Who is Christ?

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Arbor Foundations

6 – Who is Christ?

Oct 21, 2018

Suggested Reading

1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 8: Of Christ The Mediator

https://reformedbaptistnetwork.com/1689lbcf/lbcfch8/

Key Ideas / Biblical Basis

Christ as Content of Scripture

The OT reveals the Messiah who is to come; the NT identifies that Messiah as Jesus of

Nazareth, the son of Mary.

Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I

called my son.”

Matthew 2:15 “ and remained there until the death of Herod. This

was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of

Egypt I called my son.”

Again note two difficulties:

1- Common misconceptions

This summer, Andy Stanley rightly received some criticism for stating

that we “need to unhitch our theology from the Old Testament.” For

him, the resurrection of Christ is enough for the Christian faith, and

eyewitnesses say that the resurrection occurred. Though he stated

that these words were taken out of context, he would later say the

same thing in a published article. Note two things about his approach:

He presents the OT as if it is irrelevant to understanding the

events of Jesus’ life

He presents historical evidence, not the Bible as the center of

understanding Jesus’ work, and not the text of either

testament.

ii.

Evangelicals such as us will probably not stray into this danger, but

this Wednesday night, I was speaking to a recent graduate of

Cedarville University who now attends Southern Baptist Theological

Seminary. In one of his classes, his professor details that when

Matthew quotes Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2:15, he is importing into the

text of Hosea a messianic meaning that the prophet never intended.

i. The OT is not messianic until the NT explains it as such.

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II Timothy 3:14-17 “But as for you, continue in what you have

learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom[a] you

learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with

the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation

through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God

and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for

training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,

equipped for every good work.”

John 1:45 “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found

him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of

Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’”

Luke 24:13-27 – the Road to Emmaus. Jesus could have chosen to

identify himself as resurrected in any way, but instead he gives a

Sunday School class explaining the truths of the Messiah from the

Hebrew Bible.

Luke 24:25-27 “And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of

heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not

necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into

his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he

interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning

himself.”

The OT cannot be understood as messianic until the messianic

searchlight of the NT is applied to it.

2- Importance of the Concern

Authority of Scriptures: Walt Kaiser has noted that “if it [the

messianic reading of the OT in the NT] is not in the OT text, who cares

how ingenious later writers are in their ability to reload the OT text

with truths that it never claimed or revealed in the first place? The

issue is more than hermeneutics; it is the authority and content of the

revelation itself.”

Relevance of the OT. If we have to already have an understanding of

the Messiah in order to understand the messianism of the OT, then

why study it at all? It would provide no benefit to us over against the

NT. But Paul states in II Timothy 3:14-17, that all Scripture (and at

that point, largely the OT) is profitable and able to make one wise

unto salvation.

Understanding of the NT itself. In all of our efforts to see the NT as

the messianic searchlight for understanding the OT, we are missing

one crucial point. It is impossible to understand the messianic

significance of the NT without the messianic searchlight that the OT

provides. Indeed, the Gospel authors depict individuals, such as

Simeon, Anna, Nathaniel, identifying from the Hebrew Bible that the

longed-for Messiah was Jesus.

3- A Model for Understanding the Messianic Center of the Bible

a. The biblical basis: The NT claims that all of Scripture points to Christ.

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Luke 24:44 “Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke

to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in

the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be

fulfilled.’”

John 5:39-40, 45-47 “You search the Scriptures because you think

that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness

about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life…. Do

not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who

accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you

believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you

do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

II Timothy 3:14-17 quoted above indicates that the sacred writings

which Timothy knew from childhood are able to make him wise

unto salvation through Christ Jesus.

I Peter 1:10-12 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who

prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and

inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time[a] the Spirit of

Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of

Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they

were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now

been announced to you through those who preached the good news

to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels

long to look.”

Hosea 3:4-5 “For the children of Israel shall dwell many days

without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without

ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel

shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their

king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his

goodness in the latter days.”

Numbers 24:14 “And now, behold, I am going to my people.

Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your

people in the latter days.”

Numbers 24:8 “God brings him out of Egypt and is for him

like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his

OT as Foundation: Later OT and NT authors cite earlier authors not to

reinterpret their work, but to clarify its messianic character. Example:

Matthew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1

Hosea has already placed his prophecy in an end-times

framework in Hosea 3:4-5, where an ideal David reigns and

the people seek the Lord.

