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