Bible Christology in English
CHRISTOLOGY- Lord Jesus Christ
Introduction- Who is Lord Jesus Christ?
Almost 2000 years ago, Jesus asked His disciples two questions which are still ringing in the hearts and
minds of men:
1) “Who do people say the Son of Man is”?
2) “Who do you say I am”? (Matt 16:13-16)
Many people, religious systems and philosophers have suggested various answers to the first question.
To some Jesus is a prophet, to others a great teacher and to still others simply a good, moral man whose
exemplary life is worthy to be imitated. But the answer to the second question is of far greater
significance. For on the response of each individual person hinges not only their eternal destiny (John
3:36), but the quality, meaningfulness and fruitfulness of their life here and now (John 10:10;Col 3:3,4;Gal
2:20). Thus the central, worldwide theological issue of the ages has been and still is this “Who is Jesus
Christ?”And since Jesus Christ is who the Bible says, He is God in the flesh- all people ever where need
to be concerned not so much about religion, but about coming into and living in right relationship to
God through the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:6.
Christ is our Savior High Priest and Example, the source of every blessing to us. His cross is the center
of two eternities. Everything before Christ pointed forward to Him and all present and future blessings
flow from Him and look back to His finished work on Calvary.
A. The Deity of Jesus Christ – It is critical to demonstrate from scripture that “Jesus is God”. It is
important to understand that “
➢ Jesus Christ is not God who turned into a man; nor
➢ He was a man so good that He became a God.
➢ He is equally God and man, possessing at the same time perfect humanity and perfect deity not a
part of each”.
1. His pre-existence – John 1:1-2,14;30;6:38 - Jesus existed before His incarnation as a man.
Importance-
a) At Birth - If Christ came into existence at His birth, then no eternal Trinity exists.
b) Not God – If Christ was not preexistent then He could not be God, because among other attributes,
God is eternal.
c) Liar- If Christ was not preexistent then He lied, because He claimed to be.
Evidence –
a) His Heavenly Origin- John 3:13,31
b) His work as Creator - Christ involved in creating and hence he existed before Creation – John 1:3;
Col 1:16;Heb 1:2
c) His relationship with God- He claimed equality of nature with God- (John 10:30), Equal glory with the
Father (John 17:5),had the same nature as God(Phil 2:6)
d) His attributes- He claimed full deity and others attested to it. _Col 2:9
e) His relation to John the Baptist-John acknowledged that Jesus existed before him (John 1:,30
2.His eternality- John 8:58;17:5;Col 2:9; Heb 2:8 -Not only that Christ existed before His birth or even
before Creation but that He existed always, eternally. The Christ of Scriptures is God and a God who is
not eternal is not God.
Importance – If eternality is denied then (a) there is no Trinity (b) Christ does not possess full Deity and
(c) He lied
Evidence
a) His relationship with God as of the same essence demonstrates eternality, since God is eternal.
Hebrew word character in Heb 1:3- Christ is the exact representation of God’s nature or essence.
b) The OT prophets claimed eternality of Messiah (Mic 5:2;Hab 1:12)
b) Christ claimed eternality, Iam (eimi) states eternality –John 8:58
c) John said Christ is God (John 1:1).
3. His divine nature- Jesus is fully divine and hence He is God
- Jesus and the Father are one in essence- John 10:30
- Jesus fully embodies all of the divine nature - Col 1:15;2:9
- Jesus revealed the nature and character of God to man- John 14:9-11
* Jesus exhibited divine attributes which belong only to God
- Omnipotence- Christ calmed the storm- Luke 8:22-25
- Omniscience - Christ knew what was in man – John 2:24-25
- Omnipresence - Christ’s presence and power were not limited by space
John 1:48:49
- Immutability- Christ never changes – Heb 13:8
- Life - Christ inherently has life – John 5:26
* Jesus performed acts which only God can do
- Jesus transcended natural laws by walking on water – Mark 6:47-51
- Jesus restored sight to a man born blind – John 9:1-7
- Jesus forgave sins- Matt 9:1-7
- Jesus raised the dead – Luke 7:11-15
* Jesus was involved in creation and is the sustainer of all things – John 1:3;Col 1:16,17
B. His pre-incarnate Old Testament appearances as the “Angel of Jehovah”
In the OT it is Christ as the “Angel of Jehovah” (the Lord) who reveals and reflects the glory of God and
appears on behalf of the Father. The angel of the Lord is often referred to as God.