Hosea 11:1 uses Exodus imagery to explain this end-times

reality, in a manner akin to Numbers 24 and the oracles of

Balaam. Those also in an end-times context (Num 24:14)

describes a ruler higher than Gog whom “God brought forth

out of Egypt” (Num 24:8).

ii.

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adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce

them through with his arrows.”

The Identity and Person of Christ

Remaining what he was, he became what he was not.

In more detail, the person of the Divine Son without divesting himself of his divine

nature added to himself a human nature. The natures are distinct and separate, but

inseparable and united in the one person of the Divine Son.

Colossians 2:9-10 “For in him the whole fullness of deity

dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the

head of all rule and authority.”

Ergo, as John Sailhamer writes, “Matthew’s application of the

Hosea passage to Jesus suggests he has properly read both the

Pentateuch and its commentary in Hosea” (17).

ii.

In sum, from the Pentateuch in such promises of Genesis 3:15 or the

first new covenant passage in Deuteronomy 30, in which

circumcision of the heart is mentioned, the OT is always pointing

beyond the Mosaic covenant to the realization of the Abrahamic

Covenant in the inauguration of the New Covenant by the Messiah.

In this way, the OT reveals the character of the Messiah; the NT then

takes this messianic portrait and uses it to identify the Messiah to be

Jesus of Nazareth.

1- Big ideas/Biblical Basis

a. Christ is fully God.

Divine attributes – Christ is described as the perfect sum of all

of the attributes of deity

1. Moral attributes

Love (Rom. 8:35-39, Gal. 2:20, Eph. 3:17-19; 5:2,

25)

Righteousness (Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14; James

5:6)

Holiness (Acts 3:14; 4:27, 30; II Cor. 5:21; Heb.

4:15; 7:26; I Pet 2:22)

d. Wrath (Rev. 6:16)

God of Truth (of Yahweh, Ps. 31:5, Isa. 65:16; of

Jesus, John 1:14, 14:6)

f. Wisdom of God (I Cor. 1:24, 30; Col. 2:3)

g. Authority of God (Eph. 1:22, Col. 2:10)

2. Incommunicable attributes

a. Eternity (John 1:1, 12:41; I Cor. 10:4, Heb 1:2)

b. Glory (John 17:5)

Omnipotence (Matt. 8:26-27; I Cor. 1:18, 23-25;

Eph. 1:19-20; Phil. 3:21; Col. 2:10)

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a. Omnipresence (Matt 18:20; 28:20; Eph. 4:10)

Immutability (II Cor 1:20; Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8;

James 1:17)

Omniscience (Mark 2:8; John 1:48; 2:25, 6:64;

21:17; Acts 1:24; I Cor. 4:5; Col. 2:3, 9; Rev. 2:23)

Divine rule – The Bible ascribes to Christ a divine rule that is

only to be given to Yahweh

The OT ascribes to Yahweh alone divine rule and reign

over all creation (Ps. 97:9)

The Bible ascribes this same divine rule and reign to

Christ (Psalm 110; Rom. 14:9; I Cor. 15:27-28; Eph.

1:22; Phil. 2:10; 3:21; Heb. 1:2; 2:8; I Pet. 3:22; Rev.

1:5).

Divine worship – The NT outlines worship of Jesus which the

OT understands to be proper of Yahweh alone

ii.

God alone should be worshipped (Ex. 20:1-7; Deut 6:4;

Acts 14:14-15; Rev. 19:10)

Christ is presented as worthy of divine worship (Dan.

7:13; Matt. 14:33; 21:15-16; 28:9, 17; John 20:28; Eph.

5:19; Phil 2:9-11; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:11-12).

Christ is presented as a proper recipient of prayer (Acts

1:24-25; 7:59-60; 9:10, 13; 22:17-19; I Cor. 1:2; 16:22;

II Cor. 12:8; Rev. 22:20)

Divine works – The NT present Christ as doing works which

only Yahweh does

iii.

Christ is the agent of Creation and the providential

Lord of heaven and earth (John 1:3; Rom. 1:18-23;

4:17; 11:36; Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 1:1-3; 2:10; 11:3; cf.

Gen. 1; Ps. 102:25; 104:24, 27, 30).

