The answer is a thundering: Yes!
Some have wondered if understanding why Jesus came as a babe (as all men and women come into this world) really matters. They say that a farmer along the Nile in Egypt, or a young man in the Sudan, or a young woman in college, have greater things on their mind than getting it straight about Christ’s humanity—as long as they know that Jesus died for them.
Good thoughts! But what young and old the world over need to know more than anything else that seems so pressing is this: Is there Someone, Somewhere, who understands my predicament, my struggles, my fading hopes? If Jesus is the One, then what can I expect him to do about what I am facing tonight and tomorrow?
The plea continues: If Jesus is still the Almighty God and the Prince of Peace, how does that theological knowledge make any difference to me? I pulled an "A" in every Bible class I ever took! And I am a great reader. Yet, what does it matter if Jesus came as Adam was before he sinned? Or, if instead, he came, inheriting the DNA of his ancestors, with all their human liabilities? In other words, so what?
However, if Jesus came without really experiencing the fragility and stress of ordinary human beings, it would be like holding Barry Bonds up to a struggling baseball player in high school or anywhere else—and then being told: "See Barry? It can be done! Try harder!"
Or, others will say: "If he came exactly like us with all the weaknesses of the human genetic stream, then he would have sinned as we all do—and then he also would have needed a Savior."
The truth is: Jesus did become a magnificent human being, hitting home runs every day—but he never struck out! And he did become like us "in every respect" (Hebrews 2:17), yet he remained connected to the Holy Spirit by choice—even as we can—and thus also become "overcomers," even "as [Jesus] overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne" (Revelation 3:21).
After all the reason Jesus came to earth was not only to die for our sins, but also to show the world of sinners how to let the Holy Spirit help them overcome their sins and walk as he walked. That is the double emphasis and heart of the New Testament. That is the joy of salvation, here and now!
It does matter as to what you think about Jesus, who prayed his way through Gethsemane and endured the Cross. Jesus experienced every human slight and rejection, from his earliest years until he returned to Heaven. He knew the pain of life, whether loneliness—of the raging fury of blood poisoning as it drained his physical forces. He was a man who appreciated the sexual drives he himself had put into Adam and Eve, but he knew how to control them for a higher purpose. He shared every human experience, as a child through adulthood, not vicariously but in reality!
When one prays today, whether in kindergarten or in a university, or as a young man or woman anywhere, Jesus knows exactly what is tugging his or her mind, for "we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin [because he chose not to sin]. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy [pardon] and find grace [power] to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15, 16).
When you need to have your gallbladder checked, you don't go to your lawyer! You go to the man or woman who knows plenty about gallbladders! When you need immediate and expert help with your moral choices, you go to Jesus, who has been here and knows what He needed to think clearly and to decide properly.
Where did he go for help? To the Holy Spirit, his constant companion, "who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to him... [who] heard because of His godly fear" (Hebrews 5:7).
What did he fear? Exactly what he wants to pass on to you—the same clear-cut thoughts and divine impulse from one brain cell to another that will also make you into an overcomer. That wonderful exchange is what each of us can expect from our prayers today. You are talking to One who has been there, where you are at this very moment, and knows precisely what you need to take the next step.
That's why getting the humanity of Jesus "just right" makes all the difference in the world!