100:00:00,600 –> 00:00:07,840Many people feel that Jesus Christ is so far away from them and they’re looking200:00:07,840 –> 00:00:14,520for someone near. I’m telling you on the basis of the humanity of the Lord Jesus300:00:14,520 –> 00:00:20,260Christ that Jesus Christ knows more about your life than his mother or any400:00:20,260 –> 00:00:29,200other person ever could. And when you see that you’ll want to come to him. Welcome500:00:29,240 –> 00:00:33,279to open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick, glad you could join600:00:33,279 –> 00:00:37,119us today. And Colin do you think that many people feel that Jesus is a long700:00:37,119 –> 00:00:41,939way away because they can’t see him, they can’t touch him, it seems as if he’s800:00:41,939 –> 00:00:46,200quite distant? Yes but this is where the truth of the incarnation that we900:00:46,200 –> 00:00:51,340celebrated at Christmas is so important that God didn’t merely sort of appear as1000:00:51,340 –> 00:00:57,180a man. He actually became a man. Why is that so important? It’s important because1100:00:57,200 –> 00:01:02,360it means that Jesus has entered into all the realms of experience that we have.1200:01:02,360 –> 00:01:06,440Jesus knows what it is to a friends and then to be abandoned by his friends, to1300:01:06,440 –> 00:01:12,320be betrayed by his friends. He knows what it is to be with people who are hungry.1400:01:12,320 –> 00:01:15,459He knows what it is to be moved to tears at a funeral. God has actually1500:01:15,459 –> 00:01:19,680entered into that experience. That’s the point of the incarnation that God1600:01:19,680 –> 00:01:24,720actually entered into our world, entered into our life. What that means is that1700:01:25,120 –> 00:01:29,879I come and pray to Jesus Christ I’m praying to someone who’s not far away1800:01:29,879 –> 00:01:36,080but someone who’s very very near, near by experience, by experience in his own1900:01:36,080 –> 00:01:40,800flesh in his own life in this world. So we’ll be looking at this aspect of Jesus2000:01:40,800 –> 00:01:46,040as we continue the message, He Understands You, so join us if you can in2100:01:46,040 –> 00:01:51,820Romans in chapter one. Here’s Colin. The humanity of Jesus means first that the2200:01:51,919 –> 00:01:57,180Lord Jesus Christ had a human body. Let’s just think about this for a few moments2300:01:57,180 –> 00:02:02,019together. I’ve been helped in this last week as often before by reading2400:02:02,019 –> 00:02:08,139Professor Donald McCloud writing on the subject. He has a very wonderful gift for2500:02:08,139 –> 00:02:14,460fresh language and so I’m going to be quoting him several times today. Here’s2600:02:14,479 –> 00:02:22,720one thing he says, God’s Son took a human body which had the same biochemical2700:02:22,720 –> 00:02:31,559composition as our own, exactly the same anatomy and physiology, the same central2800:02:31,559 –> 00:02:39,759nervous system and the same sensitivity to pain. In fleshing of the Son of God2900:02:40,339 –> 00:02:53,119means that He had touchable, visible, woundable flesh just like you and me.3000:02:53,500 –> 00:02:57,539But human nature of course involves more than a body. You’re more than a body3100:02:57,539 –> 00:03:04,500aren’t you. What else are you beyond a body? A body and a soul. So for Christ to3200:03:04,500 –> 00:03:08,800take human nature meant not only that Jesus had a human body but that Jesus3300:03:08,800 –> 00:03:12,839had a human soul. Which of course involves the mind. It involves the heart.3400:03:12,979 –> 00:03:18,460It involves thinking and feeling and relationship. Think about the humanity of3500:03:18,460 –> 00:03:24,279Jesus. What the Scriptures tell us. Luke tells us for example chapter 2 and verse3600:03:24,279 –> 00:03:31,17952 that Jesus grew in wisdom He grew in wisdom. How’d you think he knew3700:03:31,179 –> 00:03:36,940all the scriptures from the Old Testament. Listen kids listen up.3800:03:36,940 –> 00:03:44,339When you learn and study. When you memorize verses in awana. You know what, Jesus did it3900:03:44,339 –> 00:03:49,639exactly the same way. No shortcuts for Him. When you take notes when you kneel4000:03:49,639 –> 00:03:57,460down to