Christ is the inaugurator of the kingdom of God and the

age to come, a kingdom which only very God can

inaugurate.

Christ dispenses the eschatological spirit (promised to

be given by God, Joel 2:28-29, Ez. 36:25-27; cf. John 3:1-

10. Given in fact by Christ, Matt. 3:11, 13-17; John 14-

16; Acts 2; Acts 2:32-33; Romans 7-8; I Corinthians 2;

3:16-17; II Cor. 3; Gal 3:14; 4:6; 4:21-6:10; Eph. 1:13-

20; 2:18-22; 3:14-19; 4:1-16).

Christ raises the dead (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; Luke 7:11-

17; John 11:1-44; cf. Deut. 1:17; I Sam. 2:6; Jer. 25:31;

Rom. 14:10) and executes final judgment (John 5:21-

23, 28-29; Acts 10:42; 17:31; Rom. 14:10 with II Cor.

5:10).

Jesus forgives sins as God and Savior (Mark 2:7, 10;

Acts 5:31; Eph. 1:5-7; Col. 3:13; Titus 2:13; II Pet 1:1).

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Arbor Foundations 6 – Who is

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iv. Divine titles

1. Lord (kurios)

Greek word kurios is the linguistic substitute for

Yahweh nearly 7,000 times in the Septuagint (it

will not always bear this significance in the

Greek New Testament).

In places like John 20:28, Rom. 10;12-13, Phil.

2:9-11, I Cor. 16:22, it is likely from the overall

context of these verses that the biblical authors

are designating Jesus with the divine name.

God (Theos) – Isa. 9:6; John 1:1-3, 14, 18; 20:28; Rom.

9:5; Titus 2:13; II Peter 1:1; Heb. 1:8

3. The Son of Man

Used in the Gospels 84 times, all from the mouth

of Jesus as a self-referent; one other use in NT in

Acts 7:56 by Stephen in reference to Jesus.

Background is Daniel 7:13-14; see citation in

Matt 26:64.

4. John’s “I Am” statements

The divine name Yahweh from Ex. 3:14;

indicates the presence of God with his people

A feature of John’s Gospel is to have Jesus state

these words (with or without a

complement/predicate) – see also Heb. 11:6

4:26 – The one who speaks unto you,

even I am he.

ii. 6:20 – I am; do not fear

iii. 6:35, 48, 51 – I am the bread of life

6:41 – I am the bread which came down

from heaven

iv.

v. 8:12 – I am the light of the world

8:24 – for whoever does not believe that I

am will die in their sins

vi.

8:28 – when the Son of Man is lifted up,

then you will know that I am

vii.

8:58 – Before Abraham was, I am (v. 59

the leaders wish to stone him for his

words)

viii.

ix. 10:7, 9 – I am the door of the sheep

x. 10:11, 14 – I am the good shepherd

xi. 11:25 – I am the resurrection and the life

xii. 13:19 – that you may believe that I am

xiii. 14:6 – I am the way, the truth, and the life

xiv. 15:1, 5 I am the true vine

xv. 18:5-8 (in response to the search for

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Jesus) I am (the ones looking to arrest

him immediately fall down backward)

a. Christ is fully human, yet without sin.

Christ had a human body which grew and developed like

anyone else’s.

Jesus refers to his body parts (Matt. 26:12, 26-28; Mark

14:8, 24; Luke 7:44-46; 22:20; 24:39; John 6:53-56).

Though unique in his conception, Christ was born and

developed like any other child (Matt. 2:11, 14, 16, 19-

23; Luke 2:16, 39, 40, 42-42; 3:23) and then suffered

and died in the body (Matt. 27:32-61; Mark 15:21=47’

:use 23:26-56; John 19:28-42).

Jesus is described as the seed of the woman, Abraham,

and David in the flesh (Rom. 1:3; Gal. 4:4; Heb 7:14).

The epistles describe Jesus as a man (Rom. 5:14-16; I

Tim. 2:5; Heb 2:14, 17).

Christ has a mind, will, and soul and experienced life like all

other human beings.

ii.

