; Jer 16:17; Isa 59:2; Deu 31:18; 32:20; Eze 39:23, and a multitude of other like passages).

The Father Himself could have become incarnate to be the sacrifice, but in His desire to relate His love to us in the highest manner, He sent the far greater sacrifice of His Son!

NC
 
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marks

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Hi NC,

Good stuff! I see the same, that there doesn't seem to be this idea that God abandons Jesus on the cross. In the whole I like what you right, in particular the misuse of Habakkuk, As If there are things God can't see!

Let me ask you . . . what are your thoughts on Jesus quoting Psalm 22, My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?

Much love!
Mark
 

Netchaplain

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Hi NC,

Good stuff! I see the same, that there doesn't seem to be this idea that God abandons Jesus on the cross. In the whole I like what you right, in particular the misuse of Habakkuk, As If there are things God can't see!

Let me ask you . . . what are your thoughts on Jesus quoting Psalm 22, My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?

Much love!
Mark
I see it as another manifestation of how human He was, concerning the partaking ("touched") with us in human "infirmities," but not human nature. Many have not yet understood the meaning of "nature," which is the most important human part of the soul, because it is what is used for the helm of a being. The old man (original, that is, the old nature) guides the unregenerate--via the Enemy, and the new nature, the regenerate--via the Spirit.

Blessings Brother, and appreciate the depth of your replies.
 

marks

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I see it as another manifestation of how human He was, concerning the partaking ("touched") with us in human "infirmities," but not human nature. Many have not yet understood the meaning of "nature," which is the most important human part of the soul, because it is what is used for the helm of a being. The old man (original, that is, the old nature) guides the unregenerate--via the Enemy, and the new nature, the regenerate--via the Spirit.

Blessings Brother, and appreciate the depth of your replies.

So that not that the Father had forsaken Jesus, or turned His back in any way, but that Jesus, with humanities sin upon His, felt abandoned, like that?

Thank you!
Much love!
 

Netchaplain

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So that not that the Father had forsaken Jesus, or turned His back in any way, but that Jesus, with humanities sin upon His, felt abandoned, like that?

Thank you!
Much love!
Yes, and the issue isn't the sin as much as it is the "infirmities" He endured (His entire life), all of which culminated in it's greatest difficulty at the end. The point of Him being incarnate was to be "touched (acquainted - Isa 53:3) with the feeling of our infirmities," for the effect of suffering and death for our sins. He of course had nothing to do with the sin nature and its fruit (sins) other than being "upon Him" (53:5) and not in Him, otherwise His expiation would not have been spotless or sinless, which was the requirement (Exo 12:5; 1Pe 1:19) of the OT, in order to being about the New Covenant between Him and the Father!
 

marks

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Yes, and the issue isn't the sin as much as it is the "infirmities" He endured (His entire life), all of which culminated in it's greatest difficulty at the end. The point of Him being incarnate was to be "touched (acquainted - Isa 53:3) with the feeling of our infirmities," for the effect of suffering and death for our sins. He of course had nothing to do with the sin nature and its fruit (sins) other than being "upon Him" (53:5) and not in Him, otherwise His expiation would not have been spotless or sinless, which was the requirement (Exo 12:5; 1Pe 1:19) of the OT, in order to being about the New Covenant between Him and the Father!

OK. And thank you for your patience with me!

The idea you're expressing is that Jesus experienced what it was like to be a man cut off from God, to be qualified as our Priest, am I getting it?

And it comes to mind, the same as in the garden praying, the same thing essentially happening here?

Much love!
Mark
 

Netchaplain

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OK. And thank you for your patience with me!

The idea you're expressing is that Jesus experienced what it was like to be a man cut off from God, to be qualified as our Priest, am I getting it?

And it comes to mind, the same as in the garden praying, the same thing essentially happening here?

Much love!
Mark
In my understanding the Father and Son could never be apart, both being of the same Divine essence, and both expecting all that occurred. If there was any setting apart from Jesus at that time, it was mankind only, like the lamb in the sin offering, God never disregarded it because it was innocent, but the sin only! It was just the manipulation of the "infirmities" He had to endure, resulting in the feeling He momentarily had (Mat 26:42).
 

marks

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In my understanding the Father and Son could never be apart, both being of the same Divine essence, and both expecting all that occurred. If there was any setting apart from Jesus at that time, it was mankind only, like the lamb in the sin offering, God never disregarded it because it was innocent, but the sin only! It was just the manipulation of the "infirmities" He had to endure, resulting in the feeling He momentarily had (Mat 26:42).

OK, I understand. I'm going to mull this over some, but this makes a lot of sense.

I've long been of the opinion that it was Jesus' actual death, the dying itself, that propitiated our sins. But I've never had a good answer to that particular question.

thank you!

Much love!
Mark
 

Netchaplain

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OK, I understand. I'm going to mull this over some, but this makes a lot of sense.

I've long been of the opinion that it was Jesus' actual death, the dying itself, that propitiated our sins. But I've never had a good answer to that particular question.

thank you!

Much love!
Mark
It was Christ's death that applied our death (Col 2:20, 3:3), not to sin's indwelling, but to sin's "condemnation" (Rom 8:1), in order to nullify its guilt and "dominion" (6:14). It has been said that "the Blood procures pardon from sin (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14) and the Cross procures power over sin." The power over sin for the believer lies not in sin's absence but its inability to impart a willingness to sin. Though the sin nature (old man) ever attempts this dominion, it can never again result in causing us to "sin willfully" (Heb 10:26), which is the separation point between regenerate and unregenerate (spiritual, reborn; natural, not reborn).

God's blessings to your Family!