The Apostles Creed - Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord

Aug 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Cornerstone That Holds All Things Together

Jesus isn’t just a good teacher or moral example—He’s the glue binding creation itself. Without His divine authority, everything unravels. The universe isn’t held by impersonal forces but by the resurrected Christ who declared Himself the way, truth, and life. To dismiss His centrality isn’t just a theological error—it’s cosmic rebellion. Yet those who build their lives on Him find unshakable purpose. [31:38]

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.”
(Colossians 1:15-17, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you tried to “hold things together” on your own strength? How might surrendering control to Christ’s authority bring deeper peace?

Day 2: Blood and Breath in a Broken World

The Creator became flesh—not as a distant deity in a human costume, but as a man who bled, hungered, and wept. His physical body mattered: only real blood could atone for sin, and only a real resurrection could defeat death. The incarnation wasn’t God’s backup plan—it was the eternal purpose crashing into our pain. [52:30]

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
(John 1:14, ESV)

Reflection: When have you struggled to believe God understands your humanity? How does Jesus’ physical suffering deepen your trust in His empathy?

Day 3: Empty Tomb, Eyewitnesses, and Eternal Proof

Resurrection isn’t metaphor—it’s forensic fact. Over 500 witnesses saw Jesus’ scarred hands, ate fish with Him, and touched His wounds. The empty tomb wasn’t hidden in a desert but verified by enemies who bribed guards to lie. Doubting this event isn’t intellectual—it’s refusing evidence that demands surrender. [01:00:50]

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once.”
(1 Corinthians 15:3-6, ESV)

Reflection: What doubts about Christ’s resurrection linger in your mind? How might confronting them strengthen your courage to share His victory?

Day 4: Reigning King, Not Distant Memory

Jesus isn’t a historical figure but the active ruler seated at God’s right hand. Every political power, social movement, and spiritual force answers to Him—even when chaos screams otherwise. His ascension wasn’t abandonment but coronation, securing His authority to intercede for us now. [01:05:01]

“God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
(Ephesians 1:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: What situation feels “out of control” to you? How does Jesus’ present reign shift your perspective on His sovereignty?

Day 5: The Rider on the White Horse

Jesus will return not as a meek carpenter but a conquering king—eyes like fire, robe dipped in blood, leading heaven’s armies. This isn’t escapist fantasy but certain reality: every injustice will face His wrath, every hidden sin exposed. Yet those covered by His blood will greet Him not with terror, but triumphant joy. [01:06:35]

“I saw heaven standing open… The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war… On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
(Revelation 19:11, 16, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear about the coming King? What stops you from warning them with both urgency and hope?

Sermon Summary

The Apostles’ Creed puts Jesus in the center because Jesus is the cornerstone. Everything stands or falls on him. Paul says if Christ has not been raised, faith is futile and people are still in their sins. Christianity does not leave a person with a nice set of life tips if Jesus is not Lord. Jesus did not come merely to point toward the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus said, “I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life.”

Colossians shows Jesus as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the one through whom and for whom everything was made. Jesus is not God’s backup plan after creation went wrong. Jesus is the point of everything from the beginning. All things hold together in him, and God was pleased for all his fullness to dwell in him.

The name Jesus means “Yahweh is salvation,” and the title Christ means the anointed one, the Messiah. Psalm 2, Psalm 110, Isaiah 7, Isaiah 52 and 53, Daniel 7, and Daniel 9 all point toward this promised one. Jesus claims that identity at the beginning of his ministry in Nazareth, when he reads Isaiah and says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus claims it again before the high priest, saying he is the Messiah and that the Son of Man will come on the clouds of heaven.

The Creed confesses Jesus as God’s only Son because Jesus is not a created “son of God” like angels, Adam, or adopted believers. Jesus is God. Jesus speaks with divine authority, calls himself “I am,” says, “I and the Father are one,” and receives worship without saying, “knock it off.” Angels and apostles refuse worship, but Jesus accepts it because he alone is worthy.

The Creed also confesses that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary because Jesus is fully God and fully man. Leviticus says blood makes atonement, so Jesus had to have real human blood to pour out for sin. Jesus truly suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. This is not “once upon a time.” This is history.

