Christ (Christology)

Introduction

Of the religions in the world, I would even say of all the persons that have ever existed throughout world history there has been no one more recognized or well-known than Jesus Christ. This is not just my opinion, I conducted an internet search, and this is the response that I received; “The most widely recognized person in all of human history is Jesus Christ, based on global name recognition, historical influence, and frequency of references across centuries.” But what do people really know about Him? Muslims believe that he was a great prophet. Jews believe that He was a misguided rabbi who falsely believed that He was the promised Messiah. Hindus believe that Jesus was a great spiritual teacher, an avatar, or a divine guru. And Buddhists believe that Jesus was a fully enlightened being, much like Buddha and they revere Him for devoting His life to leading people to enlightenment. However, none of these major religions believe that He was who He claimed to be, who is the Son of God. If Jesus was not who He claimed to be, and if He was just only another prophet, rabbi, avatar, or an enlightened being; then why is He the most well-known person in all of history? The answer according to Christianity is quite clear–He was who He said He was, “The divine Son of God“ who brought redemption to the world and restored the relationship with God that had been lost in the Garden of Eden. His entry into the world which included His earthly ministry was of such significance that it impacted all of creation including all of human history from the beginning, and to its conclusion in the end-times. Redemption extends back to every person in the times of the Old Testament and extends forward to all future persons who will receive salvation by their faith in Christ. He was not only God in the flesh coming into the world, but His work was of such cosmic proportions that it rocked all of creation, from beginning to end, and to the farthest reaches of the universe. This is the reason that He is the most well-known person of all time, and this is the reason that people want to know Him. Any person will find this teaching interesting; however, this study has been prepared for Christians who are lacking in their knowledge of the faith and wish to learn the essential doctrines. Christ can be known at a basic level as Lord and Savior, but advancing to a higher level of knowledge about Him is life transforming and spiritually enriching.

Now that Christ has been properly introduced, how is that we can know about Him? The answer is through Christology, which pertains to the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This doctrine tries to answer the question, “Who is Christ?” (See note below).

note

What is meant by, “tries to answer the question,” is that our understanding of the divine and infinite God is restricted by the limitations of our finite minds. I explain this in the section on the Incomprehensible God.

The answer to this question is found through the study of Christology. Here is a definition of Christology: “The study of the Person of Christ, and in particular of the union in Him of the divine and human natures, and of His significance for the Christian faith,” (The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church). What we discover as we begin our study is that Christ is a complex being, He is fully God as the 2nd Person of the Trinity. In the course of His position as redeemer, He took on a human nature in order to become the perfect sacrifice to atone for mankind’s sin, (these concepts will be explained later in the study). We begin to see that Christ has multiple aspects concerning His person and His work. Christology divides the study of Christ into two parts in order to understand the various dimensions of Christ. These two parts are the person of Christ, and the work of Christ. The study of the person of Christ explores Christ as He exists as part of the triune Godhead where He is in relation to the Father, as the Son. In His essence, He is fully God just as all three persons of the trinity share the same essence and are also fully God. The study of the work of Christ defines Christ through His various works where He is redeemer, creator, mediator, king, prophet, and priest, among many other tasks and titles. Examining Christ in His various roles and dimensions helps us to understand Him as He exists in each stage of redemptive work and interaction with mankind; from creation until the final judgement. As these dimensions are pieced together, a grand mosaic revealing the person of Christ emerges which presents Him more accurately in the fullness of His character.

While Christology addresses the study of Christ by who He is and by His works, there is another important aspect to knowing Christ. This is to know Him personally through a relationship, just as a person can experience with any other person but being mindful to display the proper reverence to His position as Lord. Every believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, and the Spirit directs their relationship with Christ through a spiritual union–This is known as the Union with Christ. This relationship is the foundation of spiritual growth because it is Christ who is the source of the believer’s strength, faith, and nourishment as explained in John, chapter 15. Christology, also known as the Doctrine of Christ, is more than knowing about Christ, it is about loving Him and being in a special relationship with Him which continues into the eternal life.

The Person of Christ: Who is Christ?

We begin our study by declaring that Jesus Christ is the eternal and infinite God as He has always existed in the Trinity as God, the Son. It is in this position as the Eternal God that His role as the author of creation is understood. John the Apostle begins his gospel with this belief, “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being,” (John 1:2-3). The Apostle Paul confirms this primary principle of the faith, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together,” (Col. 1:16-17). This is the fundamental teaching of who Christ is and the foundation of this study as we advance into the other dimensions of Christ’s identity.

