OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THE CHRISTIAN TEACHING PODCAST EPISODE 4 (MARCH, 2018) SERIES: BIBLE BASICS FOR NEW BELIEVERS WWW.CHRISTIANTEACHING.ORG FOUNDATIONS Love for Christ divides eternity. If anyone does not love the Lord [Jesus Christ], he is to be accursed. Maranatha [the Lord is coming] (1 Corinthians 16:22) 1. Growth demands knowledge of Christ. But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (2 Peter 3:18). HIS PERSON WHO HE IS HE IS GOD Therefore, everything we study of God is true of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is God by nature. In the beginning was the Word [a title for the Lord Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Jesus is unified with the Trinity. He was in the beginning with God (John 1:2). Jesus does God-specific works, like creation. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (John 1:3). Jesus is God intrinsically. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men (John 1:4). Jesus is God by identity. These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory [the glory of Yahweh in Isaiah 6], and he spoke of Him [Jesus is Yahweh] (John 12:41). Jesus was acknowledged to be God.... My Lord and my God (John 20:28) 2. HE IS THE SON OF GOD Son of God is not a title that the Lord Jesus assumed at His birth; rather it is Who He is from eternity. He is the Person of the Son of God. He was the Son of God before His birth. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us... (Isaiah 9:6 cf. Mark 12:1-11). He is the unique Son of God.... we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten [i.e. the Unique One] from the Father... (John 1:14). He is God s beloved Son. And behold, a voice out of the heavens said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17). 1 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the NASB. 2 An incomplete quotation is marked by an ellipsis in the omitted section.
As the Son, He reveals God. God... in these last days has spoken to us in His Son... (Hebrews 1:1-2). HE IS A TRUE MAN While He is eternally God, He became man at a point in time. For many deceivers have gone into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (2 John 7a). His human nature is holy. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin (1 John 3:5). His manhood is eternal. o He was a real man after His resurrection (Luke 24:39). o He was exalted as a real man (Acts 2:36). o He is presently a real man (1 Timothy 2:5). o He is a man in the eternal state (Revelation 22:4 If He was not man, His face could not be seen.). His manhood does not diminish His deity. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). His manhood was for the purpose of complete redemption. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives... He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:14-15, 17). HIS COMINGS HOW HE INTERACTS WITH EARTH HIS ETERNAL PRE-EXISTENCE From you One [the Son of God] will go forth for Me [Yahweh] to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity (Micah 5:2b). HIS HOLY INCARNATION (FIRST COMING) Now the birth of Jesus was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit... Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means, God with us (Matthew 1:18, 23). HIS PERFECT LIFE Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, Sacrifice an offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me... Then He said, Behold, I have come to do Your will (Hebrews 10:5, 9a).
HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His [stroke] we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him (Isaiah 53:5-6). HIS TRIUMPHANT RESURRECTION For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). HIS GLORIOUS ASCENSION And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight (Acts 1:9). HIS UNEXPECTED RETURN (SECOND COMING) A secret return for Christians (not the technical Second Coming, but rather the Rapture; only revealed in the New Testament). For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout... and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). A public return for the world to see (the technical Second Coming; what the Old Testament anticipated). And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). HIS RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT During His 1,000 year reign on earth. For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations... Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war (Isaiah 2:3b-4). At the end of time. He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:31). HIS ENDLESS REIGN There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him (Revelation 22:3).
