Who really is Jesus Christ? Did He exist before being born into this world? What is the incarnation all about? Is Jesus really the God who made all things? Did He ever sin? What offices does He function in?
Leadership Training and Development
Systematic Theology
The Doctrine of Jesus Christ
1. The Eternal Existence Of Jesus Christ:
A. The Importance of the Eternal Existence of Christ:
1) If Christ came into existence at His birth, then no eternal Trinity exists.
2) If Christ was not pre-existent then He could not be God, because, among other attributes, God is eternal.
3) If Christ was not pre-existent then He lied because He claimed to be.
B. Biblical Evidence for the Eternal Existence of Christ:
1) Jn. 1:1 “in the beginning was the Word” (imperfect tense stresses continual existence in past time, i.e. “in the beginning the Word was continually existing”).
2) Jn. 8:58 “I AM” (direct statement of eternality: “Before Abraham was born I was continually existing”).
3) Col. 2:9 (Possessing full Deity, all attributes)
4) Heb. 1:8 (Acknowledgement from the Father)
5) Micah 5:2 (Eternality of Messiah)
6) Isa. 9:6 (Father of Eternity)
7) Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2 (His work of creation)
8) Jn. 17:5 (Equal glory with the Father before the world began)
9) Jn. 1:15, 30 (Existed before John the Baptist)
10) Jn. 3:13, 31 (Pre-existence in Heaven)
C. Activity of the Preincarnate Christ: (Creation)
1) By Him: Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2 (Demonstrates His Divine Power)
2) For Him: Col. 1:16 (Demonstrates His Divine Prerogative)
3) Sustained Through Him: Col. 1:17 (Demonstrates His Divine Presence)
2. THE INCARNATION OF JESUS CHRIST: (The eternal second Person of the Trinity took on Himself humanity without surrendering His deity. (Jn. 1:14; 1 Jn. 4:2; 2 Jn. 7)
A. The Prediction of the Incarnation: (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; cf. Mt. 1:23).
B. The Means of the Incarnation: Virgin Birth (Mt. 1:18-25; Lu. 1:26-38).
C. The Purpose of the Incarnation:
1) To Reveal God To Us: (Jn. 1:18; 14:7-11; Heb. 1:1-2)
2) To Provide An Example For Our Lives: (Jn. 13:15; 1 Pet. 2:21; 1 Jn. 2:6)
3) To Destroy The Works Of The Devil: (1 Jn. 3:8; Heb. 2:14)
4) To Be A Sympathetic High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16)
5) To Provide An Effective Sacrifice For Sin (1 Tim. 1:15; Heb. 10:1-10)
D. The Nature of the Incarnation: (The eternal second Person of the Trinity took on Himself humanity without surrendering His deity. Jn. 1:14; 1 Jn. 4:2; 2 Jn. 7).
1) Jesus As Fully God:
a. He Possesses Divine Attributes:
1. Eternality: Jn. 8:58; 17:5
2. Omnipresence: Mt. 18:20; 28:20
3. Omniscience: Mt. 16:21; Col. 2:3; Jn. 18:4
4. Omnipotence: Mt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-22; Jn. 11:38-44; Mk. 5:11-15
5. Holiness: Jn. 6:69; 1 Pet. 2:22; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26
6. Life: Jn. 1:4; 14:6; 11:25
7. Immutability: Heb. 13:8; Heb. 1:11-12
b. He Performs Works Only God Can Do:
1. Grants Forgiveness of Sins: Mk. 2:1-12
2. Gives Life: Jn. 5:21
3. Raises the Dead: Jn. 5:28-29
4. Judges All Men: Jn. 5:22, 27
c. He Is Given the Names and Titles of Deity:
1. Jehovah: Lu. 1:76; Rom. 10:13
2. God: Jn. 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8
3. Lord: Mt. 22:43-45
4. King of Kings and Lord of Lords: Rev. 19:16
5. Son of God: Jn. 10:36; Mt. 26:63-64
6. Alpha and Omega: Rev. 1:17-18; 22:13; Isa. 44:6
7. The Lord of Glory: 1 Cor. 2:8
8. The Image of God: 2 Cor. 4:4
9. The Radiance of His Glory: Heb. 1:3
10. The Exact Representation of His Nature: Heb. 1:3
11. The Prince of Life: Acts 3:15
12. The Almighty: Rev. 1:8
d. He Claimed To Be God: (Jn. 5:17-18; 10:30,33; 14:9)
e. He Accepted Prayer and Worship From Others: (Mt.14:33; Jn. 20:28; Mt. 28:17; Acts 7:59)
2) Jesus As Fully Man:
a. He Had a Human Body: (Heb. 10:5; Lu. 2:52)
b. He Had a Human Soul: (Mt. 26:38; Lu. 23:46; Jn. 12:27)
c. He Exhibited the Physical Characteristics of a Human Being:
1. Hunger: Mt. 4:2
2. Thirst: Jn. 19:28
3. Fatigue: Jn. 4:6
4. Suffering: Lu. 24:46; Heb. 5:8
5. Death: Mt. 27:50; 1 Cor. 15:3
d. He Exhibited Human Emotions:
1. Anger: Mk. 3:5
2. Grief: Mk. 3:5
3. Compassion: Mt. 9:36; Mk. 1:41
4. Love: Mk. 10:21; Jn. 13:23
5. Joy: Jn. 15:11
6. Distress: Mt. 26:37
7. Sorrow: Jn. 11:35
e. He Had Human Names: (Jesus, Son of David, Son of Man)
E. The Hypostatic Union:
1) Definition of Hypostatic Union: In the incarnation of the Son of God, a human nature was inseparably united forever with the divine nature in the one person of Jesus Christ, yet with the two natures remaining distinct, whole, and unchanged, without mixture or confusion so that the one person, Jesus Christ, is truly God and truly man. In other words, the single person of the incarnate Christ retained the total complex of the divine attributes and possessed all the complex of human attributes essential to a human being. The attributes of both natures belong to the one Person without mixing the natures or dividing the Person. Christ’s personality resides in His divine nature because the Son did not unite with a human person but with a human nature. Christ’s human nature was impersonal apart from the incarnation; this however, is not true of the divine nature.