As this study progresses through instruction on Christ who is God and shares all of His attributes, students will encounter difficulties as they attempt to understand the concepts relating to the spiritual and metaphysical aspects of an infinite being. This is further explained in the section of the Incomprehensible God. This is not a critique of the student because this difficulty is universal and applies to all students of theology, past and present. The greatest theological minds throughout history have struggled with these concepts and at some point, in certain doctrines, they had to end their pursuit of inquiry and acknowledge their limitations; accepting that many of the deep things of God are beyond man’s comprehension and will always remain mysteries. Therefore, students should likewise accept what has been clearly revealed and understand that other things will remain mysteries which will never be fully understood.

The Names: Christ or Jesus

For clarification and to avoid confusion, the names of Christ and Jesus can be used interchangeably. However, for the purposes of this teaching the name Christ will be used to designate Him in all of His various dimensions, while Jesus will be used specifically for the incarnate Christ when He was in the flesh and ministered upon the Earth. Christ is the title which designates Him as the Savior. The word literally means “the anointed one.” Jesus is the divinely chosen name given to His parents prior to His birth because He is the savior who would save His people from their sins, (Matt. 1:21). Jesus in Hebrew is yehosua, or Joshua which was a common name in 1st century Israel. The names are also oftentimes combined as Jesus Christ, which translates to “Jesus the savior,” or “Jesus the anointed one.”

The Trinity

To properly understand the person of Christ there must first be a fundamental understanding of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is a perplexing mystery that is incomprehensible for us to fully understand, but it can still be grasped at a very basic level. The fundamental concept is that the one God exists as three persons, each one fully God and sharing one essence. They have eternally existed in the relationship as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is an individual person, and they mutually indwell each other as they share the same essence. They are united as one being and cannot be separated. They interact with each other as members of the Godhead. They each have assumed roles in the drama of redemption and in their relationship to the creation.

The Incomprehensible God

God exists in a form far above our understanding and we can only grasp at His existence based on what He has revealed to us in Scripture. Humans were created by the infinite God with finite minds able to understand the natural world. Since God is an infinite supernatural being who is unlike humans and not physical in nature, they cannot get past trying to imagine Him as a glorified human and not as a totally different and unique being. There seems to be a barrier with many persons where their minds cannot get past thinking only in human terms and is unable to make the transition to the metaphysical realm of the spiritual reality. While mankind has progressed in knowledge, we are unable to comprehend the infinite, and some people deceive themselves believing that they possess a superior human knowledge which approaches God’s level of knowledge. We must proceed with the words given by the great 17th century Dutch theologian Wilhelmus A’Brakel.

“First, it must be understood that God is incomprehensible in His Essence and existence. It should further be understood that we human beings, to whom God has been pleased to reveal Himself in a manner sufficient to lead us unto salvation, only know in part and are but able to grasp a fragment or the external fringes of the doctrine at hand. Believers must not, nor do they desire to, proceed with their minds beyond its defined limitations.”

Preexistence of Christ

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’

John 1:10

In the above verse, John the Baptist makes the statement, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,“ as he sees Jesus approaching. Then he makes the following claim, “for He existed before me.” John was older than Jesus by a few months, so what was John teaching his followers? What John is revealing with this claim is that Jesus is the eternal God that has always existed. The preexistence of Christ means that He existed before His birth through the Virgin. He existed before the creation and before time. His preexistence refers to the time before His earthly ministry when He took on a human nature, (the incarnation), and lived fully as a man for 33 years. As explained earlier He is the eternal God who is the creator of all things. There are several verses that teach the concept of Christ’s preexistence, but the two listed below are among the strongest proofs because they are Jesus’ own declarations. In the first verse Jesus is indicating His existence before the world was created. In the second verse, Jesus is teaching that He existed before Abraham who lived 1800 years prior to Him, and He takes the title of “I am,” for Himself, which is the name for the eternal God, Yahweh.

“Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed,” (John 17:5).

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” The Jews replied, “You aren’t fifty years old yet, and you’ve seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am,” (John 8:56-58).

