JESUS CHRIST: GOD-MAN - Vital Christianity

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To the two discouraged disciples traveling on the Emmaus road, Jesus was merely another
fellow-citizen, out of touch with recent events (that is, the death of the carpenter of Nazareth—
24:18). Even after the resurrection when Jesus appeared in His glorified body, Mary at first
mistook Him for the gardener (20:15). When His most intimate followers and friends returned
from a fishing expedition, they at first identified Jesus as another person (21:4-5).
In the cases of the disciples, on the Emmaus road and of Mary's, it needs to be pointed
out that Jesus' appearances to them were as the Risen Lord. It is possible that the reason they did
not recognize Him was because He looked a little different, after all, He was now in His
resurrection body. Yet we know from what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus' resurrection
body (glorified body) was basically the same as His preresurrection body. After all, the marks of
His nail prints in His hands and side were still evident as the doubting Thomas found out. That is
how Thomas knew for sure this resurrected Jesus was the Jesus he had known previously (Jn
20:24-29). Probably the most plausible explanation is that Jesus intentionally prevented some of
His followers from recognizing Him immediately. Luke points out that this happened on at least
one occasion:
"As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up
and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him."
(24:15-16)
As a man Jesus was ordinary in every sense of the word. While John the Baptizer wore
animal skins and ate honey and locust, Jesus did not. His harshest critics were super-religious
and therefore criticized Him for not fasting more and eating less. Jesus' appearance was not that
of a wild-eyed fanatic, a raving religious freak, or an ascetic zealot wearing a peculiar hair style
and strange clothes. He was not odd in appearance. He looked like everyone else.
Because Jesus laid aside His divine glory and dignity (Jn 17:5), He possessed the normal
powers and faculties of man (1 Th 5:23). Jesus spoke of His body (Mt 26:12; see also Heb.
10:5,10), He referred to His soul (Mt 26:38; Jn 12:27), and He spoke of His spirit (Lk 23:46; see
also Mk 2:8; 8:12)—elements essential to humanity.
It is important to see that the humanity of Christ includes the material and immaterial. It
was not that the humanity provided only the body while the deity provided the soul and spirit
in the person of Christ. The humanity was complete and therefore included both material and
immaterial aspects.
HUMAN REPUTATION
Jesus knew Himself to be a man for His response to the first temptation is,
"Man shall not live by bread alone" (Mt 4:4).