As we journey progressively into the realm of sonship, we are mindful of the need to securely have "truth anchored in truth." It may well be that the book we call the Bible or the scriptures, does not contain all there is of the things on our Father’s heart. Surely we need a divine unfolding of revelation. We must also clearly know that any revelation that is contrary to the foundational principles in the scriptures is suspect. We must walk softly, before our God even as we move onward in His glorious purposes. All previous presumptions must be laid aside.

While some have moved beyond the scriptures that were given to us, it is to be noted that Jesus used the scriptures as did the apostolic writers. It is important that we check out "where" and "what" we have learned. Many times, what we have been taught, and called "truth," is based upon the traditions of men. This may be so, much more than we realize, or wish to admit. Until the things we have been taught are proven to be truth, we need to ask, "Where did this come from," and "Where did I learn this?" From experience, this writer has spent many years both unlearning, mans doctrines, and learning that which our Lord is showing of himself as present truth.

We must realize that much of what we have been taught about the life of the Man Jesus the Christ, is often based upon religious concepts that the religious mind finds acceptable, such as the God-man idea, or dual natures. This article may challenge what we believe and so we need to be open to change if such is required.

The greatest sources of error, as this writer sees it, are both found in the New Testament times. Judaism, which added the Law to what Christ had accomplished. The outward show of this system is to be found in the buildings, called the "house of God," complete with a system of religious worship based upon a priestly system which is, to varying degrees, both in the Protestant world, and Catholic world. The popular phrase "Judeo-Christianity" certainly does apply here. The other area of concern is that of Gnosticism, where to put it briefly, anything physical is bad and anything spiritual is called good.

THE HUMANITY OF JESUS THE CHRIST

In the Bible there are two men known as, Adam the Son of God. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 we read of a First and Last Adam reminding us of the principle, "first the natural, then the spiritual." By way of comment, the spiritual is the end and the natural is not to be repeated. It was several years ago when I was researching my father’s background, and I had successfully found the marriage of my grandmother Charlotte to William Greatorex, that the lady in charge at the Family History Center (Operated by the LDS), said; "Now you can trace your ancestry back to Adam." Out of my mouth came the words, "Yes, Adam the son of God," (See Luke 3:38) for our beginning is IN GOD. It is interesting that the First Adam is included in Luke’s linage of Jesus the Christ.

We think of our great-great-great-great, grandfather, Adam, in a negative way because of the willful decision that he made in eating of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the resulting sinful condition that we all inherited from him. We know that once the breath of God had entered into Adam, he became a living soul - a person. He was the desire of God expressed in a human form, one who was created in the image of God. We may wonder why God desired an expression of Himself in this manner, and why he permitted what is commonly called "the fall," but we rest in the sure knowledge that His ways and purposes are revealed in His timing, not ours.

What of the Last Adam? He was born a member of the Adamic race just as we all are, for was not his mother Mary a human? "But wait," some may say, "Was he not a "God man; did he not have two natures?" This seems to be the generally accepted belief in the wide world of Christendom. In fact to take away his deity nature is considered a serious error. The words of a chorus from many years ago said, "If we walk in the Lord’s humanity, we will know Him in His divinity." Because we rejoice in the risen and ascended Lord of Glory, we tend to consider all of his human existence in the same manner, but are we correct in this assumption?

While the "liberal" elements of Christianity may tend to take away the deity of Jesus Christ, please know that this writer is anything but a "liberal." The failure to properly understand the humanness of Jesus the Christ has caused much failure and grief amongst believers. Without a doubt 2000 years of "stained glass" church history has watered down the truth of his humanity until it barely exists in our thinking. We may get all teary eyed over the cross, and rejoice in the various miracles which we attribute to his deity, and end up with a man dying, and a god doing the miracles. Now, don’t stone me yet, as you need to read this entire article before deciding to do it.

In order for us to walk as he walked, we must understand HOW he functioned on earth in his human bodily form. So at this point it is good to consider what the scriptures actually say, and more importantly what the MAN, Jesus the Christ said of himself. The Gospels contain 78 references (Englishman’s Concordance) in which Jesus called himself, "the son of man." Many of these are duplicated in one or more of the Gospels. It is interesting to learn of the times that Jesus was called "the Son of God." There are just 42 New Testament references that specifically refer to Jesus as the "Son of God." Only a few of these have Jesus saying, or agreeing, that he was "the Son of God."

