One of the essential doctrines (for receiving salvation) is believing in Christ’s incarnation, for “whosoever confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, this is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2John 1:7). “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist” (1John 4:2, 3).
Therefore Scripture is avid concerning His incarnation with accounts that relate to the truth that “we do not have a high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). The nature of the human soul is sin, which nature coexists with the “new nature” in the believer; and the nature of the human body is infirmity, which body is still under the curse but will be “redeemed” (Rom 8:23) at the resurrection. It is a tremendous love and sensitivity of the Lord Jesus to endure for us a body which was “corruptible” (not indestructible) like ours.
The humanity of the Lord Jesus was not manifested more than during the account of His crucifixion when He experienced the most difficult infirmity of the mind and heart, which was the overwhelming sense of His Father and God deserting or forsaking Him, which I believe was not an actual forsaking but the sense of being forsaken, deriving from His infirmities of being in the body—which nothing could confirm more of His incarnation (other than His resurrection) and His relation to us in our humanity. The “Cup” was more brief but no less demonstrative of His humanity exhibited by His request to the Father to “let this cup pass” (Mat 26:39), which all of course revealed His obedience to His Father.
During the times when we encounter that sense of separation or emptiness of God’s essence (always testing to increase our faith) with us, let us remember that we have the same uninterrupted union with the Father as the Lord Jesus had, for as He has said “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29).
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Therefore Scripture is avid concerning His incarnation with accounts that relate to the truth that “we do not have a high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). The nature of the human soul is sin, which nature coexists with the “new nature” in the believer; and the nature of the human body is infirmity, which body is still under the curse but will be “redeemed” (Rom 8:23) at the resurrection. It is a tremendous love and sensitivity of the Lord Jesus to endure for us a body which was “corruptible” (not indestructible) like ours.
The humanity of the Lord Jesus was not manifested more than during the account of His crucifixion when He experienced the most difficult infirmity of the mind and heart, which was the overwhelming sense of His Father and God deserting or forsaking Him, which I believe was not an actual forsaking but the sense of being forsaken, deriving from His infirmities of being in the body—which nothing could confirm more of His incarnation (other than His resurrection) and His relation to us in our humanity. The “Cup” was more brief but no less demonstrative of His humanity exhibited by His request to the Father to “let this cup pass” (Mat 26:39), which all of course revealed His obedience to His Father.
During the times when we encounter that sense of separation or emptiness of God’s essence (always testing to increase our faith) with us, let us remember that we have the same uninterrupted union with the Father as the Lord Jesus had, for as He has said “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29).
-NC