Old Testament Appearances of the Preexistent Christ

Christ makes several appearances in the Old Testament in His preexistent form which is in His brilliant divine glory. One of the most interesting is an appearance which the Apostle John reveals was a vision of Christ sitting on His heavenly throne that was shown to the prophet Isaiah, who recorded it in chapter 6 of the book of Isaiah. Here is John’s revelation:

“For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him,“ (John 12:39-41, NIV).

Here is the verse in Isaiah that John is referring to: “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple,” (Isa. 6:1).

To verify that this was John’s conclusion that this was a vision of the preexistent Christ, presented below is a citation from John Walvoord and Roy Zuck’s, “The Bible Knowledge Commentary,” which presents their interpretation of this passage, (John 12:41).

12:41. In a vision Isaiah … saw “the Lord Almighty” (lit., “Yahweh of hosts,” or “Yahweh of armies”; Isa. 6:3). John wrote that this glory Isaiah saw was Jesus’ glory. The implication is startling: Jesus is Yahweh! Jesus in His nature is God (but God the Son is distinct in person from God the Father and God the Spirit). Isaiah spoke about Him, for many of Isaiah’s prophecies predicted the coming Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Earlier Jesus had said that Moses wrote about Him (John 5:46).

The Angel of the Lord

“The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.“

(Ex. 3:2-6)

This verse is clear evidence that supports the view that the preincarnate Christ, the 2nd person of the Trinity, is the Angel of the Lord. It clearly states that the Angel of the Lord declares that He is God. This same Angel of the Lord appears to Joshua the leader of the Israelites following Moses, and Joshua worships Him as God, (Josh. 5:13-15). There are other appearances of the Angel of the Lord where He is also worshipped as God. The Angel of the Lord always appears in the form of a man, and Christ becomes a man in His incarnation. Also, the Angel of the Lord appears as the Commander of the Lord’s army, just as Christ appears in the book of Revelation as the leader of the armies of God who follow as He battles the end-time armies of His enemies, (Rev. 19:11-16). These examples demonstrate that the preincarnate Christ is the Angel of the Lord. This conclusion is confirmed from other reputable and trustworthy sources such as Prof. Daniel Finestone whose opinion agrees and confirms our own finding.

“We have seen that all appearances of the Angel of the Lord were related to some phase of the redemptive program of God through Israel. This plan was consummated in the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Both the Angel of Jehovah and the Lord Jesus Christ were engaged in the same activity, the salvation of man; the One working in the Old Testament times, the Other in New Testament times. How reasonable to recognize these two as being identical.“

(Finestone, D. (1938). Is the Angel of Jehovah in the Old Testament the Lord Jesus Christ? Bibliotheca Sacra, 95, 377).

We also have verification in the research of Prof. Charles Lee Feinberg in regard to the appearance of the Angel of the Lord in the book of Zechariah, chapter 1, verses 11-17.

“The report of the angels follows immediately in answer to the unexpressed word of inquiry from the Angel of Jehovah: “And they answered the angel of Jehovah who stood among the myrtles, and they said, We have walked to and fro in the earth, and behold, all the earth sits and is at rest” (v. 11). This Angel of Jehovah is none other than the preincarnate Christ.”

(Feinberg, C. L. (1940). Exegetical Studies in Zechariah. Bibliotheca Sacra, 97, 439).

Confusion with the Term, “the Son of God“

There exists a great heresy in the Church concerning the nature of Christ. It is the view that Christ is not fully God, but He is a creation of God the Father. This belief known as Arianism, reduces Christ’s status to that of a created being and not as the eternal, Son of God. By definition, God has always existed, without beginning or end, and is uncreated; therefore, to claim that Christ was created is to deny that He is God. This belief was a heresy that was formulated in the fourth century, and it concluded that Christ was not equal to God and He was not of the same divine essence. In this view Christ was created by the Father at some point in time and was given a special glory that designated Him as His special son. He was given special divine like qualities, but He Himself was not divine. In effect, Arianism, reduces Christ to the status of a glorified angel. The main theme of Arianism is, ” There was a time when the Son was not.” This statement summarizes the main view that Christ was a created being, and there was a time when He did not exist. This belief was condemned by various early Church councils and is still considered a heresy by the majority of Christian churches, including the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Churches. The Jehovah Witnesses are one of the only churches who holds to this heresy as a major belief in their faith. They also deny the doctrine of the Trinity, and they reject other essential beliefs of Christianity which is why they are considered a cult of Christianity and not a member of the true Church.

