God Was In Christ: The Doctrine of the Incarnation Part VII

I want to continue with the next part of God was in Christ. We have walked through the Old Testament and where Christ, the preexistent Second Person of the Godhead, made many appearances. We also saw the Old Testament prophets their prophecies concerning the Incarnation of Christ. Let us look now to the New Testament to see what Jesus Himself and that He claimed to be God.  

Jesus presents Himself through the Gospels not only as a prophet but as the object of prophecy. Jesus acknowledged that He was the Messiah on oath at His trial.[1] His ministry, however, is meaningless unless He firmly believed that He was God’s chosen One to redeem His people. In fact, no sense can be made of Jesus Himself “unless we are prepared to acknowledge that Jesus saw in Himself the culmination of Israel’s law and for salvation and God.”[2]

Jesus claimed His divinity and looked to the Old Testament to substantiate this truth, “It was the Old Testament…the Hebrew Scriptures in which he found a rich tapestry of figures, historical persons, prophetic pictures and symbols of worship. And in this tapestry, where others saw only a fragmented collection of various figures and hopes, Jesus saw His own face.”[3] Christ repeatedly stated to the disciples, Pharisees, and others that He existed with and came from the Father.

The Word God (Theos)

The word Theos (God) refers to God the Father in the New Testament, “Nonetheless, there are several passages where it is also used to refer to Jesus Christ.”[4] One of the most well-known is, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). Another is John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” This is a direct reference to God and His essence as Spirit, “This first statement is to be connected with verse one, which also speaks of Jesus Christ in His self-existence is an eternal and infinite Spirit. Then, to show the very special relationship of the Son to the Father.”[5]

The Word Lord (Kyrios)

Grudem defines Kyrios in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) as the Hebrew word, Yahweh. Yahweh is translated “LORD,” or “Jehovah.” It is used to translate the name of the Lord 6, 814 times in the Greek Old Testament, “Therefore, any Greek-speaking reader at the time of the New Testament who had any knowledge at all of the Septuagint would have recognized that, in contexts where it was appropriate, the word “Lord” was the name of the one who was the Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, the omnipotent God.”[6]

In the New Testament, there are many instances where ‘Lord’ is used of Christ, “In what can only be understood as…Yahweh or God himself.”[7] These names of God refer not only to the Father but also Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, attributing to Christ the nature and attributes of God.

The Son of Man

The Son of Man was one of the most prominent names that Jesus’ used in referring to Himself. The Gospels record seventy-eight times that Jesus used this title. The Son of Man is the name associated with the eschatological prophecy in Daniel 7:13. The title is connected to the earthly life of Jesus. He refers to Himself as the Son of Man in the healing of the paralytic, which we see in Mark 9:6. He also referred to Himself as the Son of Man as the Lord of the Sabbath (Mk. 2:28); with His suffering (Mk. 8:31); and concerning His future death and resurrection: “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (KJV). The Son of Man is a title that was used exclusively by Jesus—His disciples did not address Him as such. Jesus uses this title when referring to His humanity, but also as a designation of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God.

Son Of God

One important aspect of His nature that Scripture claims, and vital to His pre-existence, is that He is the Son of God. The term “Son of God” is used to refer to Israel; a man created by God; or a redeemed man in general. Some even assert that the Sons of God in Genesis chapter 6 and Job 1:6; 2:1 refer to angels. However, “There are nevertheless instances in which the phrase “Son of God” refers to Jesus as the heavenly, eternal Son who is equal to God Himself (see Matt. 11: 25-30; 17:5; 1 Cor. 15:28; Heb. 1:1-3, 5, 8).”[8] Christ is referred to as the “Son of God” in a more unique sense than the created, the redeemed, and the celestial creation.

When an individual comes to faith in Jesus Christ, they become a son of God, “But as many as received him, to them gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (Jn. 1:12 KJV). But only Jesus is the Only-begotten of the Father, “And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him” (Heb. 1:6 KJV). The author of Hebrews is drawing from the only Old Testament reference to the “Only-begotten,” as Psalm 2:7 reads, “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’” This designation is only attributed to Christ by the Father.

In the next post, we will look at more of Jesus’ claims of how He is the Incarnate Christ and other witnesses who verified His claims.

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[1] Elwell, Dictionary of Theology, 1019. 

[2] Spiros Zodhiates, ed., The Complete Word Study New Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1992), 306. 

