We often talk about Jesus as a great prophet or leader or some master Sherpa that has all the right answers. The famous WWJD, what would Jesus do, question still finds meaning for many people trying to figure out life and how to live it. The thing we forget is that Jesus is a man who was flesh and blood. Better than WWJD would be “what was Jesus doing”. The reality is that while Jesus was God in the flesh that means that Jesus was also a man with all issues that come with being human. All the problems I face he faced. All of the aches and pains of life he faced. All of the money problems he faced. All of the problems of family, life, death, work, government, church, and friends he faced. He understands what it means to be human.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Hebrews 2:14-16 ESV

Jesus was created as a man to “share in flesh and blood”. When we think of Jesus we think of the powerful individual that walked on water (Matthew 14:25), but Jesus also got tired (John 4:6), he got hungry (Matthew 4:2), he paid taxes (Matthew 17:24-25), he had fights with his brothers (John 7:5), he went to parties (Matthew 9:11), he wept (John 19:41), he had compassion (Luke 7:13), and he was even betrayed by a close friend (Matthew 26:14-16). Jesus was a man just as much as he is God in the flesh. While it is right for me to elevate Jesus to the place he belongs as God I must not forget that he is also a man that experienced joy, love, betrayal, anger, and even the pain of death.

Know and understand that everything we face that is human he has experienced in some form. The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was human in order to be a “merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God”

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18 ESV

We can take our pain, our trials, and our joys to him because he understands. He is not some remote ruler or distant entity that cannot possibly understand what our lives are like. He is the perfect high priest because “he himself has suffered when tempted”. When we pray and take our prayers and petitions to him we know that he understands. He will have compassion on us. He will weep with us. He will have joy with us. Most importantly he has already died in our place so that we can trust in him with everything.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 ESV

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