Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord

Introduction

The Creed focuses more on Jesus Christ than the Father and the Spirit.

It is through faith in Jesus that we know the Father and are given the Spirit.

Key Point: Jesus Christ, being both God and Man, is the only Savior and is King over all things.

Jesus (Human)

The name Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Jeshua” or Joshua.

His name means God saves.

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The name “Jesus” demonstrates the divine Son’s full humanity. Jesus was a human being who was born of the virgin Mary. He took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

The name Jesus also means he was a real historical person that lived 2000 years ago. You can read about the person of Jesus in the history books. He is not some mythological character.

Believing that Jesus is fully man means. . .

He can be our great high priest who can sympathize with our weakness (Hebrews 4:15-16).

He can be our representative (through his righteousness, death, and resurrection). Jesus is “one of us.”

He can be our mediator and advocate (1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1-2).

The Christ (Savior)

Christ is not Jesus’s last name but it is a divine title for Jesus.

Christ means “anointed one.”

Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah.”

You can think about the word Christ being a title or office someone held. . . like saying Josh Heupel is the head coach of the Vols. Coach is not Heupel’s name but a title and office he holds.

By believing Jesus is the Christ, it means we believe. . .

That Jesus is the long awaited Savior-King that the Jews had been waiting for and who had been prophesied since Genesis 3:15.

That Jesus has universal dominion over all things.

Romans 9:5 ESV

5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

He is the true prophet, priest, and King.

These were the three roles of anointed men in the Old Testament.

Jesus’s fulfillment of these three roles fulfills our greatest needs in having a relationship with God.

Prophet: we are ignorant of God and need someone to speak for God and teach us who he is.

Priest: we are separated from God because of our sins and need a mediator to step in and make sacrifices on our behalf that can cleanse us of our sin.

King: we are weak, blind, and foolish when it comes to living for God and need someone to guide, protect, and strengthen us-this was the King’s role in the Old Testament.

Jesus’s name is the only name that can save (Acts 4:12; 10:43; John 20:31).

Acts 4:9–12 ESV

9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written 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.

Believing Jesus is the only savior implies that we believe we have something we need to be saved from.

Acknowledgement of our sin and God’s holy wrath that is upon us.

His Only Son (Divine)

“His” refers to the Father Almighty, so the creed says that Jesus is God the Father’s only son.

By saying we believe that Jesus is God’s only Son, it means we believe that Jesus is God. . . that he is One with the Father Almighty.

“Only Son” refers to Jesus’s divinity. Jesus is both fully God and fully man.

John 1:1–4 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14–18 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Two natures, one person, fully God and fully man-Chalcedon definition.

Only Son, refers to Jesus’s unique and intimate relationship with God the Father (Matthew 11:27-no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the father except the Son and anyone the Son chooses to reveal himself to). Jesus is God’s beloved Son in whom he is well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)

Jesus, as God’s Only Son, does not refer to him being created, but instead, it refers to him being the only one of its kind. God has only one true Son who shares in the same essence of himself, Jesus, His only Son. (John 1:14, 18).

The reason we can become adopted sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ is because Jesus is God’s only Son.

Our Lord (King)

If Jesus is the Divine Son of God who is co-creator with the Father and the Spirit, then he is not only the only Savior but he is also the only Lord.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Philippians passage quotes the passage we used last week in Isaiah 45:22-23, when it was in reference to Yahweh.

Do You Believe?

If you believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, and call him your Lord. .

You trust in him as your prophet.

Jesus is your only source of truth and the only way that you can know God.

You trust in him as your priest.

Jesus is the only one who can atone for your sins and reconcile you to God. . . He is your only Savior.

You trust in him as your King.

Jesus is your Lord, and you submit to his rule and reign in your life.

Jesus is not just your Savior, he must also be your Lord.

We cannot presume to separate these two. . . He is either both your Savior and Lord or nothing.

Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46).

Not everyone who says to me “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21).

This means you follow his teachings and seek to imitate him.

Jesus is full of grace and truth.

Like Adam, we are called to be prophets, priests, and kings to reflect the image of Christ in who’s likeness we were created.

If you feel burdened by this call to submit to him as Lord and obey his commands. . . listen to his invitation to you tonight. . .

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”