Scripture Reading
Hebrews 4:14–16 Matthew 26:38–39
Jesus’ Humanity on Display
Today, many spend a good part of their Christian life trying to defend the deity of Christ and, in the process, ignore His humanity. However, when Jesus walked this earth, quite the opposite was true: His deity, not His humanity, was questioned.
It’s hard to imagine Jesus as fully human, walking the dusty roads of this earth, experiencing the same emotions as we do, performing the same mundane daily tasks — simply being human. However, that is exactly what we would have seen if we’d walked with Him in first-century Palestine.
Although Jesus is God, He experienced humanity just as you and I do. From the Bible, we know the following:
- He was born and was a baby (Luke 2:7).
- He grew (Luke 2:40, 52).
- He became thirsty (John 19:28), hungry (Matthew 4:2), and tired (John 4:6).
- He gained knowledge (Luke 2:52).
He experienced the same human emotions that we share:
- anger (Mark 10:14, John 11:38)
- marvel (Matthew 8:10)
- compassion (Matthew 14:14, 15:32, 20:34; Mark 1:41, 6:34)
- joy (Luke 10:21, John 15:11)
Zeal consumed Him (John 2:15-17). He was troubled (John 11:33, 13:21), and He wept (John 11:35, Luke 19:41-44, John 11:35-36). He loved (Mark 10:21; John 11:5).
He attended dinners and ate with friends, including the one given to him by Matthew after Jesus called him to be a disciple (Matthew 9:9-13), the one at Zacchaeus’ house (Luke 19:7), and the one at Lazarus’ house (John 12:2).
Finally, Jesus bled, and He died (John 19:30-34).
Jesus Shows Us How to Be Human
If we had walked beside Jesus, we would not only have seen His humanity—we would have seen the way He lived it out as a model for us. His humanity wasn’t just visible; it was purposeful.
Jesus lived in dependence on the Father.
Again and again, He withdrew to pray (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12). Before miracles, before choosing the disciples, before the cross—He prayed. If the Son of God needed prayer, how much more do we? Read more on the importance of prayer here.
Jesus humbled Himself to serve.
Though He was Lord of all, He declared, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). When He washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:14-15), He turned greatness upside down. True humanity is found not in self-promotion but in humility and service.
Jesus showed compassion in action.
When He saw the crowds, “He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). He touched the leper, He welcomed the Samaritan woman, and He fed the hungry. Compassion was never just a feeling—it always moved Him to act. See more about Jesus’ compassion here.
Jesus lived surrendered to the Father’s will.
On the night before His crucifixion, He prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Paul later reflected: “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him” (2 Corinthians 5:15). His humanity shows us that life isn’t about us—it’s about living for God’s purpose.
Conclusion: Following His Example
We should never ignore the humanity of Jesus because He serves as the perfect example of how to live: prayerful, humble, compassionate, and surrendered to God’s will.
Questions for Reflection
- What difference does it make to your faith to know that Jesus fully shared in our human experiences of hunger, weariness, emotion, and even death?
- How does Jesus’ dependence on the Father in prayer challenge or encourage your own view of what it means to live as a human before God?
- In what ways does Jesus’ humility, compassion, and surrender to God’s will reshape your understanding of what true humanity looks like?
Prayer Focus
Lord, thank You for sending us a perfect example of how to be human. Through Jesus, we see how to pray, how to serve, how to show compassion, and how to live for Your purpose. Shape my life to look more like His. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Series Navigation
Previous in the Series: Getting to Know Jesus: What Would You Have Noticed About Him in the Gospels?
Next in the Series: Getting to Know Jesus: Unbelief Shuts Out the Supernatural
If you missed earlier posts in this series, you can catch up here:
Jesus Said “I AM” | John 8:58 Explained #shorts
Making Him Known March 12, 2026 2:20 pm