Grace Thompson
Jesus is believed by Christians to be both truly God and truly man, and as such, he experienced all the weaknesses that come with having a physical body, including hunger. Jesus grew up in poverty and knew what it was like to grow up without a strong male presence. He was also tempted but remained without sin. However, some argue that Jesus did not have the fully human experience as he never doubted God, struggled to hear from him, or grieved the loss of a loved one.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Experienced life in a fallen and troubled world | Yes |
| Grew up without a strong male presence | Yes |
| Grew up in poverty | Yes |
| Experienced hunger | Yes |
| Experienced sorrow and agony | Yes |
| Experienced the standard kinds of things that humans experience | Yes |
| Experienced the contingencies of a fallen world | Yes |
| Experienced doubt, grief, and separation from God | No |
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What You'll Learn
Jesus experienced hunger and physical weakness
Jesus Christ, being both God and man, experienced hunger and physical weakness. As a man, Jesus experienced human limitations, such as hunger, thirst, and fatigue. He grew up in poverty and knew what it was like to go without.
In the Bible, Jesus speaks of spiritual hunger and how he can satisfy it. In John 4:13-14, he tells a woman that whoever drinks the water he will give will never be thirsty again, for it will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life. He also says that he is the bread of life, and whoever believes in him shall never thirst or hunger.
Jesus also experienced temptation as a man. In Matthew 4:4, when tempted by the devil in the wilderness to turn stones into bread, Jesus responded, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Despite facing the full force of temptation, he remained without sin.
Jesus understands human weaknesses and has experienced life in a fallen and troubled world. He knows what it is like to grow up without a strong male presence, as his father, Joseph, likely died when he was young.
Through his human experiences, Jesus learned obedience through suffering. According to Aquinas, Jesus had infused knowledge of obedience from the moment of his conception, but he gained experiential knowledge through his passion and death.
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Jesus felt sorrow and agony
Jesus experienced sorrow and agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he asked God, his Father, to "remove this cup from me". This was a request to be spared his impending suffering and death on the cross. According to Aquinas, this was consistent with Christ's human nature and appetite, as it is natural for humans to "shrink from death".
Christ felt the full force of temptation from Satan, and while he did not sin, he experienced the same weaknesses and felt the same powerful temptations that humans do.
Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered, and in this way, he experienced obedience.
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Jesus was morally innocent
> "I have examined him...and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death."
Luke's narrative also includes one of the criminals crucified next to Jesus acknowledging his own guilt while insisting that Jesus had done nothing wrong.
In Matthew 27:4, Judas, who betrayed Jesus, later admits to betraying innocent blood. Pilate's wife also sent a message to her husband saying Jesus was righteous (Matthew 27:19). Pilate himself washed his hands and said that Jesus was innocent (Matthew 27:24).
Jesus was tempted by Satan, but he never broke. He felt the full force of temptation but remained without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus grew up without wealth and with little to no strong male presence, yet he never sinned.
Jesus' innocence is a central tenet of the Catholic faith, and his suffering and death are seen as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
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Jesus grew up without a father
Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, or Jesus, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity. While the first 30 years of Jesus' life are not well documented, we can piece together some details about his childhood from biblical accounts and historical context.
Jesus grew up in Nazareth, an isolated town in Galilee, likely in a working-class family. His father, Joseph, was a carpenter, and Jesus learned this trade from him. Jesus was the eldest of at least seven children, and he probably lived near his grandparents and cousins. He would have spoken Aramaic with a distinct accent.
It is believed that Joseph died when Jesus was young. This is supported by the fact that in Mark 6:3, Jesus's neighbours refer to him as the "son of Mary", as sons were usually identified by their fathers. Joseph's death may also explain why Jesus began his ministry later in life, rather than studying under the teachers at the Temple in Jerusalem as one might expect.
Jesus grew up without a strong male presence, experiencing poverty and hardship. Despite these challenges, he was close to his family, who joined the Christian movement after his death. His brother James became a leader of the Jerusalem Church.
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Jesus was tempted but did not sin
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, understands the weight of human temptation more than any human can. He was tempted but did not sin. He grew up facing various challenges, including poverty and the absence of a strong male presence, as Joseph likely died when Jesus was young. Despite these difficulties, Jesus never broke under the weight of temptation.
Hebrews 4:15 states that "we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." This highlights that Jesus, as the High Priest, experienced life in a fallen and troubled world, and can empathize with human weaknesses and failings.
The original Greek describing Jesus' temptations is "pepeirasmenon de kata panta," which translates to "tempted, even [nevertheless/yet] in all things." This emphasizes that Jesus was tempted in every way that humans are, yet he remained sinless.
Jesus faced the full extent of temptation and chose not to sin. He presented himself as the ultimate sacrifice to God in heaven, taking away the penalty of sin. As the Son of God, his life was worth more than all other lives combined, and he is therefore able to sympathize with human failings.
In conclusion, Jesus experienced and overcame the power of sin and temptation. He understands human weaknesses and is equipped to help others overcome their temptations.
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Frequently asked questions
Jesus, being truly human, did suffer temptation. However, as God, he could not be tempted. Jesus experienced all the weaknesses that come with having a physical body, including hunger.
Jesus was fully human and experienced the standard kinds of things that humans experience by virtue of being human. However, there are things that he did not personally experience, such as doubt, grief, and guilt, as they are inconsistent with his being a sinless human being.
Christ knew what obedience was conceptually and had such knowledge by virtue of being God. According to Aquinas, Jesus also had this knowledge in his human intellect by way of infused knowledge from the moment of his conception. However, he did not have experiential knowledge of obedience until he obeyed in the matter of his passion and death.
Jesus asked the Father, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will but as you will" (Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42). This request was consistent with Christ's sensitive appetite and natural inclination to "shrink from death."
