Holy Boldness

being made in the likeness of men.” The point of this and numerous other scriptures is that Jesus descended into our humanity to become one with mankind. To accomplish that, He had to leave something behind, namely, His glory. He was still divine, the son of God, but in expression, He laid aside the display of His deity to fully take up life as a man. He became one with the human race, “in the likeness of sinful flesh…” (Ro mans 8:7) with all its brokenness and limitations. This is one of the most astounding aspects of the Gospel. Why did He do this? I’m repeating myself but let me say it again… Jesus’ first purpose was to become as we are and to fully identify with humankind as a man. He was baptized into our humanity and weakness. But it was all for a priestly purpose . He came to redeem mankind from his bondage to “fallenness” so that the race of men might experience again an intimacy with the Father that would allow them to re-connect with their destiny. His ultimate purpose was to fully restore the image of God to mankind and to lead humanity back to its original mandate as image-bearers and representatives of God. He came “bringing many sons to glory…” (Hebrews 2:10) Through obedience and submission to God the Father, Jesus became the pattern of what it means to be a son of God and to bear God’s image. Not through rigid adherence to the law, but through the relational dynamic of father and son, Jesus put intimacy with God on display within the boundaries of the law while still fulfilling the deepest desire of the Father. Jesus was more than “a law-abiding Jew”. His obedience went beyond merely keeping the law. It involved a deeply intimate relationship with the Father. Jesus fully engaged the high calling of mankind from the beginning and did not fall short of the glory of God. Jesus re-lived and walked out Adam’s original mandate. That is why Paul calls Jesus “the last Adam,” meaning that he picked up and finished where the original Adam failed. 3 Jesus did not heal the world by a snap of His fingers or a twitch of His nose. He did not practice magic. He did not wield supernatural power as a god. He walked out man’s destiny as a man. He brought healing as a man and He ministered to people as a man. He listened. He prayed. He served and He spoke and He healed and He performed miracles but never through supernatural privilege as “God” but as a man empowered by the Spirit. His miracles were “in the power of the Spirit.” (Luke 4:14) His reading of people’s thoughts was a combination of prophetic anointing and naturally empathetic insight into men’s souls. 3 See Romans 5:12-19

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