pray, the Lord Jesus Christ did these things in exactly the same way.4100:03:57,460 –> 00:04:03,080He learned like we do. He prayed like we do. He was tempted like we are. Listen He4200:04:03,080 –> 00:04:08,240formed friendships like we do. He had places that He liked to go where He was4300:04:08,240 –> 00:04:12,460able to relax more than others. The home of Martha and Mary and Lazarus was4400:04:12,460 –> 00:04:16,640obviously one of these when He choses his disciples. The first reason that He4500:04:16,640 –> 00:04:22,760chose his disciples was what? That they should be with Him. When children came to4600:04:22,760 –> 00:04:28,540Him immediately connected with them. You read some of the words that are right4700:04:28,779 –> 00:04:33,579in the scriptures that speak to us about the real humanitarian of Christ, I just4800:04:33,579 –> 00:04:38,619wrote down a few of them because we skip over them. The Lord Jesus was troubled4900:04:38,619 –> 00:04:49,260John chapter 11 verse 33 and other places. He was in anguish in anguish5000:04:49,260 –> 00:04:58,279Luke 22 in verse 44. He was deeply distressed Mark chapter 14 in verse 23.5100:04:58,279 –> 00:05:08,040He was overwhelmed with sorrow Mark chapter 14 and verse 34. So Jesus had a human body5200:05:08,040 –> 00:05:15,920the Lord Jesus had a human soul. The Lord Jesus Christ knows more about your life5300:05:15,920 –> 00:05:26,839experience than your best friend or your counsellor or any pastor ever could.5400:05:27,040 –> 00:05:34,239The Lord Jesus Christ knows more about your experience of life than his mother Mary ever5500:05:34,239 –> 00:05:42,320could. Think about this. Why is it that Mary has assumed such importance in large parts5600:05:42,320 –> 00:05:50,619of the church throughout the centuries? I’ll tell you, because many people feel that Jesus5700:05:51,019 –> 00:05:58,420so far away from them they’re looking for someone nearer. I’m telling you, on the basis5800:05:58,420 –> 00:06:04,739of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ knows more about your life5900:06:04,739 –> 00:06:13,100than his mother or any other person ever could. And when you see that, you’ll want to come6000:06:13,100 –> 00:06:18,640to him. That’s how important the humanity of Jesus is. It’s what we’re learning from6100:06:18,739 –> 00:06:24,239Hebrews in chapter 4 in verse 15. So I want to make this third point. Jesus had a human6200:06:24,239 –> 00:06:32,820body Jesus had a human soul and I want to make the point that Jesus knows human life.6300:06:32,820 –> 00:06:38,519And boy, we could go on for the rest of the time here and I promise that I won’t, I just6400:06:38,519 –> 00:06:44,959made a list of experiences of the Lord Jesus Christ and I pruned it down to 10 that I thought6500:06:45,000 –> 00:06:50,239might be helpful for us. And I’ll race through them very quickly here. Number one, have you6600:06:50,239 –> 00:06:54,059ever been exhausted? Hands up everyone who has ever been exhausted? Okay, you know that6700:06:54,059 –> 00:06:59,820experience of life? Jesus has been there. He fell asleep in a boat. That’s exhaustion.6800:06:59,820 –> 00:07:07,160I mean on a lake. You ever done that? Ever been that tired? When the demands on you are6900:07:07,160 –> 00:07:13,000so great, you can come to him because he knows what that’s like.7000:07:13,000 –> 00:07:18,559When you feel you need some space just to get alone because everything’s around you,7100:07:18,559 –> 00:07:22,720the son of God knows what that’s like. All these crowds and he had to come apart and7200:07:22,720 –> 00:07:25,000rest for a while.7300:07:25,000 –> 00:07:29,880Two, do you have loved ones who are deeply resistant to Christ? Do you think the son7400:07:29,880 –> 00:07:37,640of God knows about that? It certainly does. Jesus has been there. His own brothers thought7500:07:37,640 –> 00:07:42,980that he was out of his mind. The gospels say so.7600:07:43,100 –> 00:07:53,380Third, do you work or live in an ungodly environment? You’re surrounded by people, who are blasphemous7700:07:53,380 –> 00:08:01,579in their language, ungodly in their behaviour. Does it get to you? Jesus has been there.7800:08:01,579 –> 00:08:09,820Macleod says he came