Post on 28-Mar-2016
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Introduction
His-story has two beginnings. The first was when the biblical storyteller wrote, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The second was when the Holy Spirit inspired John, one of Jesus’ followers, to write, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). In the first beginning, God created life and established a special relationship with His most favored creatures—people—through a covenant, or agreement. That part of His-story is recorded in the 39 books tradition-ally called the Old Testament. (We will call it the Old Agreement of God.) We studied this part of His-story in Yahweh: Divine Encounters in the Old Testament.
When Adam and Eve chose to be like God through their willful act of disobedience, God separated Himself from them but began a rescue mission to restore that broken relationship.
The centerpiece of God’s rescue mission for all people was built upon His agreement with Israel, the Law of Moses, and the Prophets’ message. Outward expressions of God’s agreement with Israel included priests, sacrifices, festivals, and daily practices. While these rules and rituals kept the agreement between God and Israel, they were incomplete. The relationship was missing someone.
The Bible reveals the “Word” in the first begin-ning of His-story was the in-flesh presence of God: Jesus—the Rescuer of all people, Second Person of the Trinity, and Creator of all things. The Creator entered His creation to establish
a new covenant, or New Testament with those who turned their backs on Him in the first beginning. The second part of the Bible, the New Agreement, is the 27 books that reveal the life, teachings, and purpose of Jesus with His people and through the Church.
Jesus is the Christos (Greek for the Jewish Messiah), who was the Deliverer all people, not only one chosen ethnic group.
The name Christos declares Jesus was God’s Son who came to rescue all people and show that their history is really His-story. He is the fulfill-ment of the Old Agreement of God. His death, burial, and Resurrection completed the Old Agreement and established the New Agreement of God will all people. Salvation is possible for all through trust in Jesus.
Christos is a walk through Jesus’ life as told in evangelistic stories by His apprentices and those who learned from them. They witnessed what Jesus said and did. The four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, wrote the Gospels so “. . . that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Guided by the Holy Spirit each writer purposely recorded Jesus’ story from his perspec-tive. Combined they give us a complete picture of Jesus, the Christos.
Christos will introduce you to the historical Jesus and the exalted Christos, leaving you with the decision to trust Him or not.
12 Christos—God’s Transforming Touch
Jesus is a central figure in history. Few would dispute
that claim. But if you add the title Christos, the Christ,
to His name, you might have an argument on your
hands. In a postmodern world, Christianity’s claim
that Jesus is the central figure in all human history
has fallen under attack. People want to know: “What
about the other religious leaders in history? What makes
Jesus more significant than Muhammad, Buddha, or
Mahatma Gandhi?”
The Christian assertion that Jesus of Nazareth was not
only a key person in human history but also the risen
Son of God is founded on who He is and what He did
to establish that reality. The source of this truth is the
Bible. One’s trust in Jesus as the Christos is based on his
or her trust in what the writers recorded and the Church
preserved in the Gospels, or evangelistic biographies,
that tell us what Jesus did and taught. This chapter will
examine what the New Testament (or what I will call
the New Agreement of God) tells us about Jesus Christ.
The Memory Verse for this chapter is John 1:14. The
mystery of the in-flesh person of Christos is the core of
Jesus’ identity. This verse serves as the basis for the theo-
logical truth of the “incarnation” of God in the person
of Jesus Christ.
Our question to consider for this chapter is “Which
Person of the Trinity created everything?” Other ques-
tions may include: “What is the Trinity?” or “Was
everything created, or did it just happen?” We will
discuss these questions at the end of this chapter.
1—Finding Salvation in Christ: Discovering Christ’s Identity
131—Finding Salvation in Christ: Discovering Christ’s Identity
1.1 Telling the Story
We have four Gospels in the New Agreement of God
that tell the story of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John. The Gospel writers each had a unique perspec-
tive on who Jesus is and what He did. But they all
agreed that He was the Son of God who inaugurated the
Kingdom of God on earth, and was crucified on a cross,
buried, and raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures. They all agreed that Jesus was the Messiah,
or the Christos, the Promised One told about in the
Old Agreement of God with Israel. The Fourth Gospel,
John’s story of Jesus, is unique in that John was the only
one of the inner circle of Jesus’ apprentices who lived
to an old age. John, unlike the other disciples, lived to
reflect upon and write about the significance of Jesus as
Christos in ways different from the other three.
John began his story of Jesus with “In the begin-
ning.” He wanted his readers to know that the One he
followed and whose story he told did not enter time like
everyone else. This One called the Christos was present
at the beginning of all time. Before time came the Word
who created all things.
Read John 1:1–2. Circle “Word” each time it occurs in
these verses. What does this teach us about the “Word”?
John’s beginning of Jesus’ evangelistic biography with
the words “in the beginning” is the second “in the
beginning” in the Bible. The first occurs in Genesis 1:1
and tells the origin of all things. This introduction to
Jesus links Him back to the Maker and beginning of
all things. The concept of the “Word,” or logos, reflects
more the Old Agreement’s concept of the “word of
God” (which was spoken at creation and from the
mouths of prophets) than the Greek idea of a principle
as the foundation of reality. Through words spoken in
covenant relationship God reveals Himself to people.