[3] Grudem, 544. 

[4] Ibid.

[5] Grudem, 546.

[6] George L. Carey, God Incarnate (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press., 1977), 11.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Christopher J.H. Wright, Knowing Jesus Through The Old Testament (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press., 1992), 108.

 

Sabbath Sanctuary: Crucible Hill; God Was In Christ

Lent is upon us. This past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, and though my church does not follow the liturgy of the church, I love it and miss it; especially Ash Wednesday. 

The Lenten season has me reflecting on the death and resurrection and it has urged me to continue with my series on the Incarnation. How appropriate then that we examine the testimony of the prophets in the Old Testament who prophesied about His coming. Isaiah speaks about the coming Messiah more than any of the prophets.  

 Isaiah prophesies Jesus’ birth, but also foretells His Incarnation; “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Is. 7:14). Matthew quotes this prophecy in his gospel in 1:23 to recognize Jesus as the One Isaiah spoke of dwelling with His people. Isaiah prophesied Jesus birth and His name, and each name describes His attributes:

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this (Is. 9:6-7).

Again, this is fulfilled in Matthew that Jesus is the long-awaited King, the rightful heir to David’s throne, the Ruler of God’s people.[1] 

Isaiah also prophesied about the suffering and death of Christ, the Man of Sorrows in Isaiah 53:

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth (Is. 53:1-7 NKJV).

We reflect on Jesus, who walked up Crucible Hill, the Man of Sorrows, the Suffering Servant, who died on our behalf. He carries those things that hurt, the pain we suffer—He bore it all. He took upon Himself our sickness, our stress, our heartbreak—our sin.

 
The prophet Micah also prophesied the Incarnation. He warns Bethlehem of their coming deliverer and speaks of His pre-incarnational existence, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Mic. 5:2 NASB bold emphasis added). This is the strongest possible language concerning His pre-existence, “The plain antithesis…shows that the eternal generation of the Son is meant. The terms convey the strongest assertion of infinite duration of which the Hebrew language is capable.”[2] The prophets, through God’s Spirit, saw the coming of the Messiah. Matthew calls upon this prophetic verse to proclaim that Jesus is the fulfillment of this Messiah who existed with and came from the Father (Matt. 2:6).

Throughout the history of mankind, God has used numerous methods and mediums to communicate with His creation and to give them His message. The prophets gave us God’s words. But Jesus is the very Word of God. The book of Hebrews tells us that “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world” (Heb. 1: 1-2). This is just one more claim by Scripture to the deity of Jesus Christ.

I pray that you meditate on His Word during this season of Lent. Christ left the glory He shared with the Father, to suffer and die so that you are no longer captive to the power of sin. Meditate on what He sacrificed for and how much He loves you. His love is eternal.

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[1] Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles, The Craddle, The Cross, And The Crown (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2009), 220.

[2] A.R. Fausset, David Brown, and Robert Jamieson, eds., Jamieson, Fausset & Brown’s Commentary On The Whole Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1961), 817.

 

A Liturgy: Experience Christ ( Stations of the Cross III and IV)

Station III: Jesus Falls For The First Time:

The third station memorializes the first fall for Jesus on His long, painful climb to Golgotha; this station is based upon tradition.  The Gospels recite many details concerning the arrest, trial, and death of Jesus, yet these sacred books do not contain an account of Jesus falling. I must contend though, there is no reason to argue that He did not. Jesus carried a heavy burden that day, a heavy cross. In Jesus’ grueling walk, He suffered not only the heavy burden of the old rugged cross etching its image into His shoulder and back; He endured mocking, beating, and whipping. Few could endure that torture without falling once or twice. It is probable that He fell several times; this may explain why the soldiers force Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross for Him; He most likely needed help to make it the rest of the way. 

Jesus suffered not only physical pain; He suffered emotional pain as well. He spent the night of His arrest agonizing in prayer—so much that the capillaries in His head imploded and oozed from His pores. He agonized knowing a friend would betrayed Him, and the pain and torture He would soon endure. 

Orazio Borgianni

As we reflect on this third station, we should remember the pain and suffering Jesus bore on our behalf and tolerated in obedience to the Father. Many times we suffer hurt and betrayal at the hands of those close to us, and the sting of that pain is paralyzing. Jesus remained obedient regardless of the betrayal and the torture He suffered. He pressed through to the place of the skull in spite of the pain.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a  high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come and boldly enter the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need {Hebrews 4: 14-16}.