- When Christ appeared to Hagar and is identified as God- Gen 16:7-13
- When Christ provided the substitute sacrifice for Isaac – Gen 22:1-19
- When Christ appeared to Moses in the burning bush – Ex 3:1-4
- When Christ called Gideon to God’s service as judge/deliverer- Jud.6:11-24
(C) The Humanity Of Jesus Christ - Incarnation- John 1:14 ; Rom 8:3;Heb 2:9
Christ has two natures, the divine and the human. The divine nature was His from eternity past, but the
human nature was acquired from being born of a human woman. The eternal second person of Trinity
took on Himself humanity. He did not possess humanity until the birth, since the Lord became flesh
(egeneto John 1:14). This humanity was sinless. (Rom 8:3)
a) He had a human body- Luke 2:52; John 8:40
b) He had a human Soul and Spirit – Included material and immaterial aspects –Matt 26:38;Luke 23:46
c) He exhibited the Characteristics of a Human Being- Hungry(Matt 4:2)Thirsty (John 19:28) grow weary
(4:6) wept (11:35)tested(Heb 4:15)experienced love and compassion (Matt 9:36)
d) He was called by human names- Son of Man (80 times)-Matt 8:20 suffering and death(luke 19:10) and
on his future reign as king-Matt 24:27
Jesus has eternally been the Son of God. He became the Son of Man at the incarnation
(I) Why was it necessary for Jesus to become a man? There are at least 4 significant reasons:
a) To reveal God to man - John 1:18
b) To provide an example for Our Lives- 1 Pet. 2:21;1 John 2:6
c) To provide an Effective Sacrifice for Sin that required a God-man Saviour- Heb 10:1-10
d) To be able to fulfill the Davidic Covenant – Luke 1:31-33
e) To destroy the Work of the Devil -1 John 3:8
f) To be able to Be a Sympathetic High Priest- Heb 4:14-16
g) To be able to Be a Qualified Judge- John 5:22,27
God’s justice and holiness required a one time perfect sacrifice for sin and only God in the
person of a man could make that sacrifice for the sins of man.thus He sent His Son because He
loves us. John 1:29; 1 John 2:2; Heb 9:11-15
Since God cannot die, there had to be an Incarnation in order that there be a human nature to
experience death and thus pay the penalty for sin.
(II) The Kenosis (emptying theory) Philip 2:5-11; Heb 2:14
The single person of the incarnate Christ retained the total complex of divine attributes and possessed all
the complex of human attributes essential to a perfect human being. The two natures were united without
mixture, without change, without division and without separation. Through the incarnation, Jesus as God
became a real man. But how could God take on humanity and still be God? Three key concepts must be
carefully examined.
# the “kenosis” of Christ
# the real humanity of Christ.
# the hypostatic union
(III) 4 basic truths about the kenosis of Christ: Philip 2:5-11
- The eternal deity of Christ vs 6”being in very nature God”
- The real humanity of Christ vs 7 “being made in human likeness
- The servant hood mission of Christ vs 8 ”as a man… He became obedient even to death
on a cross”
- The exaltation of Christ vs 9-11”Jesus Christ is Lord”
Jesus added humanity to His deity without subtracting from His deity in order to be the Savior
(IV) The Hypostatic Union
The coming together of the divine and human natures of Christ in one person is called the hypostatic
union (which means to cause to stand together)
Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having a fully divine nature and a fully human nature
inseparable united (but not confused) in one person forever. Some conclusions:
➢ Christ always acted as a whole person in response to one of his natures, but His divine nature
and will was predominant. John 12:27,28
➢ Jesus had a divine self consciousness from childhood. Luke 2:46-50
➢ The divine will of Jesus dominated His human will but was always in submission to the father.
John 6:38
2
(D) The Life of Christ (The entire Gospels)
Only the briefest account of the highlights of what has been termed ”the greatest Life ever lived” can be
included here.
(I) His Virgin Birth- Matt 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-10,41-52) The God ordained means of accomplishing the
Incarnation is the Virgin Birth. The Virgin birth and the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ are the
keystone miracles of the Christian faith. By an act of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, Jesus
was conceived and then brought into this world as complete human being, though without the inherited
taint of original sin common to all mankind, The result of Virgin Birth was a God-man. The total human
nature was conceived by the Spirit in the womb of Mary and the Baby born was fully God and a perfect
human being united in one person forever.
The Savior had to be human in order to be able to die, for God does not die, and the savior had to
be God in order to make that death an effective payment for sin. This God-man unique , unique in
all history, alone qualified to be an adequate savior We have a Gospel because we have a God-
man savior.
(II) His Baptism- Matt 3:1-17, Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22
Since Jesus did not need to be baptized what was it’s purpose? The baptism of Jesus was:
➢ to identify with his people (Matt 3:15)
➢ initiated his earthly ministry to fulfill God’s mission
➢ authenticated Him as God’s Son
➢ when Holy Spirit came upon Him in this special way Jesus was anointed as the Christ.
(III) His Temptation – Matt 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13
The temptation of Jesus was not to see whether he would sin or not but to prove His sinless character.
Evidence –
➢ Christ was announced as a holy Child (luke 1:35)
➢ Christ himself challenged His enemies to show that He was a sinner (John 8:46)
➢ Christ claimed to do always those things that pleased the father – John 8:29
➢ Christ kept the Father’s commandments- john 15:10
➢ Christ was acknowledged as innocent eleven times
➢ Christ did not have to offer any sacrifice even through he frequented the temple.