HIS HUMAN OFFICES WHAT HE DOES AS THE DIVINE MAN The nation of Israel had three anointed offices, a prophet, a priest, and a king (1 Kings 19:6; Exodus 29:7). No one man could possess all three offices. But at His baptism, the Lord was anointed by the Holy Spirit to fulfill all three (Matthew 3:16-17). PROPHET Jesus stood and cried out, If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink.... Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, This certainly is the Prophet.... The officers answered, Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks. (John 7:37b, 40, 46). GREAT HIGH PRIEST Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted [tested] in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). KING Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel (John 1:49b). HIS PRIMARY NAMES/TITLES HOW WE REFER TO HIM Every people group appreciates Christ as the Saviour, but each will relate to Him in a specific way. The Nations know Him as the light-giver and righteous King (Isaiah 2:2-3; 49:6). Israel knows Him as the Messiah and Deliverer (Romans 11:26-27). The Church knows Him as the Saviour and risen Head (Ephesians 5:25-30). SON OF GOD THE TITLE OF HIS DIVINE GLORY For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God... Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself (John 5:18, 25-26). LORD THE TITLE OF HIS SUPREMACY You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am (John 13:13). JESUS THE NAME OF HIS HUMANITY She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for he will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
CHRIST THE TITLE OF HIS OFFICIAL GLORY The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He (John 4:25-26). SAVIOUR THE TITLE OF HIS GRACE Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:13-14). WHO IS HE TO ME? CHRIST IS OUR COMPLETE SALVATION But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). CHRIST IS OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone into our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6). CHRIST IS THE PURSUIT OF OUR HEARTS But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him... (Philippians 3:7-9a). CHRIST IS OUR LIFE Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is... For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1, 3-4). CHRIST IS OUR EXAMPLE Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1b-3).
A SUMMARY STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE Whether it be the Old Testament's looking forward (Luke 24:27), or the New Testament's looking back (Ephesians 2:20), the entire Bible has a single centerpoint: Jesus Christ. No question is more important than, Whom do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15). In Christ's Person, He is eternally deity. He is God (John 1:1). He created all and sustains all; everything exists for Him (Colossians 1:16-17). For the purpose of redemption, Christ took on true humanity (Philippians 2:6-8) which was sinless (1 John 3:5). Thus, He eternally will be fully God and fully man (two undiminished natures) in one Person: in Him [one Person] dwells [presently] the fulness of divinity [fully God] bodily [fully man]. (Colossians 2:9). The Bible presents Christ in three main eras. First, it speaks of His pre-existence (John 8:58), that is his timeless pre-birth existence as the eternal Son of God (John 1:18 / Mark 12:6). Second, it speaks of His first advent, His first coming in to the world as a man. He took on humanity at His Incarnation (John 1:14), by a miraculous virgin birth (Matthew 1:21-25). In His life, He fulfilled the will of God (John 4:34) and the Law of God (Mathew 3:15) as the perfect Servant (Isaiah 42:1). His chief purpose, however, was to die on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3), to give Himself as a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:5). His death was not defeat, but victory, for He took up His life again (resurrection) in power over death (Romans 6:9). His first advent culminated in ascension to God's throne (Acts 1:9). Third, Scripture describes His Second Coming to the earth in glory to judge sins and deliver Israel (Matthew 24:30). Christ also possesses the three anointed offices of Israel: Prophet, Priest, and King. Christ and Messiah mean Anointed One (John 1:41). First, He is the Prophet (John 7:40) anointed to declare God's good news (Luke 4:18). He is the perfect God-Revealer (Hebrews 1:1-2). He fulfilled this office primarily in His earthly ministry. Second, He is the Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14); this is the office He exercises presently (Hebrews 8:1) and will exercise forever (Hebrews 7:24). He is qualified by His deity, sinless humanity, and once-for-all offering for sin (Hebrews 4:14-15; 7:27). In this office, He sympathizes with us in trial, provides access to God's presence, saves sinners, intercedes for us, represents us on our behalf, and gives us a firm hope (Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:9; 6:19-20; 7:25). Third, He is the King (Psalm 2:6-9). He possesses the right to three thrones: His Father's throne over all things (Revelation 3:21), David's throne in Jerusalem over Israel and the nations (Isaiah 9:7), and the throne of His spiritual Kingdom over His people (John 18:36). He is known by four primary titles in Scripture: Son (of God), Lord, Jesus, and Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9). As Son of God, He is divine and heavenly One Whom we worship and by Whom we know God (1 John 5:20). As Lord He is the authority to Whom we bow (1 Corinthians 7:22). As Jesus, He is personal Saviour Whom we trust (1 Thessalonians 1:10). As Christ, He is the exalted One Whose glory we adore (2 Corinthians 4:4). Obviously, the implications of these names overlap, but these are their general emphases. To this glorious Person we owe our identity, our future, our life, our all (Colossians 3:1-4).