into first century Nazareth. He lived where he could see human sin, hear7900:08:10,160 –> 00:08:20,100human swearing and blasphemy, see human diseases and observe human mortality, poverty and squalor.8000:08:20,100 –> 00:08:28,380He s been there. He knows it. Four, do you live with tension due to disloyalty8100:08:28,380 –> 00:08:35,380on your own team? Unfaithfulness on the part of someone you care about deeply? Jesus has8200:08:35,380 –> 00:08:42,380been there. Jesus has been there. Judas was one of the twelve but he was not with Jesus.8300:08:43,919 –> 00:08:50,919Not with Jesus. McLeod says, Christ knows the fool horror of human infidelity and treachery.8400:08:57,840 –> 00:09:04,840So you face that, you could come to the Son of God and you could say, you know of those8500:09:05,419 –> 00:09:12,419things, but I know about this more than any other person I know.8600:09:16,500 –> 00:09:23,280Fifth, have you felt moved by the plight of people living without hope in the world? Jesus8700:09:24,359 –> 00:09:31,359has been there, do you think he cares? He sees sheep, people like sheep without a shepherd8800:09:32,080 –> 00:09:39,080and the bible says he had compassion on them. His heart went out to them. Other done the8900:09:40,219 –> 00:09:44,719other side, number 6, have you ever felt angry about injustice and abuse in the world, anyone9000:09:44,719 –> 00:09:51,539on that? You bet. Does Jesus know about that? I think the Lord Jesus Christ when you feel9100:09:51,539 –> 00:09:58,359angry about injustice and abuse in the world and I think the son of god can say to you9200:09:58,520 –> 00:10:03,840I do too. Me too. Where do you get that from? Remember when the Lord Jesus Christ9300:10:03,840 –> 00:10:09,380went into the temple and there was just one area in the temple at that time that God himself9400:10:09,380 –> 00:10:14,520had designated as a place of prayer for Gentiles and you know what some greedy people had done9500:10:14,520 –> 00:10:20,640they had turned it into a marketplace with almost no possibility of prayer. And Jesus9600:10:20,640 –> 00:10:27,000though that whip of cords when he went in there and he drove out the money changers.9700:10:27,099 –> 00:10:33,940If you think the Son of God does not care, is not enflamed with passion over the injustice9800:10:33,940 –> 00:10:37,840and abuse of this world you’ve not come to know the Christ of the Bible.9900:10:37,840 –> 00:10:42,780You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, and a message called He Understands10000:10:42,780 –> 00:10:48,400You! Part of our series Good News About God’s Son. And if you joined us late today, or if10100:10:48,400 –> 00:10:52,400you ever miss one of the series don’t forget you can always catch up or go back and listen10200:10:52,419 –> 00:10:59,140again online at our website openthebible.org.uk. There you’ll find all the broadcasts which10300:10:59,140 –> 00:11:03,340have already gone out on air. Back to the message now, we’re in Romans10400:11:03,340 –> 00:11:05,780chapter 1. Here’s Colin…10500:11:05,780 –> 00:11:12,780Number seven, do you grieve the loss of someone you love? Ever been there? You there now?10600:11:14,340 –> 00:11:19,500How Jesus has been there. Gospels tell us about a day when Jesus received10700:11:19,500 –> 00:11:26,500news that one of his closest friends had died. He went to visit and when he saw the10800:11:26,580 –> 00:11:33,580man’s sister Mary weeping, the Bible says when he saw her tears, Jesus was so deeply10900:11:34,840 –> 00:11:41,840moved, that he broke down in tears himself. And people said, you can see how much he loved11000:11:42,179 –> 00:11:47,919Lazarus. So when your heart is breaking and you’re feeling the desolation of loss of11100:11:47,919 –> 00:11:54,479someone you love, you can come into the presence of Jesus and you can say, Jesus, you know11200:11:54,479 –> 00:11:59,960what I’m feeling right now. That’s the humanity of Christ.11300:11:59,960 –> 00:12:04,380Number eight, have you ever felt that the future was so dark you can hardly bear to11400:12:04,380 –> 00:12:09,119think about it? Maybe there is someone here and that’s exactly where you are today in11500:12:09,280 –> 00:12:12,940Maybe there is