There is confusion within the Church by Christians who lack proper teaching on the core doctrines and who also believe that Christ is a created being because they misunderstand the terms, “begotten,” and “firstborn.” This confusion is actually common and is due to error, and it does not rise to the level of heresy. It is due to a failure to learn and properly understand the basic teachings of the faith. Below are definitions of terms regarding Christ as the Son of God which are often misinterpreted due to a lack of the use of proper hermeneutics, (proper method of interpreting Scripture).

• The Eternal Son– This is a reference to the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son as they have always existed. This relationship is deeper and it extends beyond human understanding, but it can best be expressed in human terms as the love relationship between a father and his son. Scripture has many verses expressing the deep love between the Father and the Son. It also goes beyond the human relationship by indicating the equality between the Father and Son where they are united as one, just as in the Triune godhead where all three persons share the same divine essence. The main point of the doctrine of the Eternal Son is that there was never a time that Christ did not exist as the Son. He was not created, formed, birthed, or otherwise made into the person of the Son of God–He has always existed as the Son of God.
• Eternally Begotten– This is the term most misunderstood which leads to the belief that Christ was created by the Father as His son. The confusion with this term stems from the understanding of the word, “begotten,” which comes from the root word “beget.” The definition of beget is: “to bring into being, or to be the father of.” So, the term “begotten” can mean to be born or brought into being. The Scriptural meaning of the term “begotten” is properly translated as “unique,” or “the only one of its kind.” In reference to Christ, the term “eternally begotten” means that He is the unique and only Son of God. This term expresses the same idea as the statement, “This is my beloved son.” It is meant to convey the idea of the deep love of the Father for the Son.
• The Firstborn of All Creation– Another common misunderstanding is the interpretation of the word “firstborn,” which can easily be understood to mean the firstborn child. What has been lost in translation is the way that the word was used and understood in ancient times, and also it is still used in some cultures. “Firstborn” is used to indicate superiority in rank or dignity. It differentiates the status of the firstborn child as having priority over the other children. The term is also used to refer to being the most exalted or superior as demonstrated in the following verse, “I also shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth,” (Psalm 89:27). This verse interprets “firstborn” as meaning the highest and most distinguished of all kings. Christ as the “firstborn of all creation” is separate from His creation, and is superior in rank to all of the created order.

The Incarnate Christ; “The Son of God”

As we begin reading the books of the New Testament, we encounter the historical narrative of the life of Jesus, the incarnate Christ. Christ the infinite Son of God has entered into the world and walks among people as fully man. His deity was veiled so that no one could recognize Him by sight. He would reveal His identity through His words, deeds, and miracles. He was born as any other infant, grew through childhood, and entered adulthood much like all other observant Jews. He formally began His ministry at the age of 30 and continued until His crucifixion three years later. In this state of existence, as both man and God, His life was baffling to all those around Him because their eyes revealed a man, but they sensed that He was much more.

While humans were unable to recognize the true identity of Jesus, the demons immediately recognized Him as it is revealed in the story of the demon possessed man who lived in the tombs of Gadara, “And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (Mark 5:6-9). It is an interesting notion that the demons were able to peer through the veil between the physical and spiritual realities to recognize Christ as the “Son of the Most High God.” This seems to confirm that Christ had taken on human flesh to Himself and became fully man, but His Spirit projected itself through His humanity and was seen by those in the spiritual realm–This is just another mystery concerning the person of Christ.

As Jesus expressed Himself through His teachings, miracles, and self-revelations concerning His identity, people started to believe in Him as the promised Messiah. It was the Apostle Peter who formally declared the true identity of Jesus as the Son of God, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” (Matt. 16:15-16). In these words of Peter, the connection is made between the preexistent Christ and the incarnate Christ.

Incarnation of Christ

The Incarnation is the act of God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, taking human form by clothing Himself with a human body. He became a man with two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. This was the man Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph. Since God is a Trinity, one being in three persons, it is only God the Son who became man.

The definition of the Incarnation: “It is the doctrine that the eternal second person of the Trinity became a human being and assumed flesh in Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus Christ was the Word made flesh. The doctrine holds that Jesus was one divine person with both a divine and a human nature.”