Pain and suffering were all too familiar to Jesus; He was tempted but without sin. Tempted to be bitter, tempted to let the anguish of the betrayal harden His heart and rob Him of His joy; tempted to be fed up with the beatings and the mocking and call down legions of angels to annihilate the people abusing Him. When we have been hurt, we feel tired and worn out from the circumstances and are tempted to give up. Jesus knew that feeling well; He was tempted yet without sin. He was exhausted from the burden of the cross. However, love empowered Him to provide salvation for mankind. He had to be the perfect sacrifice for sin; if He walks away from His purpose—He extinguishes ours. He knows what we are going through and what we are feeling. We may go boldly to God through Jesus Christ and obtain the strength we need to persevere despite the hurt, despite the pain.

The Bible accounts two specific occasions that Jesus sought the strengthening of the Father. The first was in the wilderness after the devil tempted Jesus; an angel ministered and strengthened Him. The second, was in the Garden of Gethsemane; He anguished in prayer to let the cup of crucifixion pass.

Have you had a garden experience? Have you anguished in prayer to God—scared and anxious? Jesus experienced it and we will drink of His cup. However, we can learn from Jesus and remain faithful through our trial. Allow the trials to cause you to seek strengthening from God; He is who Jesus sought, relied on, and trusted. He promises that through Jesus Christ we have access to the throne of grace to obtain all we need. Let us reflect on the faithfulness of Christ through this season and tap into the refreshing well of the Father.

Station IV: Jesus meets His Mother

I love Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Mary in The Passion of the Christ. He painted her as a mother beautifully. I love the relationship Gibson created between the two (more creative license I know!). Gibson demonstrated Jesus’ humanity and love for His mother, that I think we overlook when reading the Gospels. 

Mary was a woman and a mother; just like you and me. What torture she must have endured witnessing her son’s trail to the cross. I don’t know of any mother who can watch her child—no matter how young or old—be whipped, tortured, spit on, mocked and beaten without being heartbroken, and left without breath. I imagine pictures of Jesus as a boy flooding her mind as she watched him suffer:

At times it must have been hard for her to even watch Him as He suffered:

She struggled just like the rest of  us. 

In the Passion, several scenes show Jesus very weak, and then Mary would arrive on the scene, and He was strengthened to go on. I believe Jesus loved His mother.  I believe He respected her. I think when Jesus saw her he did draw strength from her, but only as His mother. She was one of the few friendly faces left in a million faces of a hateful, brutal, and mocking mob. He loved her enough to make sure she was taken care of before He left the earth; leaving her in the care of John the beloved disciple. In the Passion, when she mustered the strength to run to Him to comfort Him when He fell, His words reminded her of His mission—God ordained, from the foundation of the world:

Look mother, I make all things new....

When He returns, He will not be the same—He is not coming back as her son, but her Messiah-King.

Mary was a very godly woman and highly favored of God; the Scripture is clear on her character and virtue. But it is from God that Jesus drew His strength to see Calvary through.  Mary should be honored, but not worshiped. Our worship belongs to God the Father, Jesus Christ His only Begotten Son, and the Holy Spirit; the Godhead. The Bible does not deify Mary. Mary, as blessed as she is is not to be praised or worshiped. 

This season is a time to reflect on Jesus Christ and Him alone. It is a time to focus on the sacrifice that Jesus gave for us. It is a time to reflect on Christ and His redemptive love. God does not share His glory with anyone.

I Am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another {Isaiah 42: 8}.

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was {John 17: 5}.

When we give glory to Mary or any other saint, this is idol worship. It takes our eyes of Jesus and puts in another.  Make Jesus the center of your focus. No one else deserves your praise. The Bible says that Jesus is our mediator—the only mediator between us and the Father; the only acceptable sacrifice. He alone deserves our praise. Christ paid a costly price to bring you into fellowship with the Father—why would we want anyone else? Jesus is inviting us to fellowship with Him and to experience Him in all His fullness. Accept His invitation and experience His abundant life. He is your Redemption. He is your High Priest. His spilt blood cries out to God continually on your behalf (Heb.12:24). He is your Savior and King. His love for you cannot be measured. This is a liturgy worth practicing.