Biblical authors present Jesus with a full range of

human emotions: pity/compassion (Matt. 9:36; Mark

1:41; 8:2; Luke 7:36-50; John 11:5; 13:34; 15:9-13),

distress (Mark 7:34; 8:12; Luke 22:15, 44), angry (Mark

3:5; John 11:33, 38), joy (Luke 10:21; John 15:11),

surprise (Matt. 8:10; Mark 6:6), disappointment (Mark

8:17; 9:19), hunger and thirst (Matt. 4:1-2; Mark 11:12;

John 19:28), fatigue and weariness (Matt. 8:23-24; John

4:5-6), and temptation (Luke 4:2, 13; 22:28).

Jesus is able to hold these emotions because he has a

human soul (Matt. 27:50; Luke 23:46; John 12:27;

13:21).

He also has a human mind. Observe how the biblical

authors both indicate him increasing in knowledge and

his ignorance of certain things (Matt. 24:36; Luke 2:52;

John 5:19, 30; 7:16; 12:49, 50).

Christ also has a human will. The biblical authors

present Jesus as subjecting his will to the Father’s will,

but Christ’s divine will is the same as the Father’s will,

so it must be that Christ has a human will to bring in

subjection to his own divine will.

b. Why it matters.

Only God can save (Jonah 2:9; Ps. 62:2, 6, 7. John 3:15-16;

14:1; Acts 3:16; 4:12; 10:43; 16:31; Rom. 10:12-13; I Cor. 1:2).

Full humanity was necessary for the divine Son to bring many

sons to glory (Heb. 2:10-13; Gregory of Nazianzus “that which

is not assumed is not healed”).

ii.

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2- Common Misconceptions in History and Today

a. Arianism

Definition: Believed by the theologian Arius, Arianism teaches

that Jesus was the first creation, and not God himself.

Soteriological problem: Under this system, salvation would

need be accomplished by a mere man, which is impossible

(see above).

ii.

Modern examples: Jehovah’s witnesses hold to a similar belief

today. Also, Ligonier’s “The State of Theology Survey” in 2018

reveals that 78% of evangelicals agree with the statement

“Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.”

iii.

Early church response: The Council of Nicaea (325) and the

Nicene Creed

iv.

Affirms deity of the Son by describing him as being of

the same substance of the Father and calling him the

“true God”;

Affirms that the Son is not a creature, but was eternally

begotten of the Father, begotten, not made;

Places the discussion of the nature and identity of Jesus

firmly within soteriological discussions.

b. Apollinarianism

Definition: Deriving its name from Apollinarius,

Apollinarianism affirms the deity of Christ, but states that the

Son merely took on a human body, but not a human soul.

Soteriological problem: For Christ to serve as our

representative head, he must fully assume a full human nature.

ii.

iii. Early church response: Council of Constantinople (381)

With a careful distinction between nature and person,

the church affirmed two natures in Christ.

Affirms that Christ assumed a complete humanity –

body, soul, mind, and not a body alone.

Affirms that the unified active subject (person) of the

two natures is the person of the Divine Son.

c. Nestorianism

Definition: Akin to Adoptionism, Nestorianism states that a

human person and a divine person are united at the time of

the incarnation. Theotokos vs. Christotokos.

Textual problem: Scripture does not speak of two personal

subjects united in the text, but one person acting through two

natures.

ii.

Soteriological problem: Our condemnation before God is such

that we need God himself to save, and not a composite union

between God and man.

iii.

iv. Early church response: Council of Ephesus (431)

d. Eutychianism/Monophysitism

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Chalcedonian Definition: "In agreement, therefore, with the holy Fathers, we all

unanimously teach that we should confess that our Lord Jesus Christ is one and the same

Son, the same perfect in Godhead and the same perfect in manhood; truly God and truly

man, the same of a rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father in the Godhead,

and the same consubstantial with us in Manhood; like us in all things except sin; begotten

from the Father before the ages as regards his Godhead, and in the last days, the same,

because of us and because of our salvation, begotten from the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, as

Definition: Identified with Eutyches, monophysitism (mono =

one; physis = nature) believes that Christ’s human nature was

absorbed into his divine nature, such that a unique third type

of nature (mostly divine) is produced (tertium quid).

Soteriological problem: If the natures are combined in any

way, Christ cannot be either fully God or fully man. He might

possibly be neither.

vi.

Modern examples: “Kenotic” (kenoo= empty) Christology.

