[Sans-Culotte]

I have not read the book and probably won't see the movie, but my wife has read the book. We were discussing this claim about Jesus having married and having children. To me this would not, if true, detract from His divinity in the least, and would frankly go even further in showing His fully human side. Part of being human is knowing the joys, frustrations and sorrows of marriage and parenthood. I believe the scriptures say, "He was in every way tempted as we are, yet without sin." I am no Bible scholar (but I am trying), but at least some of the assertions made in the Code, if they were true, would not shatter my faith.

Seriously, a lot a people seemed confused about Jesus' mission on earth. He did not come to earth "to see what it was like to be human". He would not have needed to go through the joys of marriage, parenthood, children, etc. Remember, Jesus (according to mainstream Christian belief) IS God. He would not have needed to live among His own creation to "see what it was like". He would not have been tempted by His own creation.

The reason He came to earth was to live a perfect life so as to be the Passover Lamb so He could die for the sins of His people. The temptations by Satan were not important in that Jesus was tempted, but that they revealed to Satan that Jesus was God.

He also did not live a perfect life "to show us it could be done". No one but Christ was capable of living such a life. It was necessary for Him to live a perfect life in order to be the perfect, sinless sacrificial lamb.
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might bcome the righteousness of God". (2 Corinthians 5:21.)

[NCLaw441]

I don't think I disagree with anything you have said, but I think we do, as Christians, seek to live Christ-like lives, and that is something God does want us to try to do. Of course God did not need to "see what it was like" to be human. He is already all-knowing. And Jesus could have been a perfect lamb if he had been killed by Herod, but Jesus was more than that. He was not only the perfect sacrifice, but a means of communicating God's love towards us. Certainly, as you say, Jesus was not "showing us it could be done" by living a perfect life, but we are called to live Christ-like lives. If Christ had married and had children, that would not have affected His divinity, in my humble opinion. If it were the case, however, it would likely have been documented by one or more of His apostles.

As for temptation, Jesus was indeed tempted. After his baptism he went into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, and Satan is part of God's creation (a matter I still to understand fully). (Matthew 4; Mark 1; Luke 4). To my mind, if Jesus were not tempted as we are, what sort of perfect life could He have led? Part of being human is being tempted to do that which is wrong. It is our response to that temptation that demonstrates, to some extent, our dedication to God.