Jesus, as we will see, came as God’s revelation, His
Living Word.
Read John 1:3–5. Underline the first phrase in verse 3.
Circle the words “life,” “light,” and “darkness” in verses
4 and 5. Would you confess that Jesus is divine and the
resurrected Son of God?
1.2 Jesus’ Uniqueness
Write the name of a close friend or loved one here:
____________________. What qualities make that
person unique to you? If asked to write one sentence
to describe that uniqueness to others, what would you
write? ______________________________________
___________________________________________
Read John 1:14. Underline the words “flesh” and
“dwelling.” Rewrite the first sentence in your own
words. _____________________________________
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John confessed that the same Word who was present at
the beginning of time “became flesh.” We get the word
incarnation from the Latin translation of the Greek word
for flesh, or skin. The Word of God clothed Himself in
a human body. This reality confirms the humanity of
Jesus. He was a flesh and blood person who walked the
earth like everyone else, and John will point out He was
different. The word for “dwelling” in this verse is the
14 Christos—God’s Transforming Touch
same word for the dwelling place of God in the Taber-
nacle tent in the Old Agreement of God. (See Exodus
25–27 for details of the Tabernacle.) This portable tent
represented the presence of God with the Jews as they
wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. John confessed
Jesus was the “tabernacle,” or “dwelling place of God,”
among people as He lived on earth.
Circle the words “glory,” “Father,” “grace,” and “truth”
in John 1:14. What does this part of John’s confession
tell us about Jesus? Write your answer here:
___________________________________________
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John added that along with seeing the human Jesus that
he and others saw, they also saw His “glory, the glory of
the One and Only.” “Glory” in Scripture refers to the
presence of God (for example, Psalm 24:7–10). John
recognized the presence of God in the human person of
Jesus. He also added that Jesus “came from the Father,”
which emphasized His deity as God’s only Son. But
what about His character? John wrote that He was “full
of grace and truth,” both significant biblical concepts
in our relationship with God. “Grace” is the means
by which we are made right with God (Eph. 2:8), and
“truth” is the essence of God’s character (John 14:6).
The Bible reveals the person of Jesus as both human
and divine, the dwelling place of God when He was on
earth. Each of these concepts communicated who Jesus
is to both the Greek and Jewish readers of John’s Gospel
about Jesus. They carried powerful images of who Jesus
of Nazareth is as God’s only Son.
Expand your confession of who Jesus is based on John
14:6. Write this in your own words in the space below.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
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1.3 The One Who Rescues Us
One Sunday evening we hosted a group of people at
our home. Our children were still young, and they
loved to mingle among the adults and older children
who wandered throughout our house. Our youngest,
who loved being around people, followed a group of
us outside onto the deck. It was winter, making the
weather and water in the spa cold. As we talked, I heard
a splash and turned to see my daughter sinking to the
bottom of the spa. A friend who stood next to me
stepped into the cold water without hesitation, grabbed
her by her coat, and pulled her up into his arms. She
sputtered some, and we rushed her into the house for
warm clothes and hot chocolate. The friend who rescued
my daughter stood in soggy shoes and wet clothes with
a towel around his shoulders but a smile on his face. I
hugged him, wet clothes and all. Needless to say, my
family feels grateful to this day for his quick response to
my daughter’s misstep.
Has anyone ever rescued you or a loved one? Under
what circumstances? What did you do to show your
appreciation for that person’s act of heroism? Write
some of your thoughts here: _____________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
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Every confession that God inspired to describe Jesus
centers around His death on the cross. If you have
experienced rescue from some danger, either physical or
spiritual, you understand.
Read Colossians 1:13–14. A rescue mission frees a
person from the danger he or she faces and brings him
or her to a safe place. These two verses tell of Jesus’
rescue mission for all people. In your own words,
describe what He did based on the information in these
verses. What was the result of His rescue mission?
___________________________________________
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Jesus, the Christos, has rescued those who have trusted
Him from the “dominion of darkness” and brought
them into the “kingdom.” Through this act we have
receievd freedom (redemption) and forgiveness.
Read Colossians 1:15–17. Underline the words “image”
and “firstborn” in verse 15, and circle “all things” every
time it appears in verses 16 and 17. What do these
concepts reveal to you about Jesus?
Paul, the writer of the Colossian letter, concurred with
John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, that Jesus was the
visible presence of invisible God. We get our English
word icon from the transliterated Greek word for image.
Like the icon on your computer desktop that links to
the unseen software on your hard drive, Jesus is the
visible link to the very person and power of God, the
Father. Paul also confirmed that Jesus, the Christos,
created “all things,” not only the physical realities of
the universe but also the spiritual realities of the unseen
world. He is before and above all that exists. The Bible
also states that “in him all things hold together.” If
energy is the glue that holds matter together, then
energy has a name; and that name is Jesus.