Argues that Christ had to empty himself of divine attributes to

become man, in this way, conflating the natures together. This

rhetoric permeates evangelical churches, including our own.

vii.

viii. Early church response: The Council of Chalcedon (451)

1. Affirms that Christ was fully God and fully man;

Affirms that the person of the incarnation is God the

eternal Son;

Affirms that the human nature of Christ does not

possess a second person;

Affirms that the natures of Christ do not form a union

together, but rather, the properties of each nature are

retained;

Affirms that Christ’s full humanity entails that he

possess a human soul and psychology.

ix. Some implications:

One nature does some things that the other nature

does not do.

For example, in the manger, while the Divine Son

through his human nature is crying helplessly,

he is through his divine nature sustaining that

very manger.

This explains the biblical idiom that Christ is

both omniscient (via his divine nature) and does

not know things (via his human nature).

Anything that either nature does is done by the person

of Christ.

Titles that refer to one nature may be appropriately

used to describe actions the Son performs through the

other nature (e.g. “They have crucified the Lord of

glory” I Cor. 2:8).

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regards his Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, made known in

two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the

differences of the natures being by no means removed because of the union, but the

property of each nature being preserved, and coalescing in one prosopon and one

hupostasis - not parted or divided into two prosopa, but one and the same Son, only

begotten, Divine Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets of old have taught us about

Him and the Creed of our Fathers has handed down."

Life of Christ

Isa. 7:14-15; Matt 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-21

Isaiah 53; Psalm 34; Matt. 3:15; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 2:16-18; 4:15; 7:26; 9:14; I

Peter 3:19-22; I John 2:1; 3:5

Isa. 53:6, 10; I Cor. 15:3-4; II Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 1:18-19; 3:19-22; Heb. 9:25-28;

Rev. 12:10-11;

Matt. 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21:25; Acts 10:41;

Rom. 4:25; 6:4, 11; I Cor. 6:14; 15; II Cor. 4:14; Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 3:1-4; I Pet.

1:3-5

3- The Chalcedonian Box

a. Side A – Jesus is fully divine

b. Side B – Jesus is fully human

c. Side C – Jesus is one person

d. Side D – Jesus has two unconfused natures

Immaculate/Virgin Conception. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, partaking

of her human nature. The virgin conception does not account for how Christ

could be sinless of itself, but thinking of the reverse, would not a sinless

birth require a miraculous birth? In essence, the biblical authors tend to

present the virgin conception as the way in which Jesus is born of Adam, but

not in Adam.

Sinlessness. Jesus was fully human, but this does not necessitate that he

sinned or had a sinful nature. Indeed, the biblical authors portray him as a

second Adam who was fully human without sin. Thus redeemed humanity

will be fully human ourselves without sin.

Death. Jesus’ death was to take the punishment for our sins, bearing the

wrath of God, and conquering sin, death, and the devil forever. It is primarily

one of a substitute for his people once and for all.

Resurrection. After Jesus died, he was resurrected on the third day, in

accordance with the Scriptures. This resurrection was a bodily resurrection

and a first fruits for the resurrection of God’s people. Paul also calls us it the

grounds of our justification while Peter describes the resurrection as the

basis for our regeneration.

Ascension. After his resurrection, Jesus ascended into his heaven in bodily

form where he sits at the right hand of God serving as the prophet, priest,

and king of his people. At the end of the age, he will return in the same

manner as he went up from here.

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Psalm 110; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:8-11; 7:56; Eph. 1:19-21; 2:6; I Tim. 3:16;

Heb. 1:3; 12:1-2; I Pet 3:22

Three-fold Office of Christ

Deut 18; 34; Isa. 9:6; 28:29; 32:19; 61:1-2; Joel 2:28.

John 4:19; 6:14; 9:17; Acts 3:22-24; I Cor. 1:30; Col. 2:3; Heb. 1:1-2

II Sam. 7; Is. 6; Zech 3; 6:9-14; Ps. 110; Dan. 9:24; I Chr. 17

John 17; Rom. 8:34; I Tim. 2:5; Hebrews; Heb. 3:1; 5:6; 7:15, 25; 9:22;

10:4

1- Overview

The term Christ is the transliteration of the Greek translation of the

word Messiah. Both words refer to an “anointed one.”

The biblical idiom uses this term most for the king, but Calvin and

those following him have noted that there were three OT offices

which were anointed and the OT expects that the Messiah would

occupy all three offices.

