If it looks like a dog, barks like a dog, and smells like a dog – it’s probably a dog. Appearances can be deceiving. But most often what it appears to be—it really is.
Our word for today is “appearance.” In Philippians 2:7-8 it says that Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men; And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death…” Jesus had the appearance of a man.
In the Greek text, it is the word skema, from which we get our English words, “scheme or schematic.” It’s the idea of having a particular form or outward appearance—a structured plan that can be seen or grasped.
Now the idea here is that Jesus was not only like us in the way we think and act, He also looked like us. He was an actual human being with a head, and arms and legs, and fingers and toes. That of course, is the reason He was able to humble Himself to the point of death. He could die, because He had a body. He had the appearance of a man.
Now the Bible says that angels sometimes appear as men – but, not in the sense of this word. Angels can’t die because they don’t have real bodies. But when Jesus appeared as a man, He was a real human being; and when He died on the cross, He really died.
So—what do you think? Is Jesus the real thing? You bet He is!