WAS JESUS JUST LIKE US?
- Jun 11, 2025
- 5 min read
A dissertation of our most holy faith, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Christ is called the second Adam. In purity and holiness, connected with God and beloved by God, he began where the first Adam begun. - Ellen White. Youth's Instructor, June 2, 1898.
Sister White notes that Jesus began His earthly life where Adam begun. All we then have to discover is in what manner did Adam begin his life. Adam was holy when he was created. He did not have the taint of sin upon him, that is to say that Adam did not have a fallen & sinful nature. Jesus too began with purity and holiness when he became a human. For this reason, He is called the second or last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45,47) for God was starting a new human race. Not one of flesh and blood for "now this I say brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption" (1 Corinthians 15:50) but a new humanity of the spirit, for "the last Adam was made a quickening (life giving) spirit."(1 Corinthians 15:45) "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:8) "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." (Romans 8:9)
The big question: How then may Christ relate to me? Take note of the following statement.
Christ came to earth, taking humanity and standing as man's representative, to show in the controversy with Satan that man, as God created him, connected with the Father and the Son, could obey every divine requirement - Ellen White. Bible Commentary vol.7, pg 926.
Did you see it? The secret to victory over sin is connection. This is what Jesus came to show. But, He didn't do it for us sinners in the first 30 yrs of His life. For those three decades, He lived as unfallen Adam would but in a fallen world; to show that Adam needn't have fallen. This is important to note. Jesus began where Adam begun, connected with God and lived that way for 30 yrs in far worse conditions than Adam's to redeem Adam's fall. Then He passed over that ground and came to where we (fallen humans) are, still connected with God. And he aced it there too.
Our Substitute and Surety passed over the ground where Adam stumbled and fell. And the question was, Will He stumble and fall as Adam did over God's commandments? He met Satan's attacks again and again with, "It is written," and Satan left the field of conflict a conquered foe. Christ has redeemed Adam's disgraceful fall, and has perfected a character of perfect obedience, and left an example for the human family, that they may imitate the Pattern. Had He failed on one point in reference to the law of God, He would not have been a perfect offering; for it was on one point only that Adam failed - Ellen White. Review & Herald, June 10, 1890.
Christ has not only redeemed Adam's fall, but has perfected a character of perfect obedience and has left an example for how we, redeemed sinners, ought to perfect character. Let it be known however that Jesus would redeem Adam's disgraceful fall and later perfect a character as our pattern ONLY after He had taken the place of fallen Adam. Notice:
The great work of redemption could be carried out only by the Redeemer taking the place of fallen Adam. With the sins of the world laid upon him, he would go over the ground where Adam stumbled. He would bear the test which Adam failed to endure, and which would be almost infinitely more severe than that brought to bear upon Adam. He would overcome on man's account, and conquer the tempter, that through his obedience, his purity of character and steadfast integrity, his righteousness might be imputed to man, that through his name man might overcome the foe on his own account. - Ellen White, Review & Herald, Feb 24, 1874.
The points deduced from the above quotation are:
Taking the place of fallen man
Sins of the world laid on Him
Go over the ground where Adam stumbled
Would bear the test which Adam failed to endure
The test would be infinitely more severe than Adam's
Points 1&2
The sins of the world were laid on Jesus when He took the place of fallen man. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6) This occurred during His baptism at the Jordan river as so brilliantly explained by sister White:
Jesus did not receive baptism as a confession of guilt on His own account. He identified Himself with sinners, taking the steps that we are to take, and doing the work that we must do. His life of suffering and patient endurance after His baptism was also an example to us. - Desire of Ages, pg 111
Notwithstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, notwithstanding the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature, the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal. - ibid, pg 112
It is clear from these statements and verses that Jesus took our fallen nature upon Himself at the baptism in the Jordan river. The question is, how? well the answer is right there. By having our sins laid on Him, He identified with us. As a point of note, the 'us' is redeemed sinners, those baptized in the Spirit.
"Christ took our nature, fallen but not corrupted, and would not be corrupted unless He received the words of Satan in the place of the words of God" (Ellen White, 16MR, pg. 183) "whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4)
There is more to the nature of Christ. Jesus had infinite purity. Having all the sins of all mankind laid on Him and those sins coming into contact or proximity to that infinite purity was living hell to Him. On this He was tested beyond what any man could ever endure. As our natural nature is tendencies to sin, for Jesus it was tendencies to righteousness, and so every moment after His baptism when our sins were laid on Him, Christ felt all our guilt and the stench of our sins tempted Him to quit His salvific journey.
As one with us, He must bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The Sinless One must feel the shame of sin. The peace lover must dwell with strife, the truth must abide with falsehood, purity with vileness. Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, was torture to His spirit. - Ellen White, Desire of Ages, pg. 111. Par. 4
"There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. . . . And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins." (Isaiah 11:1-5)
Points 3-5 next
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