Let’s add a section from the “Westminster Confession of Faith” for a little clarity to the above definition: “the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, did take upon him man’s nature with all the essential properties thereof; so that the two perfect and distinct natures, the Godhood and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person.”

The Incarnation includes the birth of Christ through the Virgin Mary, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through Mary He received His human nature, and through the power of the Spirit He avoided the pollution of original sin.

The following principle is something to consider with the Doctrine of the Incarnation:

• The Incarnation was part of God’s Eternal Decree prior to creation as the Persons of the Trinity planned the redemption of man. Man’s redemption including the Incarnation is an act of God’s grace and mercy where He sought to reconcile us to Himself.

The Union of Christ’s Divine and Human Natures: The Hypostatic Union

The Doctrine of the Incarnation is very complex, and it includes other sub-doctrines such as the God-man doctrine and the Hypostatic Union. The Hypostatic Union is a method which attempts to explain the union of the divine and human natures in one person as existed in the Incarnation of Christ. In other words, how do these two natures exist together and how do Christ’s divine nature and human nature communicate with each other. These are extremely difficult subjects which can only be partially answered because they delve into the divine essence of God. Most theologians and theology texts will admit that this theological concept is one of the most difficult to understand. It is presented here only to introduce it to the student of Scripture because it is an important aspect of the Incarnation and it helps to bring understanding to this complex teaching.

When Christ took on a human body and became a man, there was a uniting of His divine nature and a human nature. The eternal Christ added the human nature to Himself but was not changed by this union. In other words, the divine person assumed a human nature. His divine nature or the Triune Godhead is not affected by this addition. The two natures remain separate and are neither mixed, nor changed. Christ becomes the God-man but remains the single person, Christ the Son of God. The possession of two natures does not create two persons, the one person, Christ, operates through the two separate natures for the purposes of His work of redemption. In this Hypostatic Union of the two natures, the divine nature is dominant as Christ acts through His own nature as He operates in the human nature. The human nature does not act on its own, but only as directed by the divine nature. Christ diminished or limited the use of His divinity in order that He could humble Himself to the form of a servant in order to be fully man, subject to the law, and able to experience temptation, pain, suffering, and death. Only in this way could He become the perfect and unblemished sacrifice that could take man’s place on the cross and pay the penalty for the sins of mankind–And this is the main point of the Doctrine of the Hypostatic Union. The purpose in teaching the Hypostatic Union is to magnify and reveal the wonder of the Incarnation and Christ’s work of redemption. People can easily overlook the grace and love of God as He lowered Himself to the level of His creation and took humanity on to Himself in order to rescue them from eternal death and bring them to Himself in the eternal kingdom. The complexity and mystery of this event is brought forth in this doctrine for our consideration and contemplation.

Fully God and Fully Man

Jesus Christ in His incarnation was fully God and fully man, which is known as the God-man doctrine. In this form, as God and man, Jesus was able to be mankind’s substitute. Being truly man, he was able to live a sinless life, being tempted in every form as a human is tempted and being able to experience pain and death. Only the God-man could bring redemption because only God is not subject to death, while man is incapable of overcoming death. By being a man, He could suffer and die for mankind, and by being God He is able to conquer death. Christ, the Savior, through the Incarnation became the God-man.

Additional Points for Consideration:

• It was necessary for the savior to be fully God because the offense of sin is so great that only God can satisfy God’s wrath against sin. Additionally, only God can give life, so the savior would need to be God in order to restore humanity to new life following his spiritual death from the curse of sin. And finally, only the work of God is infinitely valuable for forgiving rebellion and disobedience against God’s commands.
• It was necessary for the savior to be man because the problem of sin originated with a man through his disobedience, so only the work of a man through perfect obedience could atone for the first man’s disobedience.

The Risen and Exalted Christ

After the work of redemption is completed, Christ is resurrected and exalted as He takes His seat at the right hand of the Father. The exaltation describes the state of Christ that begins with the resurrection and continues to His return to His heavenly throne where He reigns as the ruler and judge over all things for eternity, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end,” (Luke 1:32-33). In the verse above, (Phil. 2:7-10), the Apostle Paul explains that because Christ in obedience to the Father, humbled Himself and suffered death on the cross, God exalted Him by proclaiming His name above every other name so that every person and creature in the created existence will submit to His authority and rule.

