"For our salvation, He came down from heaven"

Jesus is truly God. He is also fully human. We might suppose that since Jesus is God, he just "went through the motions" as a man. The Bible, however, is clear in testifying that Jesus had to grow and learn just as we do. "Jesus, for his part, progressed steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and men"(Luke 2:52). What kind of person was Jesus in his mortal life on earth? The Bible portrays him as a real human being, down-to-earth both literally and figuratively. He was raised in a small town, so normal that when he came back as a teacher and miracle worker, people refused to believe he was anyone special (Mark 6:1-6). He was enough of a boy to wander off and get lost at the age of 12 (Luke 2:41-52). He loved nature: the sun and the rain, the wild flowers and the vines and the trees, moths and birds and foxes. He observed life: people building houses, farmers planting crops, women baking bread, and fishermen using their nets (Matthew 7, 13). He celebrated life: The young couple wanted him at their wedding, and when the wine ran low he went out of his way to enhance the conviviality! (John 2:1-11). He was courageous, yet knew sorrow and distress (Mark 14:32-42). He was born like us and experienced death as we will (Luke 2, 23). Jesus liked people and people liked him. He was frequently invited into homes to share a meal (Luke 4:39; 7:36; 10:38; 14:1). He invited people to spend time with him to chat (John 1:39). He loved little children (Mark 10:13-16). He saw those whom others missed (Mark 10:46-52); elderly widows and despised sinners were important to Jesus (Mark 12:41-44 and 14:3-9). Jesus was merciful, compassionate, and thoughtful. He defended a woman accused of adultery (John 8:1-11). He mourned over the loss of his friend Lazarus (John 11). He wept over the fate of Jerusalem (Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44). Jesus was and is a friend. "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends" (John 15:13-14). He prayed that all believers might be one with him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit (John 17). The old hymn says: "What a friend we have in Jesus." One of the main goals of life should be - through the Bible, sacraments, prayer, and one another - to know Jesus, true God and true man, as our friend.

Jesus Christ is truly God and fully human.

A. True

B. False

Jesus loved nature and celebrated life.

A. True

B. False

Because Jesus is God, he could not have experienced real sorrow and distress.

A. True

B. False

Jesus is our Lord and God, but we would be arrogant and wrong to call him a friend.

A. True

B. False