God The Son – The Lord Jesus Christ
(Notes by Dr Don Hender)
Purposes of the Incarnation.
1. To reveal God to us, John 1:18; 14:7-11; Hebrews 1:1
2. To provide example to our lives, 1 Peter 2:21; 2:6; Hebrews 2:17-18.
3. To provide effective sacrifice for sin, Hebrews 10:1-10.
4. To be able to fulfil the Davidic Covenant, Luke 1:31-33; Revelation 3:21; Matthew 25:31; 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:3-4, 34-37.
5. To destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:14-15.
6. To be able to be a sympathetic High Priest, Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25-28.This is linked with No. 3.
7. To qualify as Judge, John 5:22-27; 1 Corinthians 15:24.
8. Prepare us for His Second Coming, Hebrews 9:28.
FULL DEITY. PERFECT HUMANITY. ONE PERSON – THE GOD-MAN FOREVER. He has a body now, Revelation 5:6; Acts 1:11.
HYPOSTATIC UNION. i.e. GOD and MAN – ONE PERSON. (Gk. Hypostasis – one person substance.)
PROPHET. PRIEST. KING. Deuteronomy 18:15 & 18; Cf. Acts 3:22-24; Matthew 13:57; Matthew 13 is prophecy. See also Matthew chapters 24 & 25; John chapters 13-16.
PRIEST. After the order of Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem (Jerusalem). Hebrews 7:13 (Genesis 14:18-20).
(1) Royal Priesthood (Zechariah 6:13).
(2) Unrelated to ancestry – Melchizedek’s parents unknown and irrelevant; not mentioned. So, Jesus is the Eternal, Uncreated God – without beginning, without ending.
(3) Timeless (Hebrews 7:25).
(4) Superior to Aaronic priesthood – Abraham had Aaron ‘in his loins’, yet Abraham gave tithes and offerings to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:20).
KING. Fulfils Davidic Covenant, 2 Samuel 7; Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:32-33; Matthew 2:2.
SINLESSNESS. 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; 1:19; 1 John 3:5; Hebrews 4:15; 7:27.
L. S. Chafer says, “The Scriptures are clear that Christ is all that Deity is. Though His complete humanity is clearly set forth in Scripture, yet He is equal with the Father and the Spirit. To Him are given the titles of Yahweh, Redeemer and Saviour, and every attribute belonging to Deity is attributed to Him. He is the greatest theme of Biblical prophecy and is obviously far above any angel or man. Unlike other members of the Trinity, He died on the cross bearing the sins of the world and rose from the dead, thus demonstrating His claim to Deity. As the triumphant Son, He is now seated at the Father’s Right Hand and all power is given to Him both in Heaven and on earth. He is revealed to be Creator of all things visible and invisible, the source of Eternal life and the object of worship both by angels and men. On the Godward side He is the manifestation of God to man and the bestower of every element in human life that is acceptable to God, the Father. Though He has a genuine humanity as a result of the Incarnation, this does not affect or cloud the extent and power of His Divine attributes.
In beginning the study of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the essential fact that the second Person is fully equal in every respect to the other Persons of the Godhead must be kept constantly in mind. He is the Eternal God though there was added to His person the full humanity involved in the Incarnation.”
A Study of Christology must include His:
1. His pre-existence.
2. His Deity.
3. His Incarnation.
4. His humanity and life on earth.
5. The Kenosis.
6. The Hypostatic union.
7. His person as revealed in His death and resurrection, and
8. His person as revealed in His second Coming and future reign on earth.
Pre-existence. Seven times in John chapter 6, ‘He came from Heaven’, vs. 33, 38, 41, 50, 51, 58, 62. Philippians 2: 5-11, implies pre-existence. Note that the term ‘Angel of Jehovah’ is never referred to after the Incarnation. Theophanies of Christ in the Old Testament are found in Genesis chapters 18, 22, 31, 48. Also Exodus chapters 3, 13, 14; Joshua chapter 5 and Judges chapters 6 and 13. It is very likely to be Christ in Exodus 24.
His Names. Yahweh, Lord. Elohim, God. Son of God. Son of Man. Lord Jesus Christ.
Immutability. Unchanging nature, Hebrews 1:10-11; 6:17-19; N.B. God cannot lie. Chapter 13:8.
Almighty. Revelation 1:8; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Philippians 3:21; Matthew 28:18. He is Omnipotent.
Omniscience. John 1:47-48; John 2:25; 6:64; 21:17.
Omnipresence. John 1:50; 14:23; Matthew 18:20; 28:20.
Creator and Preserver. John 1:3 & 10; Colossians 1:16-17.
He accepted worship. Luke 24:52; John 5:23. Christians called upon Christ as God in worship, Acts 9:14; Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9; Hebrews 1:3. Firstborn means priority over creation, Gk. Prototokos. He existed eternally as ‘Firstborn’ before all creation, Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15. ‘Firstborn from the dead’, Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5.
He displayed the power and wisdom of God in what He did, John 3:2; 7:46. On the mount He showed the Glory of God. Matthew 17:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6.
His humanity as Second Adam corrected all that the first Adam lost He was obedient to the Father.
He is head over a New Creation – Redeemed men. Ephesians 2. ‘One new man.’ Philippians 3:20-21.
He will rule from David’s Throne as King of the Jews (Redeemed Israel). in Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:5-8.
He is the Kinsman – Redeemer of the Jewish 1/3rd remnant of the Jewish people who will be saved at the Second Coming and will enter the Millennium. Also He is the Kinsman-Redeemer of Jewish people saved now and added to the Church, His Body and Bride to be. Leviticus 25:48-49; Ruth 3:12-13 (Kinsman Redeemer of Israel).
He has the power to redeem. Ruth 4:4-6; Jeremiah 50:34. The Redeemer is able to pay the righteous demands of the Law involved, Leviticus 25:27. As in the Old Testament so in the New Testament. Redemption is by blood. It delivers from the bondage of sin, the condemnation of the Law, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ was the willing and obedient Redeemer. He did everything to please the Father, John 8:29 all the way to then cross. Here was complete Deity and Humanity in one Person – total, absolute, unique. He had human and Divine desires, yet without sin, but His ultimate determinative will brought His Divine and Human Person together so that they were always in perfect harmony with the will of the Father.
Humanity anticipated in Revelation 13:8 ‘Lamb slain before the foundation of the world’, in the mind of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Expectation of Messiah in Humanity. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7. His lineage is in Matthew (King) and Luke (Son of David). First prophecy is Genesis 3:15.
The Gospels declare His Humanity and in John, His Deity particularly. As a man He shed His blood. His body was broken in death. Believers are redeemed by the blood. (Acts 20:28).
He was raised from death. Ephesians 1. Death and resurrection Drove His Humanity. Luke chapter 24:39-40 says He has ‘flesh and bones, hands and feet’. Prophecy of all this is Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Psalm 16:10.
Ascension in Bodily Form. Acts 1; 2:33; 5:31; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34.
High Priest in Heaven, Hebrews 7:25-26.
His Humanity is evident in the promise of His Second Coming, prophesied as His Kingdom reign, Acts 1:11; Luke 1:32; cf. Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 25:31.
He exercises Offices of Prophet Priest and King, having gone to the cross, to be the only Saviour of the world.