The exaltation of Christ is a celebration of the redemption of mankind which began before creation with the eternal decree of the Triune Godhead as they formulated the Drama of Redemption. The ministry and work of Christ on the earth was the crowning achievement of salvation history which brought the redemption of mankind and freed him from the bondage of sin. The plan of salvation has unfolded according to the strategy of the members of the Trinity, and Christ is crowned with His proper glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He has returned to His full glory and exalted state which He possessed prior to His incarnation during the time of His preexistence, “Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed,” (John 17:5). A glimpse of Christ’s full glory is shown in His transfiguration–see the next section below.

The Transfiguration

A strange and marvelous event occurs during the earthly ministry of Christ. Prior to the events leading to His passion when He is captured, tortured, and crucified; He took the apostles Peter, James, and John, to the top of a high mountain. The view of many scholars is that the transfiguration was for the benefit of the apostles to prepare them for the coming events leading to Jesus’s death. What they experienced was the transformation of Jesus to His true glory where the brilliance of His divine nature shone forth. During the transformation Jesus became as bright as the sun, and He was joined by Moses and Elijah the prophet who spoke with Jesus. The apostles, now joined by Moses and Elijah were all witnesses to this marvelous event which was highlighted by the voice of the Father coming from a bright cloud which said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matt. 17:5). Moses and Elijah were witnesses who represented all those in the Old Covenant who would be saved, and the apostles were witnesses who represented all those in the New Covenant who would also be saved, (present and future), by the sacrificial death of Jesus which was only days away. The voice of the Father completes this special session with an affirmation of the Son and a command to obey Him.

As stated earlier in the section on the incarnation, Christ diminished and veiled His divinity as He humbled Himself to be a servant in the form of man. In the transfiguration the veil is removed displaying His true form as the Son of God. While this veil concealed His identity from humans it may not have concealed it from the demons in the spiritual realm who were able to see through the veil and see Him in His true form. If the image of Jesus that is revealed in His transfiguration is what is seen behind His veil, then this is the image that terrified the demon known as Legion in the story of the demon possessed man who lived in the tombs, (Mark 5:6-9). The demon immediately recognized Him as the Son of the Most High God, as he pleaded to be spared from being tormented by Jesus. The transfiguration is an event that is rich in symbolism concerning salvation and the ordeal suffered by the Son of God which is often overlooked and taken for granted by many in this current pampered and self-centered generation. Christ’s glory was revealed for a purpose, which was to magnify His true glory and His coming exaltation.

The Work of Christ: What Has He Done?

Atonement

This is the Atonement; the Creator lowered Himself to the level of the creature, He suffered humiliation, torture, and death so that His beloved creation; mankind, is redeemed, restored to relationship, and given eternal life with Him in the Eternal Kingdom. This is our cause for celebration. Blessed be the name of our Lord!

Here are two short definitions of atonement. The first is a regular dictionary definition: “atonement; a reparation for an offense.” The sense of this definition is that an offense has been made against another party and restitution needs to be made to the offended party. The second definition: “atonement; the death of Christ on the cross which effects salvation as the reestablishment of the relationship between God and sinners.”

If we apply the first definition to Christianity, then we can see that mankind has transgressed the commands of God and committed an offense against Him by his disobedience, (he sinned). Man must therefore make restitution to God in some manner. The second definition explains how this restitution to God has been made. The death and sacrifice of Christ on the cross has satisfied the reparation to God for violating His Holy command for obedience. Even though the offense was made by man, it was necessary that God pay the penalty because man is not capable of doing so. This may seem puzzling at first because man is the guilty party, and God is the offended party. The answer lies in the person of God himself. God is a Holy and an infinite being, whose character demands absolute justice. The offense against an infinite being requires infinite restitution. A finite being such as man is incapable of paying an infinite penalty, only God can do so. God’s justice must still be paid, but God’s justice is tempered by his other attributes; such as love, mercy, and grace. Consequently, God sends His Son to pay the penalty for man’s offense.

Christ, dutifully accomplishes the Father’s plan of redemption. He  humbles himself and becomes fully human, lives a sinless life subjected to the same temptations as other men. He then allows Himself to be tortured and suffer death at the hands of man. By allowing Himself to be crucified, Christ accepts responsibility for those who belong to Him, (John 10:27-30), and accepts the consequences of their transgression. Dying on the cross, He took the full and infinite wrath of God for the penalty of sin. By doing so; man is redeemed of his sin, and the relationship between God and man that was severed by Adam’s disobedience is reestablished.

