Was Jesus Perfect?
“Nobody’s perfect.” It’s a modern-day maxim that rings true. We all know our faults and limitations, and we’re quick to invoke the maxim on our own behalf.
Yet the Bible gives us an exception to this rule. Sometimes we hear this as well: “There’s only been one perfect man.” That man is Jesus Christ.
It is indeed correct that Jesus is the only perfect man who’s ever lived. But where and how does the Bible teach this? Interestingly, some texts also say that Jesus became perfect. Let’s investigate the perfection of Jesus.
The Divine Son of God
Before we talk specifically about Jesus’ perfect human life, we need to recognize that He is an eternal, divine person. In other words, He is the eternal Son of God (John 1:1). He exists eternally in all the perfection that constitutes the character of God. He is “infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth” (Westminster Shorter Catechism 4).
In other words, Jesus is perfect by virtue of His divine sonship. He is entirely free from sin.
Jesus’ Perfect Humanity
As opposed to His divine sonship, when we talk about the perfect life of Jesus, we’re talking about Him according to His humanity in the incarnation—that is, the perfection of His human nature. This can be viewed from a variety of angles.
First, Jesus was not included in the sin of Adam. This is the implication of a text like Romans 5:12–21. “All sinned” in Adam (Rom. 5:12), but Jesus provides the counterpoint. One sin led to condemnation for all people who are in Adam, whereas one act of righteousness leads to justification for all people who are in Christ (Rom. 5:18–19).
If all people sinned through Adam, and yet Christ brings righteousness and life, then Jesus was not among the “all” who sinned in Adam. The righteousness He grants follows from His unique position as a covenant head and as a fully righteous representative. This is consistent with the angel Gabriel’s message to Mary that the child she would bear would be holy, the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
All of this means that Jesus had no fallen nature that was inclined toward sin. Jesus has an unfallen, sinless human nature. He is perfectly righteous.
Second, Jesus lived a perfectly obedient human life. This too is to be related back to Adam. Adam’s lack of obedience led to condemnation, but the New Testament presents Jesus as the second and last Adam, a representative whose obedience undoes the disobedience of the first Adam.
Jesus is perfect by virtue of His divine sonship. He is entirely free from sin.
In addition to Romans 5:12–21, Mark’s temptation account portrays Jesus as the new Adam, the representative who obeys in the face of temptation. This may be why the wild animals are mentioned, evoking the garden of Eden (Mark 1:12–13).
Similarly, after Jesus is baptized in Luke 3:21–22, the gospel of Luke includes a genealogy tracking Jesus all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:23–38). After this, Jesus obeys in the wilderness (Luke 4:1–13). This again relates Jesus’ obedience to His identity as the new Adam.
Paul also covers this in 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus is the last Adam through whom comes the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:21–22, 45). Jesus’ resurrection was the vindication of His unjust death. Because He was sinless, it was an injustice for Jesus to be murdered as a criminal, and His rising to new life demonstrates His perfect obedience (see 1 Tim. 3:16). Jesus’ resurrection indicates the obedience of His entire life (see Heb. 2:14–18).
Third, when Hebrews speaks of Jesus being made perfect (Heb. 2:10; 5:9; 7:28), we must understand this in the context of the history of salvation and not in terms of His essential character. There is no sin in Jesus as the eternal Son of God. Further, Jesus never sinned in His earthly life. For Him to be made perfect, therefore, speaks of His successful role as the final, perfect priest who grants us greater access to God than prior priests (see Heb. 5:7–10; 6:19–20; 9:11–14; 10:5–14).
Jesus was able to present the final sacrifice because He is the eternal Son of God who lives forever according to the power of an indestructible life (Heb. 7:15–28). Jesus’ resurrection and the access He provides to God assume the perfection of His sacrifice of Himself, and therefore the perfection of His earthly life.
Conclusion
Since none of us is perfect, it is good news indeed that Jesus is. Jesus is the second and last Adam whose perfect obedience provides the ground for our justification that we benefit from by faith. Eternal life is found in Him (John 1:4; 20:31). He is no mere man; He is the eternal Son of God. Yet He is true man—the God-man who has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
As the perfect priest, Jesus is the only Mediator who provides perfection of access to God (Heb. 10:14). Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace in our time of need (Heb. 4:14–16).