someone here and that’s exactly where you are today and that’s why God wants11600:12:12,940 –> 00:12:19,599you here today. You feel that the future for you is so dark, you hardly bear to think about11700:12:19,599 –> 00:12:26,599it. Listen, the son of God has been there. When he came to the Garden of Gethsemane,11800:12:27,280 –> 00:12:34,280he was overwhelmed with sorrow. And did he want to die? Did he want to die at the age11900:12:35,159 –> 00:12:42,159of 33? And he says, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. But not my will12000:12:44,840 –> 00:12:51,840but yours. Be done. And the future looks to you like a dark hole. You can come to the12100:12:52,719 –> 00:12:59,719son of God and you can say, Lord Jesus, you were in Gethsemane. You know. Because12200:13:04,440 –> 00:13:11,440And he understands you in a way that no one else can touch.12300:13:14,539 –> 00:13:20,700Number nine. Have you suffered unjustly at the hands of others? Read the story of Holy12400:13:20,700 –> 00:13:25,979week. That’s all I need to say about that, isn’t it? Read the story of Holy week.12500:13:25,979 –> 00:13:32,979Read it this week. And see if you do not think the son of God knows something about this.12600:13:33,960 –> 00:13:43,640Number 10. Have you ever felt utterly without hope, without help, without comfort and without12700:13:43,640 –> 00:13:56,260God? And I tell you, Jesus has been there. He was nailed to a cross. He was loaded with12800:13:56,260 –> 00:14:08,280the guilt of the world imputed to him. The land itself was plunged into darkness and12900:14:08,280 –> 00:14:15,780at the moment when he needed it most, the one moment in his earthly life where more13000:14:15,780 –> 00:14:21,119than any other he needed a sense of the peace and the presence and the blessing and the13100:14:21,520 –> 00:14:28,640help and the comfort and the strength of God. In the moment when he needed it most, the13200:14:28,640 –> 00:14:34,859sense of love and peace and blessing and approval of the Father that he had enjoyed all through13300:14:34,859 –> 00:14:45,760his life was gone. And he cries out, the Bible says in a loud voice. My God my God why have13400:14:45,760 –> 00:14:56,979you forsaken me. The cloud says, needing God as no man ever needed God he cried and God13500:14:56,979 –> 00:15:13,340was not there. Friend, I don’t know your pain, but Christ does. And your pain never13600:15:13,400 –> 00:15:26,260goes beyond his pain. Your darkness never goes beyond his darkness. Do not ever say13700:15:26,260 –> 00:15:35,820that God does not understand. Folks, we’re beginning to see why the humanity of Jesus13800:15:35,820 –> 00:15:47,020is so important. It’s this huge. When you see the humanity of Jesus, it won’t be13900:15:47,020 –> 00:15:53,239long before you find yourself saying, you know, this Jesus may have something for me14000:15:53,380 –> 00:16:09,320after all. He knows my life. He knows me. We do not have a high priest who is unable to14100:16:09,320 –> 00:16:20,299sympathise with our weaknesses. But we have one who has been tempted in every way, every14200:16:20,940 –> 00:16:30,419just as we are, yet he was without sin. Now, when you understand that, the writer to the14300:16:30,419 –> 00:16:37,479Hebrews says, Well now let us approach the throne of grace with confidence. So that we14400:16:37,479 –> 00:16:46,359may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in our time of need. Now in these last14500:16:47,059 –> 00:16:52,719moments, will you notice with me when we’ve grasped the humanity of Christ, and we begin14600:16:52,719 –> 00:16:59,000to see that oh, this is someone I can come to. And we do draw near to him in all of our14700:16:59,000 –> 00:17:03,619need and in all of our pain and in all of our difficulties. What is it that we look14800:17:03,619 –> 00:17:10,280to receive from him? In the book of Hebrews, put it this way, it says that we may receive14900:17:10,959 –> 00:17:17,959mercy and that we may receive grace to help us. Mercy and help, help and mercy coming15000:17:21,060 –> 00:17:27,180from the Son of God who took human flesh, who knows your life more than any other person15100:17:27,180 –> 00:17:34,180you can ever meet. It is now