Imputation

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” _{(Isaiah 61:10)}

The dictionary definition of imputation is: “to credit to a person or a cause.” This term is most associated with Justification. It is related to the atonement of Christ, because two imputations occur as a result of the atonement. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross brings a credit to the believer and it also brings a credit from the believer to Christ. This is known as the Double Imputation. Most believers understand that those who have faith in Christ have their sins imputed to Christ, who paid the penalty for those sins by His death. However, many don’t know that the righteousness of Christ is also imputed to the believer thorough his faith in Christ.

• Double Imputation-To better understand the need for this double imputation, the following excerpt from Prof. Joel Beeke is helpful.
  “For a sinner to stand before God, two things are required; first his iniquities must be forgiven; and second, he must possess a righteousness that will meet the requirement of God’s justice.”
  In the first imputation our sins are transferred to Christ, where He pays the penalty and we are forgiven by God. In the second imputation, His righteousness is is given to us so that we possess a righteousness that meets God’s justice. The righteousness that we receive from Christ is the righteousness that He obtained through His perfect keeping of the law during His earthly ministry.
• Sinlessness of Christ– The attribute of Christ’s sinlessness is a necessary component in both sides of the Double Imputation. Before our sins could be imputed to Christ, a sacrifice of a perfect man must take place. The perfect man was Christ, and He was perfect because during His entire life on earth He committed no sin. The righteousness that is imputed from Him to us is the righteousness that He earned by living a perfect life without sin. As we stand before God in the final judgment we do not stand in our own righteousness, we stand in the righteousness of Christ which was credited to us through faith.

Prophet, Priest, and King

There were three anointed offices in the Old Testament, prophet, priest, and king. Christ as the mediator between man and God has been anointed as the holder of all three offices. During the work of redemption, Christ is seen actively engaged in all three roles. Because Christ is the only mediator between man and God, it is necessary that He holds all three offices. Through His prophetic office He intercedes for us due to our need for instruction. In His priestly office He restores our relationship with God that had been broken by Adam’s disobedience and presents us as acceptable to God. His kingly office draws us, delivers us, and preserves us in His heavenly kingdom.

• Prophet–“He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,” (Luke 24:19).
• 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,” (Heb. 4:14).
• King– “Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice,” (John 18:37).

Messiah

The prophecies concerning a future savior who would restore the kingdom of Israel to its former glory finds it roots in King David, and his descendants. In the 2nd book of Samuel, God makes a covenant promising David that his kingdom would endure to the end of time with one of his descendants sitting on his throne. This promise and hope was carried forward by each generation until the nation was conquered by the Assyrians and then by the Babylonians. The prophecy of this Messiah was expanded and further defined by many of the prophets as they prophesized to the people during these times of suffering to comfort them with the hope of the Messiah who would deliver them and restore the nation. There are numerous prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Psalms and by many of the prophets including Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Micah, Zechariah, and Malachi. The New Testament authors confirmed the identity of Jesus Christ as the awaited Messiah. Events such as the virgin birth, His birth in Bethlehem, His lineage from the line of David, His families escape to Egypt, and His suffering, death, and resurrection, are just some of the prophecies fulfilled by Jesus that confirm Him as the Messiah. Jesus Himself declared that He was the anointed Messiah that had been expected for generations.

“And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” (Luke 4:17-21).

The End-Times Christ

The Rider on a White Horse

“Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head. He had a name written that no one knows except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS,” (Rev. 19:11-16).

This teaching reinforces the idea that there are many dimensions to Christ, however there are many people, including Christians, who view Christ in only one aspect, which is the gentle and mild Jesus presented in the Gospels. They view Him only in the form as the loving savior who offered Himself as the sacrificial lamb who took away the sins of the world. They fail to connect Him to the preexistent Christ, and they definitely do not associate Him to the end-times Christ of Revelation. I have encountered many Christians who hold to a view of Christ as being only a God of love because He preached a message of love with the command to “turn the other cheek.” “He would never seek harm to anyone because He is not the God of wrath from the Old Testament.” My response is, “Have you not read the Book of Revelation?” —This passive Lamb of God is also the Lion of Judah whose robe is dipped in blood, and He will bring down God’s wrath with His fierce anger on His enemies as He executes His righteous justice upon them. Their response is usually disbelief as they begin to accuse me of heresy until I prove it to them through Scripture, such as the verse above. The point is that Christians, (far too many), may hold to an unbiblical view of Christ because of biblical illiteracy.

