Understanding Jesus: The Anointed One and His Authority

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus as the Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecies

The title "Christ" signifies Jesus as the "Anointed One," fulfilling various Old Testament prophecies that portray the Messiah in multiple roles, such as a new Moses, a suffering servant, and a Davidic king. This convergence of roles in Jesus is a testament to the profound unity of His mission and identity. Jesus embodies the expectations of the Messiah, bringing together the diverse roles anticipated in the Old Testament. As the new Moses, He leads His people into a new covenant. As the suffering servant, He bears the sins of many, and as the Davidic king, He reigns with justice and righteousness. This unity in Jesus' mission and identity is a profound testament to the divine orchestration of salvation history. [03:50]

Isaiah 42:1-4 (ESV): "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law."

Reflection: Consider the different roles Jesus fulfills as the Messiah. Which aspect of His mission speaks most to your current life situation, and how can you embrace that aspect in your daily walk with Him?

Day 2: The Unique Sonship of Jesus

Jesus' unique Sonship, described as "only begotten," highlights His unparalleled relationship with the Father. This term, "monogenes," signifies a singular, one-of-a-kind Sonship that underscores both His divine nature and His role in the divine plan of salvation. Jesus' Sonship is not merely about obedience but also about His divine essence and His integral role in the salvation narrative. His relationship with the Father is unique, setting Him apart as the one who reveals God to humanity and accomplishes the work of redemption. This understanding invites believers to reflect on the depth of Jesus' identity and His central place in God's redemptive plan. [09:46]

Hebrews 1:3-4 (ESV): "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."

Reflection: Reflect on the unique relationship between Jesus and the Father. How does understanding Jesus as the "only begotten" Son influence your view of His authority and role in your life?

Day 3: The Heavenly Nature of the Son of Man

The title "Son of Man," frequently used by Jesus, emphasizes His heavenly origin and divine mission. While it includes elements of His humanity, it primarily points to His role as the heavenly judge and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. This title encapsulates the mystery of Jesus' dual nature, fully divine and fully human, and His mission to bring about God's kingdom. It invites believers to recognize Jesus' authority and His role in the divine plan, encouraging them to live in light of His coming kingdom. [11:52]

Daniel 7:13-14 (ESV): "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed."

Reflection: How does the title "Son of Man" shape your understanding of Jesus' mission and authority? In what ways can you align your life with His heavenly mission today?

Day 4: The Radical Confession of Jesus as Lord

Declaring Jesus as "Lord" was a radical act of faith in the early church, affirming His divine sovereignty and authority. This confession challenged the Roman imperial cult and underscored the Christian belief in Jesus' ultimate authority over all creation. By acknowledging Jesus as Lord, believers affirm His supreme authority and commit to living under His rule. This confession calls for a life of allegiance to Jesus, challenging believers to prioritize His kingdom over worldly powers and influences. [15:59]

Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV): "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to acknowledge Jesus as Lord? What steps can you take today to submit those areas to His authority?

Day 5: The Mystery of the Virgin Birth

The virgin birth is a foundational doctrine that affirms Jesus' sinless nature and unique identity as both God and man. It highlights the mystery of the incarnation, where the divine and human natures are united in one person, Jesus Christ, without confusion or division. This miraculous event underscores the divine initiative in salvation and the profound mystery of God becoming flesh. It invites believers to marvel at the incarnation and to reflect on the significance of Jesus' birth for their faith and life. [22:37]

Luke 1:34-35 (ESV): "And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?' And the angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.'"

Reflection: How does the mystery of the virgin birth deepen your understanding of Jesus' identity and mission? What does this mean for your faith journey and your relationship with Him today?

