Jesus is the true God drawing near to humanity. So near he actually becomes one of us. He refuses to hold himself aloof from us. Even though he was always with God as God he does not stand apart from us. He becomes fully human tasting within himself all that it means to be human.

As the true human Jesus identifies with us fully even in our sin yet without sinning. We see this total identification when he was baptised along with sinners in a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance isn’t simply saying sorry. Nor is it just a feeling of sorrow over sin. A person repents when he changes his mind about sin. He no longer excuses sin, but accepts God’s judgement on his sin. He confesses his sin as offensive to God and worthy of his just judgement. Jesus had no sins to repent over nevertheless, he stands with sinners confessing all the wrong.

On the cross the Father’s Son identified fully with us bearing God’s judgement upon us. He bore the full judgment of God upon sin within his innermost being. He accepted it all willingly without protest. At the same time offering himself freely to the Father on our behalf. In this way he entered into the depths of judgement on sin in a way we can never do. And he also entered into his Father’s grief and sorrow over our rebellion and alienation.

God as human identifying fully with us. This is the only God we know.