Read Colossians 1:18–23. Record in the space below key
phrases in this passage that describe Jesus.
v. 18
v. 19
v. 20
v. 21
v. 22
v. 23
1—Finding Salvation in Christ: Discovering Christ’s Identity 15
16 Christos—God’s Transforming Touch
Again, add to your confession of who Jesus, the Christos,
truly is. Take time to meditate on who He is and the
fact that He rescued you from darkness.
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1.4 Jesus as Servant
Imagine a member of the president’s Secret Service
calling to say that the president wants to come by and
clean your house. After your initial suspicion that this is
a prank call, the caller says that the president just arrived
in your city and one of the things he likes to do when
he has time is choose a house that he and his closest
aides could clean. He would not arrive in the presiden-
tial motorcade, and he would not come dressed in a suit
and tie. The president would wear jeans and a t-shirt
and would walk from a certain place with four or five of
his coworkers, carrying the mops, brooms, and dusting
materials. When he knocks on the door, you must ask,
“What is the president doing at my house?” He will
answer, “The president is here to serve you.” The caller
then says the president will show up in about an hour.
How would you first react if such a thing happened?
What suspicions and concerns would you have? What
emotions would you feel? What would you do?
By instinct and revelation, people know they should
respect, revere, and even fear God. If you believe God
exists, you understand He is worthy of worship and
reverence. The thought of God coming to you to serve
your deepest needs seems a foreign concept to many
religions, but it forms the heart of the Christian faith.
Read Philippians 2:5–8. Underline the key words that
describe Jesus’ actions. Do not overlook the words
“humbled” and “obedient” in verse 8.
The Bible affirms both the full deity of Jesus (v. 6)
and the in-flesh presence of Jesus on earth (v. 7). The
unique message of this passage is that Jesus, the Christos,
willingly limited His divine attributes in order to come
in the form of a servant in “human likeness.” The
Creator comes to His creation as a servant in order
to clean house. His humble act of service born out of
obedience to His mission resulted in death on the cross
and the rescue of all who would believe (v. 8).
Read Philippians 2:9–11. How did God the Father
respond to His Son’s willful obedience? Circle the word
“exalted” in verse 9. What does the Bible say about the
name of Jesus?
Eternal exaltation followed Jesus’ earthly humiliation
on the cross. The name of Jesus exists above every other
name. God has exalted Him above all others for His
obedient, humble service on the cross for all people,
which resulted in their rescue from sin and death. The
Suffering Servant-Messiah is the Exalted Christos forever.
The story of Jesus’ incarnation as an humble and
obedient servant who died to save others is the central
story of all history. His-story defines our story and
reveals to everyone the essence of life as created by God.
How would you describe Jesus’ humiliation and exal-
tation to a friend or one of your children? Write this
passage in your own words or write a parable or short
story to tell of Jesus’ choice to lay aside His divine attri-
butes in order to enter the world of His creation so He
could save those He had created and loved so deeply.
1.5 Jesus is Constant
My wife and I have college buddies we meet every other
year for a week of vacation. We have done this for over
25 years, and we see one another and our children grow
older each time we gather. While much has changed
around and about us, one thing has not: who each of
us is as a friend. We can count on one another being
the same as always every time we get together. While
the years and events that we all have experienced have
varied, who we are has remained the same.
Do you have a friend or group of friends you have kept
in touch with through the years? What aspects of their
identity do you like that has always made up part of
who they are? What about them allows you to keep
trusting them as friends?
The biblical writers we have examined show us three
essential things about Jesus’ identity and aspects of our
relationship with Him that never change and that form
the basis of our trust in Him.
The first is that Jesus is God’s Son. We know from the
Bible that God manifests Himself as Father and Spirit.
This has led to the concept of the Trinity, or God as
Three in One. The Bible confesses, “The Lord our
God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6:4); but in reading His-
story we see that our one God reveals Himself as Father,
Son, and Spirit. Jesus, fully God and fully human, is the
Second Person of the Triune God revealed in Scripture.
The second reality we learn about Jesus is that He is
Creator. Reread John 1:3–5 and Colossians 1:16–17.
What do these verses say about Jesus’ role in creation?
We learn from the biblical revelation that “through him
all things were made” and that “by him all things were
created.” Christos is Creator, and His entry into His
creation in order to rescue it from destruction is the next
reality we have learned about Jesus.
Jesus is our Rescuer. Read John 1:4; Colossians 1:13;
and Philippians 2:8. We learn that “in him was life,”
He was “the light of men,” “he has rescued us from
the dominion of darkness,” and He was obedient to a
“death on a cross.”
Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Creator of
all things, entered His creation to rescue it from destruc-
tion. The Eternal Christ humbled Himself and wore the
flesh of a man in order to die on the cross so all could
find rescue from the eternal consequences of rebellion.
You have now met the central figure of all history. The
story of Jesus, the Christ, is the most important story
you will ever encounter. As we end this chapter, write
the fresh understanding you have of the one called Jesus.
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For further study:
1 John 4:7–10•John 14:5–7•
1—Finding Salvation in Christ: Discovering Christ’s Identity 17