Sermon Summary

In this session, we delve into the Apostles' Creed, focusing on the transition from God the Father to God the Son, Jesus Christ. The Creed succinctly encapsulates the essence of Christianity, which is centered on the person and work of Jesus. The term "Christ" is not merely a name but a title of profound significance, denoting Jesus as the "Anointed One" or "Messiah." This title is deeply rooted in Old Testament prophecies, which portray the Messiah in various roles: a new Moses, a suffering servant, a Davidic king, and a heavenly judge, among others. Remarkably, all these diverse expectations converge in the person of Jesus Christ, who fulfills each role perfectly.

The Creed also emphasizes Jesus' unique Sonship, describing Him as the "only begotten" of the Father, a term that signifies His singular and unparalleled relationship with God. This Sonship is not merely about obedience but also highlights His divine nature. The title "Son of Man," frequently used by Jesus Himself, underscores His heavenly origin, while "Son of God" often emphasizes His humanity. Yet, both titles together affirm His dual nature as fully divine and fully human.

Furthermore, the Creed affirms Jesus as "our Lord," a title that ascribes to Him the sovereignty and authority reserved for God alone. This confession was radical in the early church, as it directly challenged the Roman imperial cult that demanded allegiance to Caesar as lord. By declaring Jesus as Lord, early Christians affirmed His divine authority and sovereignty over all creation.

The Creed also touches on the virgin birth, a doctrine that has been central to Christian confession since the early church. This miraculous birth underscores Jesus' sinless nature and His unique identity as both God and man. The virgin birth is not just a matter of historical record but carries deep theological significance, affirming the mystery of the incarnation where the divine and human natures are united in one person, Jesus Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. The title "Christ" signifies Jesus as the "Anointed One," fulfilling various Old Testament prophecies that portray the Messiah in multiple roles, such as a new Moses, a suffering servant, and a Davidic king. This convergence of roles in Jesus is a testament to the profound unity of His mission and identity. [03:50]
2. Jesus' unique Sonship, described as "only begotten," highlights His unparalleled relationship with the Father. This term, "monogenes," signifies a singular, one-of-a-kind Sonship that underscores both His divine nature and His role in the divine plan of salvation. [09:46]
3. The title "Son of Man," frequently used by Jesus, emphasizes His heavenly origin and divine mission. While it includes elements of His humanity, it primarily points to His role as the heavenly judge and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. [11:52]
4. Declaring Jesus as "Lord" was a radical act of faith in the early church, affirming His divine sovereignty and authority. This confession challenged the Roman imperial cult and underscored the Christian belief in Jesus' ultimate authority over all creation. [15:59]
5. The virgin birth is a foundational doctrine that affirms Jesus' sinless nature and unique identity as both God and man. It highlights the mystery of the incarnation, where the divine and human natures are united in one person, Jesus Christ, without confusion or division. [22:37]
** [22:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:25] - Introduction to the Apostles' Creed
[00:53] - Significance of the Title "Christ"
[02:09] - Jesus' Name and Title
[02:45] - Meaning of "Christos" and "Messiah"
[03:50] - Old Testament Messianic Expectations
[05:26] - Convergence of Messianic Roles in Jesus
[07:11] - Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King
[08:02] - The Lamb and the Lion
[09:11] - Unique Sonship of Jesus
[10:18] - Titles: Son of God and Son of Man
[11:52] - Heavenly Nature of the Son of Man
[13:39] - Jesus as Lord
[15:59] - Confession of Jesus' Lordship
[17:18] - The Name Above Every Name
[19:09] - Person and Work of Christ
[20:00] - The Virgin Birth
[22:37] - Theological Significance of the Virgin Birth
[24:59] - Mystery of the Incarnation
[26:58] - Conclusion and Next Session Preview

Sermon Clips

"That when this church says that they believe in Jesus Christ, the word 'Christ' is not understood here simply as a person's name. But in the New Testament we find numerous titles given to Jesus. And in terms of the frequencies of titles that are ascribed to Jesus, far and away the most frequent number one in numerical occurrences is the title 'Christ,' and we have to keep in mind that Jesus is His name, and Christ is His supreme title." [00:01:19]