Jesus descended to the place of the dead, but Psalm 16 says the Holy One would not be abandoned there. On the third day, Jesus rose bodily from the grave. The tomb was empty, hundreds saw him, and witnesses gave their lives saying, “I saw him.” Jesus ascended bodily to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, reigning now as King. From there, Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead. His return will not be weak and hidden, but as King of kings and Lord of lords, bringing wrath, shielding his people by his blood, and opening the book of life.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus is the cornerstone
Christ is not one helpful piece of Christian faith. Christ is the whole foundation, and if he is not raised, Paul says faith is worthless and sinners remain condemned. That makes the resurrection not an inspiring add-on, but the dividing line between hope and pity. [31:38]
2. Jesus was never the backup plan
Colossians puts Jesus before creation, over creation, and at the center of creation. The cross was not God scrambling to fix a broken project, but the eternal purpose of the one through whom all things were made. That truth gives history a center, and the center is not human progress, personal identity, or religious effort, but Christ himself. [35:40]
3. The Messiah names salvation itself
The name Jesus means Yahweh saves, and the title Christ means the anointed one. In that confession, salvation is not treated as a vague blessing God hands out apart from Christ, but as a person who came into the world. The promised Messiah of the Psalms, Isaiah, and Daniel stands in Nazareth and says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled.” [37:36]
4. Real blood made real atonement
Jesus was not God wearing a human costume. Leviticus says the life is in the blood, and atonement required real blood poured out before God. If Jesus was not truly human, sinners would still be in their sins, but because he took real flesh, he could become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. [54:35]
5. The returning King will judge
Revelation does not picture Jesus returning as a helpless child, but as Faithful and True, with blazing eyes, many crowns, and the name King of kings and Lord of lords. The wrath of the Lamb is real, and the judgment before the great white throne is coming. The only shelter is the same Jesus who brings judgment, because his blood writes names in the book of life.

## [66:35]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:16] - Reciting the Apostles’ Creed
[26:32] - Why the Creed Centers on Jesus
[27:12] - Sound Doctrine and Confession
[31:38] - Jesus as the Cornerstone
[34:15] - Colossians and the Supremacy of Christ
[37:36] - The Name Jesus and the Title Christ
[42:54] - Jesus Claims to Be the Messiah
[46:34] - Jesus, the Only Son of God
[49:36] - Jesus Receives Worship
[52:30] - Fully God and Fully Man
[54:35] - Blood Atonement and the Cross
[58:21] - Descended to the Place of the Dead
[60:22] - The Bodily Resurrection
[63:53] - Ascended and Reigning as King
[66:35] - The Return of the King
[70:19] - Judgment and the Book of Life
[74:58] - Calling on Jesus for Salvation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 15:17-19
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” [32:51]

Colossians 1:15-20
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” [34:25]

Leviticus 17:11
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” [54:25]

Revelation 19:11-16
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” [01:06:35]

Observation questions

In 1 Corinthians 15:17-19, what specific things does Paul say would be true if Christ had not been raised? [32:51]
In Colossians 1:15-20, what words or phrases show that Jesus is not just part of creation, but stands over it and holds it together? [34:53]
According to Leviticus 17:11, what does God say makes atonement for the soul, and why does that matter when thinking about the cross? [54:35]
In Revelation 19:11-16, what details are given about how Jesus will appear when he returns, and what do those details communicate about his authority? [01:07:47]

Interpretation questions

If faith is futile without the resurrection, why does that make Jesus more than a moral teacher or an example to admire? [33:25]
Colossians says that all things were created through Jesus and for Jesus. How does that shape the way a person understands the purpose of the world and the purpose of his or her own life? [35:40]
If atonement required real blood, why was it necessary for Jesus to become truly human and not merely appear human? [55:11]
Jesus returns not only to save but also to judge. How should that shape the way a person understands both the mercy and the seriousness of the gospel? [01:10:19]

Application questions

Jesus is the cornerstone, and everything stands or falls on him. In day-to-day life, what tends to function as the real center of trust instead of Christ—career, family, comfort, control, reputation? Where is that showing up right now? [31:38]
Jesus is not God’s backup plan; all things were created through him and for him. What changes when a person begins to see work, relationships, suffering, and plans for the future as things that are meant to orbit around Christ? [36:23]
Jesus’ name means that Yahweh saves. When fear, guilt, or failure presses in, is there a tendency to look first to self-improvement, distraction, or other people rather than to Jesus himself? What would it look like to call on him more quickly and more honestly? [37:52]
Jesus is fully God and fully man, and he shed real blood for sin. How does that make his love feel more personal in places where shame still lingers? Is there a sin or burden that needs to be brought into the light and trusted to his atoning work? [54:46]
Jesus truly suffered, died, and was buried in real history. How does that strengthen faith in seasons when Christianity feels distant, abstract, or merely emotional? [56:11]
Jesus is reigning now at the right hand of the Father. What would it look like this week to live like he is actually King now, not just someday later? [01:04:28]
Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, and the only shelter from wrath is his blood. Does that truth stir assurance, urgency, or uneasiness? Who in life needs to hear clearly about Christ before that day comes? [01:13:42]