2) Importance of the Hypostatic Union:
a. Christ must be human if He was to take man’s place, suffer and die, because God as such is not capable of that.
b. Christ must be Divine if His death is to have infinite value. His humanity made His sufferings possible. His Deity gave them an infinite value.
3. THE SINLESSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST:
A. Necessity For Christ To Be Sinless: in order to be the perfect substitionary sacrifice atoning for the sins of others He must have no sin of His own. Otherwise, His sufferings and death would only be just payment for His own sin.
B. Biblical Evidence for Christ’s Sinlessness:
1) Testimony of Christ Himself: (Jn. 8:29; 14:30; 8:46; 15:10; 17:4). Christ never prayed for personal forgiveness nor offered any sacrifice at the temple.
2) Testimony of Christ’s Enemies:
a. Judas: Mt.27:4
b. Pilate’s Wife: Mt. 27:19
c. Pilate: Mt. 27:24
d. Thief: Lu. 23:41
e. Centurion: Mt. 27:54
f. Demons: Mk. 1:24
3) Testimony of Christ’s Apostles:
a. Peter: 1 Pet. 2:22
b. John: 1 Jn. 3:5
c. Paul: 2 Cor. 5:21
d. Luke: Lu. 1:35
e. Author of Hebrews: Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 9:14.
4. THE OFFICES OF JESUS CHRIST:
A. Prophet (Revealer): The role of a prophet was to reveal God to man (Jn. 1:18; Heb.1:1-3; Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22; Mt. 13:57; Lu. 13:33; Jn. 6:14) Christ has always been the One who has communicated by His Word and Spirit the will of God for man’s salvation.
1) In the Old Testament: He spoke through the prophets (1 Pet. 1:11).
2) In the days of His flesh: He taught & preached Himself.
3) In the Church Age: He teaches through His Spirit (Acts1:1). He is the Wonderful Counselor (Isa.9:6), & the Wisdom of God (1 Cor.1:24).
B. Priest (Reconciler): The role of a priest is to represent man before God (Heb.7:24-28; 10:11-12). As our Great High Priest, Christ’s duties are primarily two-fold:
1) To offer Himself as a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God. (Heb.7:27; 10:12)
2) To make continual intercession for us. (Heb.7:25; Rom.8:34)
C. King (Ruler): The role of a king is to exercise sovereign rule over his kingdom. Jesus Christ exercises sovereign rule over 3 different kingdoms:
1) The Kingdom of Power: This is the universe at large. He upholds all things by the Word of His power, whether visible or invisible, forces of nature, the starry galaxies of space, the course of history, demons and men. Here Christ exercises His Providential Rule over all His universe for the benefit of His Church. He employs the angels to minister to the heirs of salvation. He controls & restrains the devil and demons (Eph.1:11; Dan.4:35; Eph.1:20-22; Rom.8:28). Christ as God has the right by nature to rule this kingdom. He rules over this kingdom jointly with the other 2 Persons of the Trinity.
2) The Kingdom of Grace: This is the spiritual kingdom in which He rules in the hearts and lives of regenerated persons through His Word and Spirit (Jn. 3:5; Col. 1:13; Mt. 13:38). Christ as Mediator was appointed to rule this kingdom by His Father as a reward for His obedience and sufferings (Ps. 2:6; Isa. 9:6-7; Lu. 22:29; Phil. 2:9-11). When the full number of His elect are gathered in through effectual calling, He will deliver up the Kingdom to the Father, perfect and entire that God may be all in all (1 Cor.15:28; 2 Pet.3:9).
a. Characteristics of Christ’s Kingdom of Grace:
1. Present: (1 Cor. 15:25; Jn.3:5; Col.1:13; Rom.14:17)
2. Spiritual: Jn. 18:36; Lu. 17:20
3. Righteous: Isa.9:7
4. Peaceful: Isa.9:7
5. Ever-Increasing: Isa.9:7
6. Eternal: Isa.9:7
3) The Kingdom of Glory: This is the kingdom in which Christ rules over the holy angels and the spirits of just men made perfect in heaven. Here we have the Kingdom of the Church Triumphant (Phil.1:23; 2Cor.5:8; Rev.14:13).
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