Both testaments speak of Christ as anointed of the Spirit rather than

by oil (e.g. Isa 11:2, 61:1), which might explain the usage of anointing

in I John 2:20.

2- Prophet

a. OT office – The prophet spoke God’s words to the people.

b. Messianic expectation

Messianic identification – Christ reveals God to us and speaks his word.

His work in turn stands as the definitive revelation from God and the

ultimate goal of all OT prophecy.

d. Why it matters today

Christ should be at the center of what we think about when it

comes to God.

Christ as the definitive prophet and the definitive revelation of

God explains the Father to us. We know Christ through the

Scriptures. So Scripture is the way to know God.

ii.

3- Priest

OT office – The Priest offered sacrifices, prayers, and praises to God on

behalf of the people

b. Messianic expectation

Messianic identification – Christ offers himself as a sacrifice on our

behalf and ever prays for us.

d. Why it matters today

No need to make sacrifices for our sins. Christ has paid the

penalty in full and we must take refuge in him alone, rather

than try to remedy our sin on our own.

He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and grants us

access to the throne room of grace in time of need.

ii.

iii. He prays for us continually. What encouragement to know that

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Christ?

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Gen. 49; Num. 24; II Sam 7; Isa. 9:6-7; 11; 55:4; Ps. 2; 89:35-37;110;

Dan. 2:44; 7:13-14; I Chr. 17

Matt. 2:2; 3; 4; 21:15; 28:18Mark 1:14-15; Luke 1:32-33; 17;20-21;

19:38; John 1:49; 3:1-15; 18:36; Acts 7:56; 17:7; Rom. 14:7; Eph.

1:19-21; 2:6; I Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3; 12:1-2; I Pet 3:22; Rev. 19:11-16;

20:7

John Calvin “For this reason we ought to know that the happiness

promised us in Christ does not consist in outward advantages – such as

leading a joyous and peaceful life, having rich possessions, being safe from

all harm, and abounding with delights such as the flesh commonly longs

after. No, our happiness belongs to the heavenly life! In the world the

prosperity and well-being of a people depend partly on strong defenses

that pretext them from outside attacks. In like manner, Christ enriches his

people with all things necessary for the eternal salvation of souls and

fortifies them with courage to stand unconquerable against all the assaults

of spiritual enemies.”

So What?

Understanding the person of Christ is the rubric given for true Christianity (I John

4:2-3)

Four of the first ecumenical councils were centered around the doctrine of Christ as

the line between orthodoxy and heresy is primarily centered around the doctrine of

Christ.

The councils also reveal that significant heresy occurs at the slightest misstep in

this area. So we should tread carefully with our language and nuance.

The person of Christ our Savior and the means he took to save us is a complex

enough subject such that this 13-page handout is almost an inadequate

Christ prays for us in specific ways.

4- King

a. OT office – The king ruled over the people as God’s representative

b. Messianic expectation

Messianic identification – Christ rules over the church and the universe

as well, but this kingdom is not of this world.

d. Why it matters today

It fixes our gaze on the right treasure – Christ and his eternal

kingdom, rather than the luxuries of the day. This provides a

motivation for enduring suffering.

We have assurance that in the midst of our crazy lives, our

king will never abandon us, but will supply all that we need for

life and godliness.

ii.

If the kingdom is spiritual and not earthly, there is in some

sense a need to desert the world in order to partake of it.

iii.

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Christ?

introductiontohimSolet’sworshiphim!

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introduction to him. So let s worship him!

For Further Study

Calvin, John. Institutes. (Book II, Chapter 15)

https://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.iv.xvi.html

Short summary:

https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/threefold_sproul.html

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. (Chapters 26-29)

Rydelnik, Michael. The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic?

Sailhamer, John. “The Messiah and the Hebrew Bible” Journal of the Evangelical

Theology Society, Maarch 2001.

http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/38692/383126/1266497733837/Th

e+Messiah+and+the+Hebrew+Bible.pdf?

token=N3FjAUKyXf3aoLyvY4sOda9Rlk0%3D

Wellum, Stephen. God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ.

Wellum, Stephen. Christ Alone – The Uniqueness of Jesus as Savior: What the

Reformers Taught… and Why it Still Matters.

Who is Christ?

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