Welcome to Redeem the Commute. I’m Ryan, your host for this daily challenge. It’s Thursday, the day we try to apply and live out what we’ve learned this week from the Bible. This week we’ve been studying a story from Jesus’ childhood when he ran away from his parents and spent some time at the temple in Jerusalem, astounding the experts there with his wisdom at twelve years old.

We’re looking at the human identity of Jesus this week, and this story illustrates that nicely.  Next week we’ll explore his divine identity.  Since Jesus was both God and human, or was God in human flesh, this has incredible consequences.

In Colossians, Paul wrote in a way that balanced the two natures as well:

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10 ESV)

The fullness of God dwells in a human body – that’s Jesus.  All authority on heaven and earth was concentrated in Jesus while he walked this earth, and as he continues to rule over the universe.

But that doesn’t mean he’s distant and disconnected.

It means he could take responsibility, and still does take responsibility for a very human problem – sin.  But it also meant he could actually do something about it – using the power of God to destroy sin’s power over us.  He did that, and still does that, for those who believe in him.

That’s because he could mediate for us – another consequence of his divine-human nature.  He was unlike any other mediator.  In the Bible, the mediator is the high priest in the Jewish temple had a special role of representing the human race before God.  But Jesus was described as something greater – a Great High Priest.  In the Book of Hebrews, the human and divine nature of Jesus the Mediator is nicely described:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. – Hebrews 4:15

He’s one of us – but not just any of us – he’s the best of us.  Perfect, holy, sinless, exactly what we were created to be.  He knows our brokenness, pain, and our sin.  But he was powerful enough to do something about it…something we’ll explore over the next few months.

Challenge: What part of your human experience right now are you most thankful the God of the universe has seen and intervened in firsthand?