The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Athanasian Creed (Part 2) (381 AD)

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;  God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;

Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.  Who, although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ;  One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God;  One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.  For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man,  so God and Man is one Christ;  Who suffered for our salvation….

HC Q33 Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God.

The Christological Controversies

Gnosticism (A divine soul trapped in a human body)

Adoptionism (human became divine at baptism)

Docetism (seemed like a man)

Arianism (a created god)

Apollinarianism (Only God and partly man)

Nestorianism (Christ divided into two beings)

Euctychianism  (a single combined nature being)

The Definition of Chalcedon (451 AD)

"one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two physeis inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of physeis being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each physis being preserved, and concurring in one prosōpon and one hypostasis, not parted or divided into two prosōpa, but one and the same Son and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ."

  1. The Preparation For The Incarnation

Genesis 1-3 is presented in anthropomorphic terms.

He Speaks He works  He rests  He talks  He walks (Gen 3) The Incarnation is Prophesied in Anthropomorphic terms.   Gen 3:15 "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

 

  1. The Person of the Incarnation             Eternally Begotten

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only (begotten) Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Not Created, No Beginning. Same Being As The Father, Perfect, Changeless, Express Image of Father.

 

Philippians 2:5  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

 

  1. The Purpose of the Incarnation

Philippians 2: 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Jesus is the supernatural Son of God.

Isa 7:14 14, "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and call His name Immanuel."

Jesus is the sinless Son of God. "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross  John 8 :29, "I do always those things that please My Father."  Matthew 3:17, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

Jesus is the sovereign Son of God.

Hebrews 1:8. "But to the Son He says, 'Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.'" John 8:58, "before Abraham was, I AM."

Jesus is the sacrificial Son of God.

Jesus is the saving Son of God.

Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

Jesus is the soon-coming Son of God.

 

Phil. 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

  1. The Power of the Incarnation

The Lord Jesus Requires Your Submission

The Lord Jesus Requires Your Confession

 

 

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