The Tetramorph Gospel - The God in Human Form

2.15.15
The Tetramorph Gospel: Luke (The Man)

Luke 2:7 - She [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son." Jesus was born into this world. He came in the form of a child. He could have manifested himself as a full grown man. He had mad the first man, Adam, in that way - from dirt to adult in one easy step. But Jesus did not enter as such. He took the time to experience life as we do. Luke 2 tells us that he took the time to grow and matured in the sight of men and God (2:52). He played as a child, struggled through teen angst, and sat in the classroom of apprenticeship to become a carpenter like Joseph. He truly is a high priest who understands our lives and our struggles (Hebrews 4:15).

While on earth, his human body was the same as ours. He was thirsty and hungry (Luke 4:2), grew physically tired (Luke 8:23), was tempted by the devil with physical satisfaction, power, and twisting of God's word (Luke 4), and his body was lifeless once the spirit left (Luke 23:44-55).

He was fully God in the man suit he wore while here on earth. He did on one occasion reveal his inner nature (Luke 9), and his disciples were left speechless.

But why come to earth at all? And why as a man? God had revealed himself as fire and smoke and thunder in the Old Testament, why decide now to come in the form of flesh? Perhaps there is an answer in the name he chose to use while here on earth? Luke tells us that Jesus was given his name as his parents were instructed before his birth (2:21). But why Jesus? Why not Fred, or Harold, or David in honor of his kingly ancestor? Jesus is the English version of the Greek form of the Hebrew root name Yeshua. It is this name, Yeshua, which was most likely called out in the house of Mary and Joseph come supper time.

It's Hebrew roots derive from two words: YHVH (meaning God) + Yasha (meaning who redeems). The name chosen by God for his son gave testimony of his mission: to be a God who redeems. Long before the arrival of Jesus, God established the principle of the Kinsman Redeemer (Leviticus 25). In this principle, God declared that anyone who sold their things or even themselves could be set free or redeemed by the nearest relative who could pay the price of their freedom.

In order to redeem us, God had to first become one of us. He became a relative of ours through Mary. Luke establishes that all of us are related to Jesus because we all share a common ancestor: Adam. Hebrews 2:10-15 tells us that Jesus calls us his brothers and we are all children of God. Verses 14 of that chapter tells us that "since the children were of flesh and blood, he too had to share in our humanity" so that he could break the curse of death and set us free!

"But I'm not a slave!" or "I don't need to be redeemed." may be going through your mind right now. Before we jump to conclusions, consider what Paul writes in Romans 6 - "you are slaves to the one you obey - whether slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness." We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and have served as slave to sin. Jesus came to pay the price and set us free from that slavery we sold ourselves into! This is the Good News or Gospel of Jesus Christ! "For Christ also suffered once for sin, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1 Peter 3:18)

We can be inspired by the image or Jesus as the Lion King, and challenged to act by Jesus the Servant Ox, but we can take comfort in knowing that we have a spiritual brother in Jesus the Man who truly understands when we share our concerns and struggles.