"The term Christ, the title Christ is a loaded title because in the Old Testament we don't have one unitary simple portrait of what the Messiah, Who was promised to Israel, will look like. But rather we have different stands of Messianic expectancy in the Old Testament. There are those prophecies of the Messiah Who will come, Who will be like Moses, the mediator of a new covenant." [00:03:42]

"And then you have the Messianic promises of the Old Testament that talks about the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel to the days of glory like it was under David. And out of the seed of David, out of that lineage of David and out of the tribe of Judah the royal King will come to usher in the new dimension of the reign of God." [00:04:46]

"Yet what we find in the New Testament is that every one of these individual strands converge in the symmetry of the life and the work of Jesus Christ. It's incredible. Particularly if you study the details of those different expectancies and see how they all come to past. And again, the High Priest, add that motif. Makes it all the more complicated." [00:06:59]

"Jesus is called the only begotten of the Father in the Bible. That the Sonship that He enjoys, the relationship that He has with the Father is one of a kind. In fact, I'm searching in the English language for a word that will capture the concept that we find in the Scriptures in the New Testament. We use the term unique, or we use the term only, but they don't really cover the waterfront adequately." [00:08:55]

"Now, Jesus as the, what the Bible calls the 'monoganes' the only begotten Son of the Father, is what we call, 'sui generis.' That is, in a class by Himself. There is none like Him; there is no one who has repeated that. We are called sons of God but only by virtue of our adoption in Jesus Christ. So Jesus is uniquely the Son of God." [00:09:37]

"Now, I forget the exact number, 82 or 83 times, in the New Testament Jesus is called the Son of Man, and all but two or three of those who calls Jesus the Son of Man? Jesus does, and so even though Son of Man ranks third, in terms of frequency, way behind numbers one and two. Number one is Christ, number two is Lord, number three is Son of Man, Son of Man is way below in terms of numerical frequency; it's number one in terms of Jesus self-designation." [00:10:29]

"Son of Man emphasizes deity but contains humanity. Son of God actually emphasizes humanity because again Sonship is defined by obedience. And angels are sometimes called sons of God. Princes or kings are called sons of God so that the title Son of God in and of itself does not necessarily imply deity." [00:12:19]

"Remember I said at the beginning that the very first confession of faith of the early church was the simple statement 'Jesus ho kurios' Jesus is Lord. The word for Lord in the New Testament, the Greek word that is applied to Jesus here, is the Greek translation of the Hebrew title 'Adonai,' which in the Old Testament is virtually exclusively relegated to God the Father." [00:13:21]

"And so when the Christian church confessed that Jesus was Lord, and not just Lord, not just 'kurios' but 'kurios kurion' the Lord of lords. It was clearly an ascription of deity to Jesus. Remember the kenotic hymn of Philippians 2 where Paul says, 'Have this mind in you which is also in Christ Jesus Who being in the form of God took His equality with God, not as a thing to be grasped but tenaciously held onto, jealousy guarded, but He emptied Himself, not of His deity certainly, but He emptied Himself and took upon Himself the form of a servant to become obedient even unto death, and so on." [00:16:16]

"But from the earliest days in church history, the affirmation of the virgin birth of Jesus was central to the church's confession. I was just reading again in G.C. Berkhower's work the other day, called 'The Work of Christ.' That he said that, that from the first century through the nineteenth century it's been virtually a monolithic, non-negotiable article of confession of the Christian faith, and even in the second century the church follows the second century considered the virgin birth as an essential item of Christianity." [00:19:59]

"Now, to understand that theologically, how can you have one person and two natures? Let me ask you this question, did Jesus have a human nature? Was Jesus a human person? No. If He's a human person, and I would ask you, was He a divine person? Then you have two persons. OK. The church is trying to protect that, that the unity of the person of Jesus and in understanding as so far as we can which is not very far, the mystery of incarnation of God's, you know, coming to this planet." [00:24:25]

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