Christology: The Doctrine of Christ Part III

Posted : 20 Sep, 2011 10:18 PM

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Christology, The Doctrine of Christ by Tod Kennedy

h. The Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17; Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-38) is the record of the last session of Jesus with His disciples prior to the cross. It closed with the Lord�s Prayer recorded in John 17. During the upper room discourse Jesus prepared His disciples by teaching them doctrines that they will need to know and apply in order to successfully live and serve Him after He ascends to heaven.

i. Following this time of teaching and encouragement, Jesus and His disciples went to the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26-31; Luke 22:39) and then to the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:7-53). The tests in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross were His greatest tests. Would He go to the cross and be made sin in our place. Yes, He willingly did the Father�s will and bore the sins of the world (Matthew 26:36-39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:39-44; John 19:31).

j. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was arrested. Soon after, He was falsely tried and then crucified Him on the cross where He suffered as �the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world� (Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 18-19).His death on the cross was His sacrifice for all the sins of mankind. The doctrines of the death of Christ and the sin barrier explain this in more detail. As John the Baptist proclaimed (John 1:29), Jesus was the perfect �lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.�

k. On the third day after the crucifixion He physically arose from the dead (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 21). Jesus proved to his disciples that He, indeed, arose from the dead. Over a period of 40 days He taught them about God�s kingdom.

l. He then gathered His disciples (now to be apostles) around Him and instructed them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come into them. He then commissioned his disciples just before He ascended to heaven (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:48; Acts 1:1-8).

m. Jesus then ascended to heaven in full view of the disciples (Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 3:16). Ten days after His ascension He sent the Holy Spirit to begin the church (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; John 16:7; 14:26). One of the Holy Spirit�s ministries would be to baptize each believer into the spiritual body of Christ, the church, of which Christ is the head (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:20-23; Colossians 1:18). Jesus also authorized spiritual gifts to be given to individual church age believers by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11), and He gave gifted men to the church for service to Him and His church (Ephesians 4:7-12).

n. After His ascension Jesus took the place of highest honor at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 1:3). In the present church age while at the Father�s right hand He carries out His intercessory minister of praying for believers and serving as their defense attorney (Hebrews 6:20; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2). His intercessory ministry will be interrupted when He comes in the air to take His church back to heaven with Him. This event is called the rapture of the church. Rapture is from the Latin word rapturo, the Latin translation of the New Testament Greek work harpazo, to carry off, to snatch away in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

o. After the rapture of the church comes the tribulation. Jesus will conclude the tribulation by coming to earth and conquering all those who reject Him. The Father will make Jesus� enemies the footstool for Jesus� feet. This signifies that Jesus will then have physical authority and actual rule over all those who resist Him�human and angelic beings (Psalm 110:1; Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35; Hebrews 1:3 and 10:13). At this point Jesus begins His messianic millennial kingdom reign (Revelation 19-20).

10. Doctrines related to Christ�s incarnation. When �the word became flesh and dwelt among us� (John 1:14), God the Son became man. What happened to his deity? Jesus continued to true and undiminished deity. What did change was that He took upon Himself true humanity. The transformation was outwardly visible. The biblical doctrines of kenosis, hypostatic union, and impeccability explain the additions to deity and those effects on Him as now God and man.

a. Kenosis means that Jesus Christ left heaven and took on Himself the true nature of a human slave under God�s authority. In doing so He chose not to continually show His divine attributes�those visible demonstrations of His deity which He displayed in the Old Testament history such as the burning bush in Exodus 3, the cloud and fire and smoke during the exodus, and the Shekinah glory in the tabernacle and temple. By kenosis Paul meant that Jesus took the nature of humanity�a slave�so that He could die on the cross for mankind�s sins. The main verb in Philippians 2:7-8a is the aorist indicative of �to empty,� kenow. The verbs �taking, being made, and being found� are all aorist participles. They further explain emptying Himself. The actions are simultaneous to �empty.� The usage of the participles is most likely temporal (when He took�,) or attendant circumstance (and He took�,). In no way does this suggest He became less God.

i. The words in Philippians 2 help us to understand this truth.

1. The word �form� in Philippians 2:6 and 7�form of God and form of slave�is morfh and it means real nature or form of someone or something that appears to the senses. What appears to the senses is a form of the genuine person or thing. In verse 6, the form of God means that of godness that appeared to the senses in the Old Testament revelations of God�His majesty, glory, and splendor. In verse 7 it is the form of a slave�under authority of God the Father�that appeared to people.

2. The word �likeness� is �omoiwma. This refers to a copy of something, and here a copy of humanity�body, soul, and spirit�and so similar to all humanity, but not the exact image.

3. The word �appearance� is skhma and this refers to how He looked outwardly to other people.

4. So the emptying was actually taking the form of a slave so He could die.

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