So, just how did he function? In John 5:19, 20 we read, "Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the son can do nothing of himself, unless {it is} something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and {the Father} will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel." (NAU) Please notice that Jesus was limited in what he could or couldn’t do.

Again we find a "limitation of sonship" in John 5:30. I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

The question arises, was he not the one of whom it was said in Matthew 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (KJV) (Immanuel in other versions) What of John the Baptist while in fetal form, jumping for joy in his mother’s womb? Or, what of Simeon saying of the infant Jesus, "For my eyes have seen Your salvation?" When seen in context these instances, and others, are prophetic or revelatory in nature.

There was the time when his parents took him to the Temple in Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. The 12 year old Jesus came with them, and then he got so involved talking with the elders/teachers who were amazed at his understanding, that he got left behind. Once found by his parents he said to them, "Did you not know that I had to be in my Fathers house?" Were these the words of a boy-god, or of a lad untouched by sin and with purity of mind? We must be aware that every Jewish boy was expected to memorize the scriptures, and that Jesus was found to have been both listening and asking questions.

In Luke 2:52 we read, "And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and favor with God and men." This was clearly a process of his development as a human. Within him was fullness in seed form and without a doubt a growing understanding of who he was prior to his earthly sojourn. However, he was to function as a human, just like us and with the limitations we face.

Within Acts 10:38 we find the key as to how he functioned in his earthly ministry. Peter said that it was; "God who anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power - - for God was with him." We already know that his sonship, as is ours, was limited to the will of the Father. Therefore, the works that he did were those done in accordance with our Father’s will, and under the empowering anointing of the Spirit of God. Please realize that IF he had functioned as a God-man he would not have needed to be baptized by John, which baptism identified him with fallen man, or he would not have needed to be anointed with the Holy Spirit. Our Father had purpose in the limitation of his son for our benefit.

At the time of his baptism by John, the Holy Spirit descended upon him. Matthew, Mark and Luke each record this event. In Mathews account, which is considered as being written to the Jews, the voice said, "This is My beloved son." However, Mark and Luke record our Father saying to Jesus, "You are My beloved son." Clearly there was an unfolding revelation coming to Jesus of his placing and purpose on earth.

Lest we get caught up into the heavenlies we must again be reminded that Jesus had to function on an Adam/human level. In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read, "For there is one God, {and} one mediator also between God and men, {the} MAN Christ Jesus," Please notice that it does not say, "THE GOD Christ Jesus," but rather, "the MAN Christ Jesus." It was the man who died, and the man of flesh who was raised. God did not need to be raised as God did not die.

There are two critical points that must be considered, his becoming sin, and his becoming a curse for us. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 the shocking statement is made. Jesus, who never knew sin, as the First Adam had, became sin. How he who was the Lord of Glory could become SIN, not a "sin offering" as I would prefer to say, is difficult to comprehend. Likewise, is the fact that he became a curse. Galatians 3:13 clearly says; "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a Curse for us- - for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree."

Clearly as deity in any form, he could not relate to us. Therefore it was necessary for a self-emptying which is called the "kenosis." How far did this go? Just as far as was necessary to in order to relate on our level, and to fulfill his destiny as the Savior of all. Was it to the level Adam was prior to the fall? Or, was it as Adam was after the fall, and yet without being born in sin?

Within the realms of eternity he existed in the form of God, as part of the Deity family. The decision was made not to continue functioning as deity, and therefore he set aside, emptied himself of deity, and willingly took the form, or position equal to that of a slave. This is an interesting point as man was the slave of sin, and Jesus took the position of a doulos - a bond, or love slave. Within the human dimension he grew physically, ate, slept, and was severely tested, or tempted if you prefer, to sin, and lest we forget, life began as in infant sucking milk from his mother’s breast.

