Divinity of Christ

St. Nicholas

Who is the most famous person during Christmas?

Hard to tell Fact from Fiction

Saved children from death

Saved sailors from drowning

destroyed pagan temples

and fasted even as a baby

He suffered persecution and had scars to show for it.

Generous gift giver

Saving with his fortune even kids from prostitution

The legend develops (Farmhand Rupert)

What would St Nicholas want today? Jesus

Intro

What is Christ? God or Man?

Jesus was a Historical Human

Modelism: One person, 3 modes

Jesus was Human

Physical and emotional

Arianism: Two similar persons, but not the same.

The Fig Tree

Bible for Christ’s Divinity

What is Christ?

(Draw chart of Creator and Creation)

homoiousios vs homoousios

Lexham Survey of Theology Jesus’ Divinity

This doctrine affirms that Jesus Christ was not merely an extraordinary human being but the incarnate Son of God, who by nature is coequal and coeternal with God the Father.

John 3:16 KJV 1900

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Was Jesus Begotten?

The word is μονογενῆ

Hebrews 11:17 NET

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son.

Issac was Abraham’s Unique son, not only son.

Colossians 1:15–20 NET

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Jesus is the Firstborn of creation.

Psalm 89:27 NET

I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, the most exalted of the earth’s kings.

David was God’s special supreme king. First in a long line of kings leading to Christ.

Luke 11:

Luke 2:11 NET

Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.

The NET Bible Psalm 89

I will appoint him to be my firstborn son,

the most exalted of the earth’s kings.

Colo

Christ is Lord

John 1:1–4 NET

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God.The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.

John 1:1-

The NET Bible Chapter 8

because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Jesus was with God from the beginning and he is also God

Psalm 88:28

Revelation 1:8 NET

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God—the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come—the All-Powerful!

God says He is the first and last thing.

Revelation 1:17 NET

When I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last,

Jesus makes himself equal with God as the first and the last.

Revelation 22:8–9 NET

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw them, I threw myself down to worship at the feet of the angel who was showing them to me. But he said to me, “Do not do this! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey the words of this book. Worship God!”

The NET Bible Chapter 22

22:8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw them, I threw myself down to worship at the feet of the angel who was showing them to me. 22:9 But he said to me, “Do not do this! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey the words of this book. Worship God!

Angels do not accept Worship

John 9:35–37 NET

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”The man replied, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he is the one speaking with you.”

The NET Bible Chapter 2

11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him

John 9:

Jesus does accept Worship

The NET Bible Chapter 14

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

The NET Bible Chapter 28

When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 28:18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me

The NET Bible Chapter 9

5 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 9:36 The man replied, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 9:37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he is the one speaking with you.” [9:38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

John 10:30–33 NET

The Father and I are one.” The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death. Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”

Jews said that Jesus claimed to be God.

John 10:

John 8:57–58 NET

Then the Judeans replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!”

Jesus referenced God of the Old Testament

John 8:57-58

John 20:28 NET

Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Phil 2:6-11

Jesus did not tell Thomas to stop

Philippians 2:6–11 NET

who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death —even death on a cross! As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will 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.

This passage is called The Great Kenosis

Hebrews 1:8 NET

but of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.

God calls Jesus God

Hebrews 1:8

2 Peter 1:1 NET

From Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, have been granted a faith just as precious as ours.

Peter calls Jesus God

John 1

John 1:18 NET

No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.

Only Jesus has seen God

History for Christ’s Divinity

Ryrie’s Basic Theology F. Eutychianism

GROUP

TIME

HUMAN NATURE

DIVINE NATURE

CHURCH COUNCIL

Docetists

1st Century

Denied—only an appearance of humanity

Affirmed

Ebionites

2nd Century

Affirmed

Denied—Jesus was natural son of Joseph and Mary

Arians

4th Century

Affirmed

Denied—Jesus not eternal; similar to, but not same as God

Condemned by Nicea, 325

Apollinarians

4th century

Divine Logos replaced human spirit

Affirmed

Condemned by Constantinople

Nestorians

5th Century

Christ was two persons

Condemned by Ephesus, 431

Eutychians

5th Century

Not fully human

Not fully divine

Condemned by Chalcedon, 451

Christ was a single mixed nature

Orthodoxy

Perfect humanity

Full deity

Defined by Chalcedon, 451

Christ is one person

Ebionism: Spirit Filled

Modelism: One person, 3 modes

Water

Why is Jesus talking to himself in the garden?

Arianism: Two similar persons, but not the same.

Understanding Theology, Volume Three IV. Emerging Heresies in Church History

Apollinarianism

Apollinarianism: Human body, but not a human mind

Our bodies and minds need saved by Jesus.

Eutycianism: Jesus was part God, Part man, forming a new kind of being.

He couldn’t represent us as human, and couldn’t save us as God.

The First Council of Nicea : “very God of very God, begotten not made, of one substance [Greek: homoousion] with the Father.”

Nah, D. (2018). Jesus’ Divinity. In M. Ward, J. Parks, B. Ellis, & T. Hains (Eds.), Lexham Survey of Theology. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Application for Christ’s Divinity

Most Important Doctrine of all.

This is what seperates us from everyone

Humanity

He had to be human to be tempted like us and keep the law perfectly

He had to have blood to give for mankind.

Divinity

If Jesus is not God, we all need to close up every church door. Because Jesus is a liar

Liar, Lunatic or Lord.

Understanding Theology, Volume Three IV. Emerging Heresies in Church History

Therefore Jesus had to be fully and truly man if he were to represent us, be our substitute and save us.

Understanding Theology, Volume Three IV. Emerging Heresies in Church History

Therefore Jesus had to be fully and truly man if he were to represent us, be our substitute and save us.

Therefore Jesus had to be fully and truly man if he were to represent us, be our substitute and save us.

In order for Jesus to be fully qualified to pay for our sin, He had to be a man. Because mankind had sinned, the payment had to be made by a human being. In order for this payment to be satisfactory to Gold, it must be absolutely pure. Therefore, Jesus had to be God. There is no man on earth who can meet the strict qualifications