ascended at the right hand of the Father and you can come15200:17:35,119 –> 00:17:39,099to Him.15300:17:39,099 –> 00:17:46,099And you see, that’s why when Paul is writing here about the humanity of the Lord Jesus,15400:17:47,199 –> 00:17:54,199he just ends it by saying that according to his human nature, the Lord Jesus Christ was15500:17:55,439 –> 00:18:01,660descended from David. Let me just say two things about this and then we’re going to15600:18:01,660 –> 00:18:07,520be through. So of course, being descended from David is part of Palm Sunday, isn’t it?15700:18:07,520 –> 00:18:12,079Remember when the crowds came in on Palm Sunday? What were they saying? Hasannah to the son15800:18:12,079 –> 00:18:19,079of David. And you remember, the New Testament begins with saying that Jesus is descended15900:18:19,079 –> 00:18:25,160from David. It’s in the very first verse of Matthew’s gospel at the beginning of the New16000:18:25,640 –> 00:18:32,140Testament, and I just want to capture this for you in these last moments, that Jesus16100:18:32,140 –> 00:18:39,140being the son of David. Thinking about David helps us to get a handle on why the Son of16200:18:41,800 –> 00:18:46,959God took our human nature. We’ve seen how wonderful it is that he has it, but why did16300:18:46,959 –> 00:18:53,079He take this human nature? I mean, was it just so he could empathise with us? No, it’s16400:18:53,280 –> 00:19:00,040more than that. You ask any person what they know about David, and if they know anything16500:19:00,040 –> 00:19:07,040at all about the Bible, I’m confident that they’ll pick out two stories, one will be16600:19:07,199 –> 00:19:14,199Goliath, and the other will be David and Bathsheba. That’s what everybody knows, isn’t it? One16700:19:15,319 –> 00:19:22,319where he’s a champion, one where he’s a failure. You remember Goliath. He’s a man of tradition,16800:19:24,079 –> 00:19:31,079is there anyone who can come and face me? The enemy of God’s people says. And no one16900:19:31,160 –> 00:19:36,959in the armies of God is ready to stand, and then David comes to the battlefield, and he17000:19:36,959 –> 00:19:43,959comes forward as the champion of the people of God, and he slays Goliath. Because he slays17100:19:44,780 –> 00:19:51,780Goliath, all of God’s people enter into the joy of his victory. That’s why Jesus took17200:19:53,599 –> 00:19:59,680our humanity. By taking our humanity, he was in the position where he could step forward17300:19:59,680 –> 00:20:05,420as our champion, and that’s what he was doing on the cross. As our champion, he was17400:20:05,420 –> 00:20:09,859defeating our great enemies of sin and death and hell.17500:20:10,619 –> 00:20:15,619But you remember the other story about David. It reminds us that the man was a17600:20:15,619 –> 00:20:21,699great failure. Here’s this man who sees a woman, and she’s married, and he wants17700:20:21,699 –> 00:20:26,739her. And he puts her husband, who was loyal to him, right in the front of the17800:20:26,739 –> 00:20:30,819field of battle so that the man is slain on the field of conflict, and David takes17900:20:30,819 –> 00:20:35,400his wife, thinks he can cover it up as a secret, and of course it’s exposed. And18000:20:35,400 –> 00:20:39,959what happens after that? There’s all this conflict within the family, and all the18100:20:39,959 –> 00:20:46,319tragedy that flows from this sin. Which leaves you saying, however much a18200:20:46,319 –> 00:20:54,459champion David was on the field with Goliath one day, the man was also a man18300:20:54,459 –> 00:20:58,939with his own mess, and a man with his own mess can’t clear up the mess of others.18400:20:59,619 –> 00:21:05,760And so we need David’s greater son, we need someone who can do more than win18500:21:05,760 –> 00:21:10,020one victory and then die and go off the human scene, more than someone who can be18600:21:10,020 –> 00:21:13,560a champion one day and a dreadful failure the next, and so the Son of God18700:21:13,560 –> 00:21:19,579comes not only to be our champion, but the Son of God comes to deal with our18800:21:19,579 –> 00:21:28,339failures. And when he goes to the cross, in His human flesh, the Son of God, the18900:21:28,680 –> 00:21:37,420Mankind