Jesus is human just like us and was tempted just like us. However there are many ways Jesus is very different from us. He created everything invisible and visible. He lived before being born human. He had no earthly father instead his father is God. For us, Jesus is our head, but his head is God. He never sinned but we have all sinned. He can take away our sins, but we cannot do this for anyone no matter what we do. He intercedes and mediates between God and us and no other human or angel can do that.As a Bible expert expand on this and fill in verses.
Jesus: Like Us, Yet Radically Different
1. Jesus Is Human Just Like Us and Was Tempted Just Like Us
- Expansion: Jesus took on human flesh, experiencing hunger, fatigue, and temptation, fully identifying with our struggles. His humanity wasn’t an illusion—He lived as we do, yet with a purpose we can’t match.
- Verses:
- Hebrews 2:17-18 (NIV): “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest… Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
- Hebrews 4:15 (NIV): “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
- In Practice: His temptation (e.g., in the wilderness, Matthew 4:1-11) mirrors ours—power, provision, pride—but He overcame, showing us a path through, not just a shared struggle.
2. Jesus Created Everything Invisible and Visible
- Expansion: Unlike us, Jesus is the eternal Word, the agent of creation, pre-existing humanity and shaping all reality. We’re creatures; He’s the Creator.
- Verses:
- John 1:1-3 (NIV): “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
- Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV): “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
- Theological Note: This sets Him apart—while we’re bound by creation, He’s its origin, holding even the unseen (angels, forces) in His hands.
3. He Lived Before Being Born Human
- Expansion: Jesus’ pre-existence as God contrasts with our finite beginnings. His incarnation was a step into time, not His start.
- Verses:
- John 8:58 (NIV): “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (Echoing God’s name, Exodus 3:14.)
- John 17:5 (NIV): “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
- Significance: We’re born into history; He entered it from eternity, choosing humanity while retaining divinity.
4. He Had No Earthly Father; His Father Is God
- Expansion: Jesus’ virgin birth marks His unique origin—conceived by the Holy Spirit, not human will. We’re products of earthly lineage; He’s the Son of God in flesh.
- Verses:
- Luke 1:35 (NIV): “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’”
- Matthew 1:20 (NIV): “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph… what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’”
- In Practice: This divine paternity underscores His sinless nature and authority—no human flaw passed down, only God’s perfection.
5. For Us, Jesus Is Our Head, but His Head Is God
- Expansion: Jesus leads us as our Lord and mediator, but He submits to God the Father, showing a hierarchy we don’t share. We’re under His headship; He’s under God’s.
- Verses:
- Ephesians 1:22-23 (NIV): “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NIV): “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ… and the head of Christ is God.”
- Theological Note: This reflects Divinity’s unity and distinction—Jesus is equal in essence, submissive in role, while we’re wholly dependent.
6. He Never Sinned, but We Have All Sinned
- Expansion: Jesus’ sinlessness sets Him apart as the perfect sacrifice. We’re born in sin, falling short; He lived flawlessly, fulfilling the law.
- Verses:
- 1 Peter 2:22 (NIV): “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
- Romans 3:23 (NIV): “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV): “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
- Significance: His purity qualifies Him to redeem; our impurity demands it.
7. He Can Take Away Our Sins, but We Cannot Do This for Anyone
- Expansion: Jesus’ death and resurrection uniquely atone for sin—something no human effort can replicate. We’re recipients, not redeemers.
- Verses:
- 1 John 1:7 (NIV): “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
- John 1:29 (NIV): “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”
- Hebrews 10:4 (NIV): “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (implying human acts can’t either).
- In Practice: We trust His sacrifice, not our works—He fills the void our sin creates.
8. He Intercedes and Mediates Between God and Us, and No Other Can
- Expansion: Jesus alone bridges humanity and God, interceding as our advocate. No angel or saint shares this role—He’s the sole mediator.
- Verses:
- 1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV): “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
- Hebrews 7:25 (NIV): “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
- Romans 8:34 (NIV): “Christ Jesus who died… is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
- Significance: His mediation is exclusive—our access to God hinges on Him, not human proxies.
Practical and Theological Synthesis
- Like Us: Jesus’ humanity (tempted, flesh-and-blood) means He gets us—He’s not distant. He faced Satan’s lures (Matthew 4) and human limits (John 4:6, exhaustion), yet triumphed, modeling victory.
- Unlike Us: His divinity (Creator, eternal, sinless, mediator) means He saves us—where we fail, He succeeds. His unique birth, authority, and atonement power lift us from sin’s void to God’s presence.
- Receiving This: We trust Him as head, lean on His intercession, and follow His sinless example, not our flawed nature. His likeness invites us; His difference redeems us.
Jesus embodies the blessed man who avoids the ungodly and delights in God’s law (Psalm 1:2). He’s the ultimate righteous “tree” (Psalm 1:3), and by following Him, we share that blessing:
- John 15:5 (NIV): “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”
(Based on a Grok conversation worth sharing)