The Person of Christ
This week we will discuss the person of Jesus Christ. This is a highly important topic as it sits at the epicenter of our faith. Without Jesus, our faith is in vain.
Luke 9: 18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
What exactly is meant by the statement “Christ of God”?
In the Greek, this means, ‘The anointed one” or “Messiah”. Peter surely knew who Christ was!
Do you? Is it the same Jesus that Peter believed in? We all know that many people profess Christ. If we were to ask 25 people right now at Coral Square Mall, I guarantee you that 25 people would know who Jesus was.
There are different types of Jesus-if you get this wrong, it could be of an eternal consequence.
The name Jesus was a typical Hebrew name. Yeshua; In fact, it is used a number of times in the OT. 27 to be exact. % times referring to a different Jesus, i.e. not the messiah. The name Joshua is a derivative of Yeshua. This shows that it is important to know what Jesus we are referring to.
For instance: The Roman Catholics do not hold to the same Jesus as the scriptures detail. Rome re-sacrifices Christ every Lords day; Jesus Himself said that ‘It is finished’. There is a coredemptrix in Mary. She has the ability to forgive sin. The baptism saves-it is a baptismal regeneration-one might wonder, what does Jesus accomplish in contrast to the BR?
“Through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213).”
Is this the same Jesus Peter called, Christ?
How about the Mormon Jesus? The LDS’s believe that God was an actual man-the Father of Jesus and that both men died. They do believe in a holy spirit-they do not believe in the trinity as we understand it. The LDS does not believe in original sin. They believe we are all born without sin and sin is not accounted to us until an age of accountability.They do not believe in hell. This theology denies the Christ of the scriptures-this cannot be the same Christ Peter believed in.
How about the Jehovah’s Witness? They simply deny Jesus’ deity.
The Arminian expression of Christ?
It is imperative that we believe in the Christ of the scriptures. If anything, don’t blow this one. However, taking into consideration that this info is from God above-I again say, it humbles me to think God has been gracious with me and did not leave me in ignorance in a cult like those mentioned above.
We spoke of who Jesus is not; so who is Jesus Christ. By the way, Christ is not His last name. Well, what do we know of Jesus?
In regards to His human nature. We spoke in the past of Christ’s makeup; He is 1 persons, 2 essence. Remember last session we had on the trinity; 3 persons 1 essence. He is fully man and fully divine; At no time does Jesus cease to be either of these essences. It is continual. It is a permanent union.
He was born in Bethlehem to a virgin namedMary; it was an incarnation-the HS miraculously placed Jesus in the womb of Mary-a miraculous conception. His Father, by surrogacy was Joseph. Joseph was actually the step father. jesus was circumcised, according to scripture and culture on the 8th day. His ministry started almost immediately-he was without sin; for sure His parents saw his perfect nature. No temper tantrums etc. He taught in the synagogues even as a child. When He spoke, people to notice. At 33 years old, he was crucified for our sins and died according to plan. He laid down His life on his own accord, no man took it. 3 days later, He arose from the dead and defeated death. He is even now seated at the right hand of the Father.
Jesus had a human birth and a human genealogy: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4–5).
Matt Slick says: ” When the Word became flesh, he dwelt in the womb of Mary and was born as Jesus. Jesus is the incarnation of God. He is God in flesh. Col. 2:9 says, “for in him dwells all the fullness of deity in bodily form.”
We recite the Apostles Creed monthly; next time you recite it, take notice how it goes into details on the person of Christ. It is one of the first creeds put together by the church in combating error in regards to Christ.
Jesus had a fully human body and all the attributes typical to humans. He grew and aged. He had emotions. He hungered; he became fatigued after work and play. He had a human soul-yet, without sin.
He was God in the flesh-He was God with us! Not less than the father-fullly equal-the 2nd person of the trinity.
The attributes of the God man:
1. He was fully man when he rose: Luke 24:39-43.
2. He was fully man when he ascended: Acts 1:9,
3. He is fully man as he reigns: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.
4. He will be fully man when he returns: Phil 3:20-21
5. He will be fully man forever: Romans 8:29.
What benefits does Jesus bring to the church?
HEB 4:15
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Don MacLeod writes:
“The import of enhypostasis is that the human nature of Christ, although not itself an individual, is individualized as the human nature of the Son of God. It does not, for a single instant, exist as anhypostasis or non-personal”
Fred Sanders writes:
“On the one hand, the human nature of Jesus Christ is in fact a nature joined to a person, and therefore enhypostatic, or personalized. But the person who personalizes the human nature of Christ is not a created human person (like all the other persons personalizing the other human natures we encounter); rather it is the eternal second person of the Trinity. So the human nature of Christ is personal, but with a personhood from above.
Considered in itself, on the other hand, and abstracted from its personalizing by the eternal person of the Son, the human nature of Jesus Christ is simply human nature, and is not personal. The human nature of Christ, therefore, is both anhypostatic (not personal in itself) and enhypostatic (personalized by union with the eternal person of the Son).”
“CHAPTER 8 of The Westminster Confession of faith
— OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR
It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only-begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and men, the prophet, priest, and king; the head and Savior of the Church, the heir or all things, and judge of the world; unto whom he did, from all eternity, give a people to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.
The Son of God, the second Person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon him man’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof; yet without sin: being conceived by he power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.
The Lord Jesus in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure; having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell: to the end that being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety. Which office he took not unto himself, but was thereunto called by his Father; who put all power and judgment into his hand, and gave him commandment to execute the same. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, which, that he might discharge, he was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfill it; endured most grievous torments immediately in his soul, and most painful sufferings in his body; was crucified and died; was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day he arose from the dead, with the same body in which he suffered; with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father, making intercession; and shall return to judge men and angels, at the end of the world. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father; and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him. Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after his incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof were communicated into the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein he was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman, which should bruise the serpent’s head, and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, being yesterday and today the same and for ever. Christ, in the work of mediation, acteth according to both natures; by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes, in Scripture, attributed to the person denominated by the other nature. To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them, and revealing unto them, in and by the Word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by his Spirit to believe and obey; and governing their hearts by his Word and Spirit; overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation.
WCF Larger cat:
Q. 36. Who is the mediator of the covenant of grace?
A. The only mediator of the covenant of grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, of one substance and equal with the Father, in the fullness of time became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two entire distinct natures, and one person, forever.
Q. 37. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
A. Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance, and born of her, yet without sin.
Q. 38. Why was it requisite that the mediator should be God?
A. It was requisite that the mediator should be God, that he might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death; give worth and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience, and intercession; and to satisfy God’s justice, procure his favor, purchase a peculiar people, give his Spirit to them, conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation.
Q. 39. Why was it requisite that the mediator should be man?
A. It was requisite that the mediator should be man, that he might advance our nature, perform obedience to the law, suffer and make intercession for us in our nature, have a fellow-feeling of our infirmities; that we might receive the adoption of sons, and have comfort and access with boldness unto the throne of grace.
Q. 40. Why was it requisite that the mediator should be God and man in one person?
A. It was requisite that the mediator, who was to reconcile God and man, should himself be both God and man, and this in one person, that the proper works of each nature might be accepted of God for us, and relied on by us, as the works of the whole person.
Article 10 of the Belgic:
The Deity of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, according to his divine nature, is the only Son of God– eternally begotten, not made nor created, for then he would be a creature.He is one in essence with the Father; coeternal; the exact image of the person of the Father and the “reflection of his glory,”^13 being in all things like him.
He is the Son of God not only from the time he assumed our nature.