Christology: Who is Jesus Christ?

1. Christology: Who is Jesus Christ? A Study of the Person and Work of Christ

2. “Not only do we not know God except through Jesus Christ; we do not even know ourselves except through Jesus Christ.” Blaise Pascal.

3. THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8:58) He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Col. 1:17)

4. THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST Now the birth of Jesus Christ 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.” (Mt. 1:18, 23)

5. WHY THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS IMPORTANT • To deny the virgin birth is to deny the Word of God • To deny the virgin birth is to deny the deity of Christ • To deny the virgin birth is virtually to declare that Jesus inherited a sinful nature • To deny the virgin birth is to disqualify Jesus from being Savior • To be your Savior He must be a man because only a man could die for a man. • To be your Savior the One who is to die in your place must himself be innocent, or else he will bear the punishment of his own sin. • The virgin birth of Christ relates to the resurrection of Christ.

6. THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST • He had a true body of flesh and blood • He had a normal human development • He had a human soul and spirit • He had the characteristics of a human being • He became hungry (Mt. 4:2), thirsty (Jn. 4:7) and tired (Jn. 4:6). • He experienced human emotions • He had human names

7. SCRIPTURE’S AFFIRMATION OF THE DEITY OF CHRIST • His names • His attributes • His works • He receives worship

8. CHRIST’S HYPOSTATIC UNION As the God-man, Jesus Christ is neither diminished as God or as man. He is fully God and fully man at all times. To minimize the importance of either part of this union is to destroy the significance of God.

9. CHRIST’S HYPOSTATIC UNION • Christ had two distinct natures: humanity and deity. • There was no mixture or intermingling of the two natures • Although He had two natures, Christ was one Person

10. CONSEQUENCES OF THE HYPOSTATIC UNION • Some actions or attributes are true of the entire person. • Some statements are true only of His human nature, but the whole person is the subject. • Some statements are true only of His deity, but the whole person is in view. • Some statements are true of the God-Man, the union of the two natures.

11. “One of the most complex aspects of the relationship of Christ’s two natures is that, while the attributes of one nature are never attributed to the other, the attributes of both natures are properly attributed to His one person. Thus Christ at the same moment in time had what seem to be contradictory qualities. He was finite and yet infinite, weak and yet omnipotent, increasing in knowledge and yet omniscient, limited to being in one place at one time and yet omnipresent. In the Incarnation, the person of Christ is the partaker of the attributes of both natures, so that whatever may be affirmed of either nature — human or divine — may be affirmed of the one person.” Ron Rhodes, “Reasoning from the Scriptures.”

12. THE KENOSIS AND HYPOSTATIC UNION Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:5-8)

13. THE KENOSIS AND HYPOSTATIC UNION Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:5-8)

14. THE KENOSIS AND HYPOSTATIC UNION Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, takingthe form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:5-8)

15. IMPECCABILITY AND THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST 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 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. (Heb. 4:14-16)

16. IMPECCABILITY AND THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST • Christ’s peccability could relate only to His human nature; His divine nature was impeccable. • Christ was impeccable because — • The immutability of Christ. • The omnipotence of Christ. • The omniscience of Christ. • The deity of Christ. • The nature of temptation. • The will of Christ. • The authority of Christ.

17. THE WORDS AND WORKS OF CHRIST • The words of Jesus reveal his uniqueness. • The words of Jesus demonstrate His omniscience. • The words of Jesus demonstrate His authority.

18. THE DEATH OF CHRIST • Substitution

19. THE DEATH OF CHRIST He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21) and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Pt. 2:24)

20. THE DEATH OF CHRIST • Substitution • Redemption • Propitiation • Forgiveness • Justification

21. “He came to die as a priest for his enemies.…What mercy may we not expect from so gracious a Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) who took our nature upon him that he might be gracious? He is a physician good at all diseases, especially at the binding up of a broken heart. He died that he might heal our souls with a plaster of his own blood, and by that death save us, which we were the procurers of ourselves, by our own sins. And has he not the same heart in heaven?” Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed.

22. PROOFS OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST • The empty tomb. • The resurrection appearances. • The transformed disciples. • Observance of the first day of the week. • The existence of the church.

23. THE CHARACTER OF THE RESURRECTION BODY • It was the same material body that had lain in the tomb. • It was a glorified body. • It was not restricted to space. • It did not require rest. • It did not have blood.

24. THE OFFICES OF CHRIST • He is the prophet. • He is the priest. • He is the king.

25. THE PRESENT MINISTRYOF CHRIST • Formation of the Body • Direction of the Body • Cleansing of the Body • Nurture of the Body • Giving gifts to the Body • Praying for the Body • Christ is preparing heaven for the Body • Christ Is producing fruit in the Body

26. “If you take Christ out of Christianity, Christianity is dead.… If you leave out Christ, you have left the sun out of the day, and the moon out of the night, you have left the waters out of the sea, and the floods out of the river; you have left the harvest out of the year, the soul out of the body; you have left joy out of heaven, you robbed all of its all. There is no Gospel worth thinking of, much less worth proclaiming, if Jesus is forgotten. We must have Jesus as Alpha and omega…” Charles Spurgeon.