The Humanity Of Jesus
LayGuy | November 28, 2006
I just watched “The Da Vinci Code.” Before you all gasp at what I just did, I need to state the reason why…
When the book was released and caused a massive outrage amongst Christians - and Catholics in particular - this aroused my interest. I talked to my wife about this and she went out and purchased all of Dan Brown’s novels for me to read. She knows the way my mind works. Once it’s perked with an interest - it will not be satisfied without exhausting the subject matter. My wife is a wonderful facilitator to this crazy mind my Lord has given me.
Apart from this, I did my research on all the allegations against Christ and His supposed marriage with Mary Magdalene, to the Priory of Sion, Opus Dei etc. If anything, I marvel at the depravity of the creativity of the original authors of the concept behind Dan Brown’s novel.
No wonder this sensation has made a massive impact on the world. Talk to the unitiated of the story of Jesus, and it’s amazing how many people actually base their theology on what’s written in this novel. Replicate this 60 million times and we end up with an issue informed Christians need to negate to minimise the impact. I would hate to be an uninformed Catholic right now. Trouble is, most “Christians” fit right into this world view.
But the most surprising thing that struck me watching this is that Jesus was a real, human and adorable baby little boy. This wasn’t shown in the film at all. But it’s what struck me. As a father to a one-year-old boy, I’m thinking right now of Jesus in baby terms…
· Did He have colic?
· He would have been breast fed, as formula wasn’t invented yet!
· What did they use for diapers back then?
· What did Mary do when Jesus had a temperature?
· What was Jesus like as he went through teething?
· Was Jesus a typically “slower boy” compared to his female cousins?
· How many months was He when He started to walk?
· Did He go through the terrible two’s?
· And later as He was hanging on a cross, what went through Mary’s mind as His mother?
Christ was fully man and fully God. Most times we think of Him, it’s in His adult humbled state. I have commented how we also need to know Him in His glorified exalted state. But tonight I also remember His fragile baby state.
Philippians 2:8a says “And being found in appearance as a human being”
Our once humbled and yet now exalted Christ was once a baby little boy. Whenever I am amazed at my son, I can hear the echo of Mary’s heart as she gazed upon baby Jesus. Dirty nappy and all. I wonder if He was “mummy’s little boy”. Imagine for a second…..
On this earth we live on, once lived the Creator God - as a little baby boy. To you parents, I know this resonates with you. He was once one of the little bundles of joy we look after. Imagine the honour of being the parent of Jesus. To think of where and what He is now blows my mind away.
So Dan Brown - you can throw whatever you like at Jesus. He said the “gates of hell” won’t defeat His Church. I’m sorry to say that your book is no match for such gates. And if the gates can’t do anything - you have no chance. And in a way, all you made me do was think about the humanity of Jesus. You didn’t mean to do this, but you actually made Jesus more real to me.
So thank you.