Jesus bore our sins, the Bible says, in His body on the tree. That’s why19000:21:37,420 –> 00:21:42,420He became a man, so that He could step forward as our champion, so that He could19100:21:42,420 –> 00:21:51,000be the sin-bearer of our punishment. He came to stand with us and He came to act19200:21:51,500 –> 00:21:57,900for us. One of the Fathers of the Church put it this way, the Son of God became19300:21:58,160 –> 00:22:06,739Son of man so that the sons of men may become the sons of God. So He offers19400:22:06,739 –> 00:22:14,660himself to you as the Saviour, as the Redeemer and as the Lord.19500:22:14,680 –> 00:22:19,439What a powerful look today at the person of Jesus, how he offers himself to us as a19600:22:19,439 –> 00:22:25,540Saviour a champion and our Redeemer. The message was called, he understands you19700:22:25,560 –> 00:22:30,540in it’s part of our series, good news about God’s son. A series that’s all19800:22:30,540 –> 00:22:36,479about the person of Jesus how he’s fully God and fully man and because of that he19900:22:36,479 –> 00:22:41,239does understand us unlike any other person. If you’ve missed any of the20000:22:41,239 –> 00:22:44,500series today it or if you want to go back and listen again don’t forget you20100:22:44,500 –> 00:22:49,599can always do that by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk20200:22:49,599 –> 00:22:54,380or find us as a podcast and those are on all the main podcast sites search for20300:22:54,880 –> 00:23:00,219Open the Bible UK. I wonder if you or your church have anything planned this Easter20400:23:00,219 –> 00:23:04,560Open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham is here to talk about something special20500:23:04,560 –> 00:23:09,380from Open the Bible. How will you reach out to your local community this Easter20600:23:09,380 –> 00:23:14,140with the good news of the gospel? How will you inspire or in your church20700:23:14,140 –> 00:23:19,099family at the wonder of the cross when the story is familiar?20800:23:19,500 –> 00:23:25,339Welcome to Open The Bible UK. We’ve filmed a 1 hour performance of20900:23:25,339 –> 00:23:30,380Colin’s well-known book Heaven How I Got Here The Story of the Thief on the Cross21000:23:30,380 –> 00:23:35,300It’s a powerful gospel message and we’re making the film available to you21100:23:35,300 –> 00:23:40,739for free. Alongside it, we have also created a complete Easter resource pack21200:23:40,739 –> 00:23:46,500including event artwork and an event guide, designed as an easy evangelistic21300:23:46,500 –> 00:23:51,420event for inviting friends or the local community, especially those hesitant21400:23:51,420 –> 00:23:56,160about attending a church service. It’s also perfect for small groups to watch21500:23:56,160 –> 00:24:03,300and discuss during Holy Week. To find out more, go to open the bible.org.uk21600:24:03,300 –> 00:24:08,300Thanks so much Amanda. Open the Bible is supported by our listeners, people just21700:24:08,300 –> 00:24:12,839like you. If that’s something that you’ve been considering doing then this month21800:24:13,699 –> 00:24:17,979for you. If you’re able to begin a new direct debit to the work of Open the21900:24:17,979 –> 00:24:22,640Bible, in the amount of £5 per month or more, or a one-off gift of22000:24:22,640 –> 00:24:28,060£50 or more, we’d love to say thank you by sending you a copy of Pastor22100:24:28,060 –> 00:24:33,219Colin’s book Heaven How I Got Here, the story of the thief on the cross. We’ll22200:24:33,219 –> 00:24:37,800also send you a small booklet entitled How can I be sure of heaven, along with22300:24:38,160 –> 00:24:43,420open the Bible pen and bookmark. Full details, terms and conditions of this22400:24:43,420 –> 00:24:50,079offer are on our website openthebible.org.uk. For Open the Bible and22500:24:50,079 –> 00:24:56,359Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll join us again next time.22600:24:59,459 –> 00:25:04,540Some people think that Jesus was a great teacher, others that he was an22700:25:05,060 –> 00:25:10,060inspirational model. Find out why these ideas about Jesus fall far short of the22800:25:10,060 –> 00:25:15,199reality. That’s next time on Open the Bible.