Christology

Jesus Christ is unique in history; he is fully God and fully man. His deity is from all eternity because he is the Son of God. But he also chose to leave heaven and come to earth as a man to save us and establish God’s promised kingdom on earth. Jesus partook of human nature in his earthly ministry as the “Son of Man.” This was Jesus’s favorite title for himself during his ministry. At his birth, his incarnation, Jesus became flesh and blood, fully identifying with humanity, without relinquishing his divine attributes.

I. The Person of Jesus Christ

1. Christ’s Pre-Existence as the Eternal Son of God
   1. Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, co-eternal and co-equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 1:1-2; 8:58; Heb 1:2-4)
   2. Jesus clearly claimed to be God when he declared, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30 see also John 5:17-18)
   3. Jesus is also the co-Creator with God the Father (John 1:3, Col 1:16-17)
   4. Jesus made pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament (Gen 18:1-3; Josh 5:13-15; Judg 13:3, 9–18)
   5. The prophet Micah declared that Jesus has no beginning; his existence reaches into eternity past (Mic 5:2)
   6. Jesus is also designated “Eternal Father” (Isa 9:6) or “Father of eternity”
2. Christ’s Incarnation as the Unique God/Man
   1. Jesus was born in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary, fulfilling biblical prophecy (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:22-23; Luke 1:26-35)
   2. Jesus’s was born without sin because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, avoiding the contamination of sin through a human father (Luke 1:35; 3:23; Rom 5:12)
   3. Jesus took on human flesh with its frailties and limitations, except for sin (John 1:14)
   4. Jesus experienced the range of human emotions, further proof that his incarnation was not merely a mirage; he did not simply appear to be a man. He became tired and thirsty (John 4:6-7); he wept at the grave of Lazarus; he felt compassion for people (Matt 9:36); he experienced exultant joy (Luke 10:21)

II. The Work of Jesus Christ

1. His Ministry on Earth
   1. Jesus preached the gospel and called people to repentance (Matt 4:17; Luke 4:18, 43-44; 13:1-6)
   2. Jesus called the twelve apostles to himself, then trained and commissioned them for ministry (Matt 10:1-4; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:35-51)
   3. Jesus died on the cross as the atonement for our sins (John 19:17-30; Rom 5:6-8; 1 Cor 15:3)
   4. Jesus was buried in Joseph’s tomb, and his body was guarded by Roman soldiers, proving that he died (Matt 27:57-66; 1 Cor 15:4)
   5. Jesus rose bodily on the third day, triumphing over the devil, sin, and the grave (John 20:1-9; 1 Cor 15:4, 55-57; Col 2:15; Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:8)
   6. The risen Christ appeared to hundreds of people (Matt 28:16-20; Luke 24:13-43; John 20:10–18; 1 Cor 15:5–8)
   7. Christ ascended back to the Father’s right hand in heaven (John 20:17; Acts 1:11; Eph 4:8-10)
2. His Present Ministry in Heaven and Future Return
   1. Christ is in heaven today fulfilling his ministry as our great high priest, interceding with God for believers (Heb 4:14-16; 7:25; 1 John 2:2)
   2. Christ will come in the clouds for his saints at the rapture, and return to the earth in power and glory with his saints to judge the earth and assume his millennial kingdom throne (1 Thess 4:13-18; Rev 19:11–20:4).
3. The Importance of Knowing Christ
   1. The knowledge of Christ begins with the acquisition of accurate facts about him (Matt 16:13-17; John 17:3, 6-8)
   2. It continues as the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and the need for salvation (John 3:3, 7; 16:8-11)
   3. It brings the sinner to a saving encounter with Christ by faith (Acts 9:1-19; 16:30-31)
   4. It grows as the believer becomes conformed to the image of Christ through a life of holiness, fellowship with Christ, and obedience to Christ (John 14:15, 23; 1 Cor 1:9; 2 Cor 3:17-18; 1 Pet 1:15-16; 2 Pet 1:5-8; 3:18; 1 John 1:3b)
   5. It will continue at the rapture of the church when believers see Christ face-to-face (1 Thess 4:13-18: 1 John 3:2)
   6. It will culminate in Jesus’s kingdom rule with his saints (Rom 8:17; Rev 19:11-6)