* by Judas- Matt 27:4
* by Pilate- 6 times Matt 27:24
* by Herod Antipas – Luke 23:15
* by Pilats’ wife – Matt 27:19
* by the repentant thief – Luke 23:41
* by Roman centurian- Mat 27:54
Further Paul said of our Lord that ”He knew no sin”- 2 Cor 5:21
And Peter declared that “He did not commit any sin – 1 Pet 2:22
Also John affirmed it when he said that “in Christ was no sin” – 1 John 3:5
We have a high priest who can genuinely sympathize because He was really tested with tests
peculiar to God-man. He did not sin and He could not have sinner. He was and is holy, innocent
and undefiled, God’s spotless lamb.
(IV) His miracles-It’s true that because of His miracles many people were attracted to Him, but
when they came, he taught them about God.
➢ Authenticated Jeus as Messiah- John 20:30,31
➢ glorified God and made Him known- John 11:38-44
➢ proved that Jesus was God – John 9:30-33
➢ caused men to believe in Christ- John 11:45.
(E) The Death of Jesus Christ
Jesus came on earth as a man for one main purpose- to die on the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice
for the sins of all men. On the cross Jesus Christ bore our sins in His body ,paid our penalty and became
sin in our place that we might be redeemed, forgiven and brought back in to right relationship to God. His
death was: - * Voluntary
* sacrificial
* substitutionary
* atoning
* sufficient for all.
The significance of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross can be stated briefly as follows:
1) Christ accomplished the Father’s plan of Redemption – John 6:38-40;10;18;17;4
2) Christ satisfied Holy, Just God’s required payment for sin. – Heb 9:13,14;Col 2:13-15
3) Christ demonstrated God’s unfailing undeserved love- John 3:16; Rom 5:8
4) Christ secured the means of salvation for all those who believe- John 1:12;;3:36 Rom 4:22-25
(F) The Resurrection of Christ
The bodily resurrection is the unique element of Christianity which separates it from all other religions and
is the core of the Gospel message. Christ’s resurrection from the tomb is the best documented fact of
ancient history The resurrection is the foundation of our faith. John 20:16,26;Luke 24:10,36;1 Cor. 15:5-8
(G) His Ascension
Having finished His earthly mission, Jesus ascended into heaven in his glorified body and is now seated
at the right hand of God after 40 days of post appearances and ministry. He ascended into heaven as the
glorified GOD/man and will return in the same way. The incarnation was Jesus descent from heaven
The ascension is His return to heaven. John 16:28; Mark 16:19;Luke 24:45-53:John 6:62
(G) His Offices – In His first and second coming Christ has or will carry out the functions of several God
given offices:
(I) Prophet – The biblical function of the prophet was to speak to men on behalf of God to speak for the
God’s truth and to foretell truth about the future. Christ perfectly fulfilled His office as God’s prophet
- Deut 18:15; Matt 21:11;John 7:37-44;Luke 17:20-37;Heb 1:1,2
(II) Priest- The biblical function of the Priest was to represent men before God with regard to sin. Christ
made the perfect, substitutionary sacrifice as the ultimate high priest since He had to make no sacrifice
for himself. Lev 16:20-22; Heb 7:22-28;Heb 9:24-28. Christ fulfilled his office in His first coming, although
He still intercedes on behalf of saints with respect to their forgiven condition- 1 John 2:1-2
(III) King – The biblical function of King was to rule over people as God’s anointed representative. Christ
is God’s anointed king- Ps 2:4-12; Luke 1:30-33. In His first coming:
➢ Presented Himself as King – Matt 2:2;Mark 1:14,15
➢ But was rejected as King and was crucified – Luke 19:11-14;Matt 27:37
➢ His kingdom on earth has been postponed until His second coming .Matt 21:38-43
Summary-
➢ As Prophet- Jesus is the absolute truth.
➢ As Priest- Jesus is the perfect sacrifice.
➢ As King - Jesus is the Lord of Lords.
(H) His Second coming
The OT promised a coming Messiah, Prophet, Priest and King. When Christ was here on earth, He
revealed the mind of God as Prophet (Heb 11:2). Now in heaven, He intercedes for us as Priest. Soon He
will return as King .In His future ministry Chris twill:
1) return to rapture His church- John 14:1-3; 1 Thess 4:13-18
2) resurrect dead believers and transform living believers- Phil 3:2021
3) oversee the pouring out of judgment n sin during the tribulation.
4) conclude His marriage to His bride the church in heaven. Rev 19:6-9
5) conduct the “bema seat” evaluation of believers in heaven.- @ Cor 5:9,10 ;Rom 14:9-12
6) return in His second coming to judge sin and defeat God’s enemies at Armageddon- Rev 19:11-21
7) put everything in subjection to Himself, and hand the kingdom over to God the Father. Rev 11:15
8) reign on earth for 1000 years on David’s Throne during the millennial kingdom in the fulfillment of OT
Prophecy.- Rev 20:1-6
9) Cast Satan in to the lake of fire. Rev 20:7-10
10) conduct the Great White Throne judgment of unbelievers whom He will resurrect to eternal death.-
Rev 20:11-15
11) reign eternally as King of Kings and Lord of Lords- Rev 19:15-16;21-22