In this passage we see a very different aspect of Christ. He is a mighty warrior, the Commander of God’s army who is leading them to the final battle against God’s enemies. Christ has appeared previously in the Old Testament as the Commander of God’s army who confronts Joshua and instructs him on how to bring down the walls of Jericho, (Josh. 5:13-15 & 6:1-5). Here Christ appears in His shining glory with eyes that appear as a fiery flame. He rides a white horse which is a symbol of holiness, and he wears many crowns indicating righteousness and His title as King of Kings where He is above all the other kings who have come out to war against Him. Christ is leading the army of heaven against the Antichrist who has gathered all the kings of the earth and their armies at Armageddon where the last battle will be fought. Christ comes to the battle in His office as King, dispensing His justice as He brings judgment with God’s fierce anger and mighty wrath on His enemies. His enemies are destroyed by the sword from His mouth, which is His word by which He brings destruction on the enemy. This is the image of the End-times Christ; fierce, wrathful, and angry. These attributes do not stand alone but are directed by His perfect justice as He brings an end to evil, sin, and wickedness. This End-Times Christ may surprise many, but it is another dimension of Christ by which we can understand Him as He truly is.

The Lamb of God and The Lion of Judah

The Gospel of John records the following incident where John the Baptist is baptizing some of his followers when he saw Jesus walking toward him and he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29). The image of the lamb is of an innocent and gentle creature who was used as a sacrificial animal slaughtered to atone for the sins of the people. John was pointing out Jesus as the person who would be the sacrificial Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. This was a title given to Christ in His earthly ministry and which expressed His mission to be the gentle and innocent Lamb who would be sacrificed. In the Book of Revelation there is a passage where the Lion of Judah is revealed to be the Lamb of God:

“Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth,” (Rev. 5:4-6).

Christ who was the innocent Lamb of God in His incarnate state will return in the last days as the fierce Lion of Judah who will execute His judgment. This is an interesting contrast where the love of Christ is displayed by the sacrificial Lamb, and the justice of Christ is shown by the powerful Lion. These two aspects present the varying dimensions of Christ. He is both Savior and Judge. We should love His compassion as He sacrificed Himself for our salvation, and we should fear His wrath as He punishes His enemies. As we remain in relationship with Him, we can love Him with our deepest passion, but we should also kneel before Him in absolute reverence to the Lord Almighty.

Spiritual Growth Through the Union with Christ: How Can I Know Him?

We have answered the questions on who Christ is and what He has done; now the doctrine of The Union of Christ answers the question, “How can I know Christ?” The previous sub-doctrines of Christology have provided instruction for equipping the believer with proper knowledge about Christ. This doctrine provides instruction for the spiritual nourishment and growth of the believer. Through this union the believer is able to obtain the riches and blessings from knowing Christ and being in an intimate relationship with Him. By your faith in Christ, you have been raised with Him from spiritual death and are now eternally united to Him. By uniting to Him, He is your Lord who directs, transforms, and nourishes your spirit and life. In the union between the believer and Christ, the believer knows Christ, and Christ knows the believer through a bonding of their spirits. The Christian knows Christ intimately through this union which is mediated through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Union with Christ is so vital to the spiritual life of the believer that it requires a separate instruction of its own. Click here for the full teaching: https://teachhosea46.com/union-with-christ/

Closing Thoughts

In this teaching the student should have become familiar with the Doctrine of Christ, and should now understand the three major questions regarding Christ; “Who is Christ?” “What has He done?” and “How can I know Him?” Christ is the eternal and infinite God as the 2nd Person of the Trinity. All things were created by Him and for Him, and He holds all things together, (Col. 1:16-17). He has lowered Himself and suffered humiliation in order to free us from the bondage of sin and from the penalty of death due to our disobedience. We can know Him intimately through our Union with Him which we obtained by faith upon accepting Him as Lord and Savior. Do not let this teaching be the end of biblical instruction, but let it be the beginning of Godly wisdom. May God bless you, protect you, and be gracious to you!

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