CHRIST

THIS LESSON concerns the Lord Jesus Christ, the central theme of Holy Scripture. We shall consider His deity, His incarnation, His work and His offices.

I HIS DEITY

The deity of Christ means that Christ is God. Scripture clearly teaches this important fact in the following ways.
1. The attributes of God are used in speaking of Christ.
a. His pre-existence. Christ has no beginning (John 17:5).
b. His omnipresence. He is with His servants everywhere (Matthew 28:20).
c. His omnipotence. He has unlimited power (Revelation 1:18).
d. His omniscience. He has unlimited knowledge (John 21:17).
e. His unchangeableness. He is “the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
2. The works of God were performed by Christ.
a. He created all things (John 1:3).
b. He upholds the universe (Colossians 1:16).
c. He raised Himself from the dead (John 2:19)
3. The titles of God are given to Christ.
a. God the Father addresses the Son as God (Hebrews 1:8).
b. Men called Him God, and He did not refuse their worship (John 20:28).
c. Demons recognized Him as God (Mark 1:24).
d. He declared Himself to be God (John 10:30).

II HIS INCARNATION

By the incarnation of Christ is meant His coming into the world as a man.
1. The coming of Christ was predicted in the Old Testament (Isaiah 7:14).
2. History records the birth of our Lord. His birth was different from all other births.
a. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:35).
b. He was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23)
c. Yet He was truly man, possessing a body (Hebrews 10:5), soul (Matthew 26:38) and spirit (Luke 23:46).
3. Christ came in human form in order to:
a. Reveal the Father (John 14:9).
b. Put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:26)
c. Destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

NOTE WELL: One of the foundation truths of the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ is truly God and that He came into the world as a man by the miracle of virgin birth. As a man, He was absolutely sinless.

III HIS WORK

Under this heading, we shall discuss the Lord’s death, resurrection and ascension.

1. His death.
a. The death of Christ was necessary (John 3:14). It was part of God’s eternal purpose (Hebrews 10:7). It was necessary to fulfill Old Testament prophecies (Isaiah 53:5). It was necessary to provide salvation for man (Ephesians 1:7).
b. The death of Christ was for others. He died as a substitute (1 Corinthians 15:3).
c. The death of Christ was sufficient. It completely meets God’s claims because Christ endured and exhausted the judgment of God against sin. It completely meets man’s need because it was the death of an Infinite Person, and therefore its value is infinite.
2. His resurrection
a. The resurrection of Christ was necessary to fulfill prophecy, to complete the work of the Cross, Romans 4:25, and to enable Christ to undertake His present work in Heaven.
b. Christ’s resurrected body was real. It was not a spirit (Luke 24:39). It was the same body which was crucified because it had he print of the nails and the spear wound (John 20:27). Yet it was a changed body, with power to overcome physical limitations.
c. After His resurrection Christ appeared to certain of His followers at least ten times. More than five hundred at least ten times. More than five hundred reliable witnesses saw Him after he arose (1 Corinthians 15:6).
d. The resurrection of Christ is an important truth. If there had been no resurrection there would be no Christian faith.

3. His ascension.
a. At the end of His ministry on earth, Christ was carried up into heaven (Mark 16:19, Acts 1:9).
b. He ascended so that He might enter into His reward, John 17:5, and continue His ministry for His people.

IV HIS OFFICES

Christ is presented in Scripture as a Prophet, a Priest and a King.
1. As Prophet, he tells men what God has to say to them, and He thus reveals God to men (John 1:18).
2. As Priest, He represents believers before God (Hebrews 4:14-16).
3. As King, He reigns today in the hearts of those who are loyal to Him. In a coming day, He will reign upon the earth for one thousand years. Psalm 72 describes His reign on earth.

Then throughout eternity the Lord Jesus will continue to serve his blood-bought people.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 5: Christ
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois