THE MAN CHRIST JESUS
Theological reflections on the humanity of Christ
By Bruce A. Ware. Crossway. 156 pages, £10.50
ISBN 978 1 433 513 053
Though this is a theological paperback which investigates some of the most profound mysteries of our faith, it begins by grabbing the interest of the ordinary Christian by asking a vital question which must have occurred to us all.
The question is this: ‘If Jesus is both fully man and fully God, how can I, a mere human being, be expected to follow him as my example?’ It seems unfair. By way of illustration, surely when he faced temptation he had vast resources available to him, as the second person of the Trinity, which I simply do not have. How is it right, therefore, for him to set the standard for me?
Having made us sit up and pay attention, therefore, the book takes us on a stimulating and pastorally most beneficial tour of different aspects of the humanity of Christ. The book is thoroughly orthodox, insisting throughout on the full deity and full humanity of Christ, in one person, yet without sin. However, it will probably open up new ideas for many of us, as Bruce Ware, in his normal careful manner, exegetes a host of Bible texts pertinent to the subject.
The main thesis is set out in chapter 2. This is that Jesus fulfilled his calling as the God-man, but that emphasis must be placed on the humanity of Christ as the primary reality he expressed in his day-by-day life, ministry and work. In particular, just as Isaiah insists, he lived as the Spirit-anointed Messiah.
Subsequent chapters proceed to very helpfully investigate what this means for Jesus growing in wisdom and faith and resisting temptation. (The same Holy Spirit who sustained the life of Jesus is in our lives too.) There is also a chapter, which will no doubt be controversial in some circles, explaining sensitively why Jesus had not simply to be human but had to be male. This leads us on, most movingly, to examine the humanity of Jesus in his cross and then his exaltation.
The book will make you think deeply, but most of all it will enable the reader to see Christ not as a distant Saviour but as our brother. It brings us closer to Jesus. We are thus led to greater appreciation, love and worship for the Lord Jesus Christ. I think it is not going too far to say that Bruce Ware has produced a modern classic of evangelical literature here.
The re-emergence of heavy shepherds
What would you think if you received a letter from your church leaders that read like this? ‘Are church …