The Perfect Man

The Perfect Man

Since Adam fell, only one person has been normal. For thirty-three years, the Lord Jesus walked this earth to demonstrate normality, to demonstrate man as God created man to be. He was prepared to be man as God created man to be, constantly affirming the centrality of the Father.

After reminding us that God is invisible - "No one has seen God at any time" - John in his gospel goes on to tell us this about Jesus: "The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father. He has declared Him." Or, as the Amplified Bible renders these last four words, "He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known" (John 1:18).

Although a man can never become God, God can choose to behave as a man at any time He so pleases. This is exactly what happened in the person of our Lord Jesus. Eternally, timelessly, He is never less than God, but He deliberately chose for those thirty-three years to behave fully as Man.

By being willing therefore to empty Himself and to humble Himself in being born as a human being (Philippians 2:6-8) clothed with our humanity, the Lord Jesus advertised Deity through everything He did, said, and was allowing that Deity to be heard, seen, known, and loved.

This is why Jesus could tell Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father...The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works" (John 14:9-10). He was fulfilling the role for which God created you and me to live and act in the image of God, fully displaying the truth about Him.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter described Christ in this way: "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst" (Acts 2:22). It was God Himself who did these miraculous works through Christ the Man. God was at work in and through the Lord Jesus, in the completeness, sinlessness, and perfection of His humanity. Here was a man as God intended man to be! Here was true normality as evidenced by the good works which God the Father accomplished through His Son and which He now wants to accomplish through you.

This is the divine vocation into which you have been redeemed: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). You are called and created in Christ Himself for a preordained life of good works.

This vocation can be fulfilled only in the energy and power of the One who indwells you now by His Spirit, just as He once walked only in the energy and power of the Father who indwelt Him through the Spirit. Of Himself He said, "The Son can do nothing of Himself" (John 5:19), and of you He says, "Without Me you can do nothing"(John 15:5).

Therefore expect and allow Christ to work in and through you just as Christ, in His life on earth, expected and allowed the Father to work in and through Him. Expect Him to do this...and He will just say "Thank you" - and let Him surprise you!

"For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself" (John 5:26).

1. In your present understanding, what is your calling and vocation - the good works in this life which you were created to do in Christ Jesus?

2. How freely are you expecting and allowing Christ to work in and through you?

~W. Ian Thomas~