There are a few thought-provoking statements in the Bible that are easy to miss if they are not on our minds. In John 4:6 we find one that says, “…Jesus being wearied from His journey…” This was the Word who took on flesh. The Word that John said the world came through, and that He existed in the form of God. Yet this Word made flesh was wearied from traveling. The question is how?
In Philippians 2:7, Paul says that Christ emptied Himself. What does that mean, and how is that possible? There are many questions beyond our understanding, and things we may never fully comprehend on this earth. Instead of asking how this was possible, maybe we should ask why it matters.
Seeing the humanity of Christ helps us to better understand the mediator we have on our side pleading our case. Because Christ fully took on flesh and emptied Himself, He could feel tired and be tempted, so He can sympathize with us (Hebrews 4:15). Seeing His humanity fills the Christian with encouragement, because we can go to the One who knows our struggles and He understands.
Christ had to endure everything from common daily struggles to dying on the cross. This gives us a way to follow Him daily. You may have normal daily struggles, or it could be things that no one else around you understands, but Christ knows and understands. We should look to Him, knowing He took on flesh to understand our problems, and gave us an example to follow.
Josh Schutkowski