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Jesus as the Model
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In his introduction to this lesson, Dr. J.L. Miller mentioned that Jesus provides the consummate model for what healthy, spiritually whole people might look like. This claim is not entirely uncontroversial. Some Christian traditions would put Jesus in such a different category than us that it would almost seem heretical to compare us to him in any way.
However, this feeling is not really biblical. For example, Hebrews 2:17 says that Jesus was made like us “in every way” so that he could be our high priest.
Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
Hebrews 2:11-13
Some might be uncomfortable thinking of Jesus as an example for us because they underestimate Jesus’ humanity.
It is entirely correct to reverence the divine nature of Jesus. However, in the process, it is possible to unintentionally downplay or overlook his humanity. Some early Christians struggled with this dynamic in the first few centuries of the Church. For example, even in 1 John we find traces of “Docetism,” a belief that Jesus only seemed to be human but was really just a spirit-being (cf. 1 John 4:2). In the debates of the 300s, one group argued that Jesus had a human body but his soul was entirely divine (Apollinarism). Another argued that his humanity was like a drop next to the ocean of his divinity (Eutychianism).
Christianity rejected both of these approaches because they did not take Jesus’ humanity seriously enough. According to the Gospels, Jesus experienced hunger (Matt. 4:2). He got tired (John 4:6) and needed to get off to himself alone (Matt. 14:23). He got angry (Mark 11:15-17). He got sad (John 11:35). He experienced the gamut of human temptation (Heb. 4:15).
Jesus is an example to all of us of what a human looks like after the fall...
J. L. Miller
Even more striking, he did not fully access his omniscience (his total knowledge of everything) while he was on earth (Mark 13:32). He did not access is omnipotence on earth (Mark 6:5). Jesus seems to have “played it by the human rules” while he was on earth, not least so that we could see what humanity could be through the power of the Spirit (cf. Luke 4:1).
A second reason why someone might downplay Jesus as an example for us is by underestimating the power the Holy Spirit can bring to our lives. Someone might see humanity in this life as inevitably so sinful that we could never really be whole or righteous enough to follow Jesus’ example. We will explore this mistake on the next page.
Dr. J. L. Miller contends that healthy spiritual practices will “help you come home to who God has designed you to be in right relationship with God, with others, and with creation.” Jesus himself has already given us a glimpse of what this might look like.
Jesus was God, but he also in his humanity showed us how to be in right relationship with God the Father. Probably the first spiritual practice Jesus modeled that comes to mind is prayer. We find Jesus praying at important moments like his baptism (Luke 3:21), before choosing the disciples (Luke 6:12), or before going to the cross (Luke 22:42).
The Gospel of Luke especially highlights Jesus’ regular practice of prayer. Luke 5:16 notes that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Jesus taught his disciples how to pray in what we have ever since known as the Lord’s Prayer (e.g., Luke 11:1-4).
Jesus as a human modeled submission and obedience to God the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus certainly did not want to be crucified. Yet he made the choice to obey the will of the Father. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Luke 14:36). The book of Hebrews put it this way: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (5:8).
In his teaching, Jesus indicated that the love of God is the most important of all humanity’s responsibilities (e.g., Matt. 22:37). He indicated something very similar to Satan when he was tempted: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” (Matt. 4:10). Jesus thus pointed to worship as an important spiritual practice.
If the love command pointed first to our duty to love God, its second part points to our love of our neighbor (Matt. 22:39). Jesus demonstrated this love by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and caring for the marginalized. Jesus demonstrated his love of enemy by not lashing out or striking down those who reviled, condemned, and crucified him (e.g., Mark 14:61).
Jesus modeled other human virtues. He taught on forgiving others multiple times (e.g., the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21-35). He also embodied forgiveness, asking God to forgive those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34).
Jesus modeled humility. Although Jesus was God, he humbled himself, taking the form of a servant (Phil. 2:6-7). He washed the disciples’ feet, a task typically reserved for servants. By this act he demonstrated humility and service (John 13:1-17). He modeled peacemaking. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that peacemakers are blessed and will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).
Jesus lived a simple life, modeling the discipline of simplicity. He did not accumulate material possessions. His parables are full of agricultural images (like the Parable of the Sower or Mustard Seed in Matthew 13). He used nature as examples, indicating God’s love of his own creation. Birds of the air and lilies of the field are just two examples (Matthew 6:26-30).
In short, the Gospels and other New Testament Scriptures bear out Dr. Miller’s claim that Jesus provides us a model to emulate when it comes to healthy spiritual disicplines and practices. We cannot do it in our own power. However, the Holy Spirit is more than ready and willing to help. “Motion brings emotion.” The Holy Spirit is more than happy to empower habits born of repetition that become a catalyst for real spiritual change.