Could Jesus get sick? The question came up in a panel discussion during the 2010 Ligonier West Coast Conference last week. The question was secondary to another on the humanity of Jesus. Sproul had made it clear that, while Jesus was fully man, he was not a fallen man, and while sin is the universal condition of fallen humanity, it is not a necessary condition for humanness. Therefore, Jesus’ sinlessness did not diminish his humanity.

The panelists, including Dr. Sproul (of whom it had been said, “he knows everything”), batted the question of Jesus’ immune system around a bit without giving a conclusive answer. I suppose, then, that it might seem impertinent for a punk like me to propose an answer, but that has never stopped me before, so at this point I will throw out my opinion. You may feel free to throw it out, too.

You have likely heard it said, based on Isaiah 53:2, that Jesus was a homely fellow. I disagree with that assessment. The most we can draw from that verse regarding the appearance of Jesus is that he was, to human eyes, no more than ordinary. He would not stand out in a crowd; you would not see him in a blue jeans ad or on a poster in a teenage girl’s bedroom.

On the other hand, it is highly unlikely that he was ugly. I base that opinion on what he came to be: the Lamb of God. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, the final Passover Lamb. What do we read of that lamb? It was to be “unblemished” (Exodus 12:5). In fact, that was always the requirement of Old Testament sacrifices (Leviticus 22:17–25). Malachi 1:6ff specifically denounced priests who brought defective sacrifices to the altar. Leviticus 21:16ff requires that the priests themselves — and Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews, beginning to end) — be without blemish.

Getting back to the question of illness, then, we have a sacrifice that was without blemish, and a priest without defect. The Levitical sacrifices were only as perfect as the discernment of those who brought them. It is unlikely, to say the least, that any lamb judged perfect by human eyes was perfectly perfect. But Jesus was not chosen by human eyes. God the Father chose and prepared his perfect Lamb to be the perfect sacrifice, and his perception is more than skin deep. Therefore, Jesus would have been without defect throughout. His perfection would have included his entire physiology, including his organs and immune system. He, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:5), would have been like the first Adam, pre-fall, untouched by sin in any way. Therefore, I do not believe Jesus could have gotten sick.

Is this hard to believe? It shouldn’t be. After all, Jesus was, and is, the creator and sovereign Lord of all creation. He ruled the weather (Matthew 8:23–27, cf. Mark 4:37ff, Luke 8:22–25). He ruled the plant kingdom (Matthew 21:18–19, cf. Mark 11:12–14, 19–21). He commanded animals and demons (Matthew 8:27ff, cf. Mark 5:2–13). He controlled the actions of men against him (Luke 4:28–30; John 10:17–18, 39). He killed diseases of all kinds in others. No creature could resist him, or touch him without his permission. Is it so difficult to believe that bacteria and viruses would have no power over him?

This in no way diminishes his humanity; it only separates him from fallen humanity. And that is exactly the kind of man God required to atone for our sins.