Sermon Clips

50s

#JesusIsTheWay

“The entire Christian faith depends on whether Jesus is or is not who he says he is. It's not like we would still have just this helpful way to live if Christ is not the way, is not who he says he is. Christ didn't come just to teach cool axioms, great ways to live. He didn't come to just sort of lead us towards the truth or or tell us about the life or say, here's over, here's the way. You know what he said? I am the way. I am the truth and I am the life. I am the reason for everything Jesus is saying. And no other religious leader or prophet or angel has ever said anything like Jesus. He's truly unique and we're gonna talk about that.”

42s

#BloodOfJesus

“According to God's law, blood, blood, not some weird spiritual, mystical blood, literal physical blood had to be poured out in order to make atonement for sins. Therefore, Jesus, if he was gonna be the atonement, right, for our sins, pay that price for us, he had to pay it with literal physical human blood. And he did. He's human. Which is why he had to become human, and it's why it's so dangerous for someone to ever say, well, he wasn't actually human, because then guess what? You're still in your sins. Because there's only one way to pay for those sins and that says according to God's word, through the blood.”

53s

#JesusBeforeCreation

“I think sometimes when we think of Jesus, we think of Jesus as God's sort of backup plan or something. Like, God made people, he made creation and people sinned, and so God had to come up with a way to save people from their sins, and he and his best plan was, okay, I'm gonna Jesus. But that's not what scripture says. Jesus is the reason, the point of everything. He was before creation and he created everything. He wasn't an afterthought, that was the plan from the beginning. Christ, he was before everything because he is eternally That's what it says in John, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God, and the word was He wasn't some plan that came later on.”

66s

#ReadyForTheKing

“It's the only way. And that's why the creed is so, it's so important that we can say with our mouth, I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in him, the son of God, my Lord, our Lord. So my question to you is this, have you done that? In your notes, I at the very last question I wrote in there is, are you ready? Are you ready for the return of the king? Because he is coming back, and we don't know when that's happening. And maybe we'll die before that happens. It doesn't matter because it says the living and the dead will be judged. We will all stand before him, all of us. Are you ready for that day? Have you called on the name of the Lord to be saved? It's a simple question.”

52s

#CallOnJesus

“That's the second death, and that judgment day is coming. Our king's going to return, and yes, he will bring wrath, but he will shield us if we've been covered by the blood of the lamb. And what do we want? We want our names when we call on the name of Christ. It says that our names get written into a book of life. Everyone else is judged on what they did on they'll have to give an answer. Their their salvation will be based on what kind of things that they do in this life, and nobody passes that judgment. Nobody can pass it because we've all sinned. The only way to be saved is to have your name written by God himself into his book of life. And the only way to have that happen is to call on the name of Jesus.”

69s

#JesusUnderstands

“It Jesus was not just God wearing a human costume for thirty some years. Okay? It wasn't that. He was literally a man. Okay? He was literally a man, and he had to be a man. He was fully and he experienced all the same feelings we all experienced. Tired, hungry, pain. Everything we go through, he went through. Hebrews describes him as that. The young adult study is going through the book of Hebrews right now. And in that book, it describes how we have this high priest who understands us, who is Jesus, and it says, do you know why he can sympathize with us? Because he was one of us. I know what's like to have your best friend turn on you and literally have you, you know, stab you in the back. He knows that feeling. When you think you're alone and you're like, man, nobody gets me. Trust me, Jesus understands. We have a high priest who gets us.”

42s

#FaithOnJesus

“So why so much dedicated to Jesus? And this is why. He is the cornerstone. He is everything stands or falls, as far as our faith goes, on Jesus. All of our faith is built on the person of Jesus. If Jesus is not who he says he is, and if he did not rise from the dead, then our faith is totally worthless. And that's what Paul says. It's absolutely worthless if Jesus is not who he says he is.”

35s

#NoJesusNoFaith

“And that may sound extreme, and it is extreme. It's unlike any other faith or religion in the world. Every other faith or religion, yeah, you have the teachings of somebody and you're like, well, those are pretty good. And and if that person is teaching the truth, well, at least we live a pretty good life. And even if he wasn't who he says he is, we're still living a pretty good life. That's not how it is with Christianity. If Jesus isn't Lord, if he isn't God, if he didn't come to the earth and live and die, then everything we're doing is a complete waste of time and we should stop.”

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