Driven by the Spirit into the wilderness after hearing the Father’s voice of approval must have been especially hard for him. It was in the wilderness that the devil tempted/tested/tried Jesus. He was tested to do something "For himself" - make stones into bread; "with himself" - to jump from the pinnacle of the temple with the presumption that angels could save him; and "of himself" in order to gain the kingdoms of this world the seemingly easy way. Each challenge was met with a scriptural answer. We are reminded that the temptation period lasted 40 days, with only 3 specific examples being given. How many other temptations there may have been during this time we don’t know as scripture is silent.

The question arises, "Could the man Jesus have failed? That is, could he have sinned?" Our religious bones shudder at such a question, and we immediately say, "No! No! No! Away with such heresy, don’t question my beliefs; you know that he was the son of God." Now, we need to be very honest and answer the question. "IF in all the testing’s, or temptations he could not fail, then was the whole thing a fraud?" IF so, then we are in big trouble as there is no way that he can relate to us. We must look at additional scripture.

In Hebrews 2:18 and 4:15, we learn that it was necessary for him to share in common flesh and blood with mankind with the result of rendering the power of the devil, null and void. It then becomes clear, to use Jonathan Mitchell’s Translation of Verse 18; "For in what He has experienced Himself, having been tried (proved), He is able to run to the aid of those who cry for help – those being tried (put to the proof)." Clearly by sharing in common with us, he can, and does, relate to us." This means that he was tested in every way possible, which would have included sexually, and any kind of immorality there is. Did he marry Mary Magdalene? There is no gospel record of such, and IF he had after his death and resurrection, it could not have been possible. He was the "resurrected" Jesus Christ with abilities he had not before, and she was a mortal human.

In Hebrews 4:15 we learn that our High Priest did not offer empty words of sympathy; He knew by experience what he was talking about because he had past the test. He would not have been able to claim to understand unless he was tested on the same level of temptations that we experience and with the same possibilities of failure.

"Yet without sin." These words have been in my spirit and must be considered. The paraphrase Bible, puts it this way, "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses since he had the same temptations we do, though he never once gave way to them and sinned." (TLB) IF, Jesus functioned as deity in a body, then these words really have no importance. Because there was no ground, no place in him, where the desires that lead to sin could grow, he was sinless. We must realize that Adam allowed these desire to grow and thus sinned, Jesus did not. Jesus was victorious over the temptations, and a bona fide temptation meant the possibility of failure. Thank God our hope is in Jesus God’s Last Adam, one who can honestly relate to our humanity.

Now we need to consider the words of the prophet Isaiah. Chapter Fifty-three is considered a unique prophecy with regard to our salvation. Verse Three from the Moffat Bible reads in part; "A man of pains, and acquainted with sickness." Then in Verse Six all of our sins were laid on him. In Verse Ten, Young’s reads; "And Jehovah hath delighted to bruise him, he hath made him sick, if his soul doth make an offering for guilt," And finally in Verse Twelve the last part from Moffat reads; "since he shed his life-blood, and hath let himself be numbered among rebels, bearing the world’s sins, and interposing for rebellious men." Jesus as the son of God, whom he progressively knew he was, could not have done this. He had to do it as the son of man – the man of flesh and blood.

As a man of flesh and blood, the Last Adam – the Second Man, and the Fathers perfect human expression of himself, Jesus succeeded in all aspects where the First Adam, the First Man had failed No wonder he could cry out on the Cross; "It is finished!" The work was complete. The sinner with his sins - the fallen man was restored, and designed to go forward in the glory of the all conquering Son.

However, we must touch upon John 10:30 – "I and Father are one." (No my, or the) The Lamsa Aramaic translation reads; "are of one accord." Jesus came to do the will of the Father, and this he did. The Jews accused him of claiming to be equal with God. He reminded them of the scripture (Psalm 82:6) "I said, You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High." He did acknowledge his sonship, and his relationship, however, he still was limited to do the will of his Father, which he did to the very end. He did no thing (nothing) of his own, or out of himself. This is precisely how the "sons of God" are to function. We are in Christ, and yet, walk in limitation doing only the will of our Father. Forget about dreams of being used in some glorious manner. The glory is all his.

Thank God that we have a savior who knows from experience how to be human in every sense of the word. Therefore, we rejoice in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in our walk day by day.