God: The Son 2 1/3 sessions EBI
Areas covered in this section: Study chapters 8-13 in Major Bible Themes. God the Son: His Deity & Incarnation God the Son: His Incarnation God the Son: His Substitutionary Death God the Son: His Resurrection God the Son: His Ascension and Priestly Ministry God the Son: His Coming for His God the Son: His Coming with His Saints Although we have studied some aspects of Jesus in considering Evans book Chafer will take a more traditional approach to the subject
The Son: His Incarnation
God the Son: Incarnation 1. Christ became God and man at the same time 2. In becoming a man Christ laid aside some of his glory but none of his deity His full deity and full humanity are essential for his work on the cross - in human form he could die, in being God his death had infinite value.
Some key scriptures: John 1:1, 14, Php 2:6-7, 1 Tim 3:16, Heb 1:3, Luke 1:26-38, 2: 5-7 Weary, Jn 4:6, yet called people to him to rest Matt 11:28 Hungry, Matt 4:2, yet the bread of life, Jn 6:35 Thirsty, Jn 19:38, yet water of life, Jn 7:37 In agony, Lk 22:44, yet healed all manner of diseases Grew, Lk 2:40, yet was eternal, Jn 8:58
Tempted, Matt 4:1, yet as God could not sin Limited in knowledge, Lk 2:52, yet is the wisdom of God He prayed, Lk 6:12, yet answered prayer, Acts 10:31 There are many more examples which could be shown - what we see is that Christ sometimes operated within being fully divine and sometimes full human - his divinity was not limited by his humanity but he did not minister to his human needs from divine resources (in hunger he did not turn stones to bread)
A. The fact s of Christ's Humanity 1. Was purposed before the world s foundation - Eph 1:4-7, 3:11 2. All OT types and prophecies concerning Christ anticipate his incarnation 3. The fact of his humanity is seen in the annunciation and birth Lk 1:31-35 4. His life on earth reveals his humanity a. Human names - son of man, man Christ Jesus, son of David etc.
b. His human parentage - her firstborn, made of a woman c. His human body, soul and spirit - Matt 26:38, jn 13:21, 1 Jn 4:2 d. His self imposed human limitations 5. In his death and resurrection - all in a human body 6. His ascension to heaven and his ongoing ministry in a glorified human body 7. He will return in this glorified human body - which he was incarnate in
B. Reasons for the incarnation 1. To reveal God to men in a way we can understand - Matt 11:27, Jn 1:18, Rom 5:8 2. To reveal man - God s example to believers 1 Pet 2:21 3. To provide a sacrifice for sin - Heb 10;1-10 shows him thanking God for his body 4. To destroy the works of the devil - 1 Jn 3:8, Col 2:13-15
5. To be a merciful and faithful high priest - Heb 2:16-17, 8:1 6. In flesh he fulfills the Davidic covenant - 2 Sam 7:16, Lk 1:31-33 - as King of k Kings and Lord of Lords he will appear and sit on the throne of his father David - Lk 1:32, Rev 19:19 7. Incarnate he becomes head over all things including the church - Eph 1:22 Jesus became a full man - material (body) and immaterial (soul and spirit) - he is the last Adam 1 Cor 15:45
The Son: His Substitutionary Death
His Substitutionary Death The Bible reveals Jesus dying as a sacrifice for the sins of the world - Jn 1:29 Substitute is not a biblical word but the idea of Christ substituting for sinners is - in this God s righteous judgments are borne by Christ. It is a simple transaction - Christ has taken the divine judgments fully satisfying God, the sinner believes in Christ accepting him as their personal saviour.
In order to fully describe this atonement is used (as well as substitution) - atonement in the OT describes the temporary covering of sin by sacrifice etc. Rom 3:25 - as said previously this was a temporary situation anticipating the coming of Christ, and his perfect sacrifice.
A. What his death accomplishes 1. Assures us of the love of God towards the sinner - Jn 3:16, Rom 5:8 - this should encourage believers to live at a higher moral standard 2 Cor 5:15, 1 Pet 2:11-15 2. It is a redemption/ransom paid to God for the sinner and to set them free from condemnation - the life of Christ is given for us - Matt 20:28, Mk 10:25 - he took the penalty Rom 4:25, Heb 9:28
3 NT ideas of ransom: a. To buy in the market - man is a slave of sin but is redeemed by the blood purchase of Christ - Rom 6:23, 7:14, 1 Cor 6:20 b. To buy out of the market - indicating removal from sale, redemption is once for all Gal 3:13, 4:5 c. to let loose, to set free lk 24:21, Titus 2:14, 1 Pet 1:18 So the ideas are: purchase, removal from sale and complete freedom through Christ in the power of HSp - in this Christ was offered for sin not as a covering but to bear our sins forever
3 NT ideas of ransom: a. To buy in the market - man is a slave of sin but is redeemed by the blood purchase of Christ - Rom 6:23, 7:14, 1 Cor 6:20 b. To buy out of the market - indicating removal from sale, redemption is once for all Gal 3:13, 4:5 c. to let loose, to set free lk 24:21, Titus 2:14, 1 Pet 1:18 So the ideas are: purchase, removal from sale and complete freedom through Christ in the power of HSp - in this Christ was offered for sin not as a covering but to bear our sins forever
3. Christ s death is an act of obedience to the law (which sinners have broken) and is a propitiation for God s righteous demands of the sinner On the day of atonement the mercy seat on the ark or the covenant was sprinkled with blood which took away God s judgement - through Christ s death the throne of God becomes a throne of grace - in dying on the cross Christ satisfied all of God s just judgments on human sin Heb 9:11-15, 4:14-16
propitiate To win or regain the 3. Christ s death is an act of favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by obedience to the law (which sinners doing something that pleases them have broken) and is a propitiation for Rom God s 3:25-26 righteous - whom demands God put of the sinner forward as a propitiation by his blood, On to be the received day of by atonement faith. This was the to mercy show seat God s on righteousness, the ark or the because covenant in his was sprinkled divine forbearance with blood he had which passed took over away former God s sins. It judgement was to show - through his Christ s righteousness death at the the throne present of time, God so becomes that he might a throne be just of and grace the - justifier in dying on of the the one cross who Christ has faith satisfied in Jesus. all of God s is just shown judgments to be full on of human mercy sin to Heb sinners, 9:11-15, even in the 4:14-16 time waiting for Christ to be revealed
4. Provides a basis by which the world is reconciled to God - reconciliation = bringing together of God and man Rom 5:10-11, 11:15, 1 Cor 7:11, 2 Cor 5:18-20 etc. Man is forgiven, justified and raised in Christ to relationship with God - man s position changes not God s. This provision is for the entire world - 2 Cor 5:19, 2 Pet 2:1, 1Jn 2:1-2
5. Removes all moral obstacles in the mind of God to saving of sinners by the propitiation of Christ - no hindrance to God accepting any man who believes on Christ - Rom 3:26 - Gods love and power are no longer restrained because of what Christ has done. 6. Christ in his death became the substitute taking the penalty owed by the sinner - this is a foundational personal (not corporate) belief - Jn 10:11, Rom 5:6-8
B. Fallacies concerning his death 1. It is immoral for God to lay the sins of people on an innocent person - Christ was not unwilling but very willing to do all his Father asked on him - Jn 13:1, Heb 10:7, 2 Cor 5:19
2. Christ died as a martyr - an example of courage and loyalty to convictions even to his death - Christ was God s lamb, no one took his life from him - jn 10:18, Acts 2:23 3. Christ died to create a moral effect - men who consider the cross will choose to sin less - the cross is not about reformation of people but regeneration of them