Nathan E. Lewis

The Incarnation of the Son of God
Four Talks by Nathan E. Lewis
Reformed Youth Movement Camp
Suttle Lake, Oregon
June 16-20, 2008

Table of Contents
Talk One: The History of the Incarnation
Talk Two: The Science of the Incarnation
Talk Three: The Gospel of the Incarnation
Talk Four: The Theology of the Incarnation

Talk One: The History of the Incarnation

The Pre-Existence of Christ
The Text = “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God….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.”
John 1:1-2 & 14

“Before Abraham was born, I am.” John 8:58

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John 17:5

The Bible is the written history of God redeeming his people. This redemption culminates in the incarnation of the Son of God.

The Notes:
“the Word” = a title for the Son of God as the Person who spoke all things into existence. (Read Genesis 1:1 and Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-4)

“was…became” = the first verb communicates pre-existence while the second verb communicates incarnation.

“became flesh and dwelt among us” = incarnation

“I am” = the infinite existence of the Son of God!

“glory” = emanation of divine presence; the divine Persons emanate glory for their divine essence of being; all other beings have the capacity of reflecting this divine glory as they are invaded and controlled by the divine Persons.

“with you before the world began” = pre-existence; divine fellowship; sharing of essence of being; WSC = “There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.”

“The incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God entered our world. In one sense, indeed, He was not far from it before, for no part of creation had ever been without Him Who, while ever abiding in union with the Father, yet fills all things that are. But now He entered the world in a new way, stooping to our level in His love and Self-revealing to us.” Athanasius, “On the Incarnation”

The Virgin Birth
The Text = “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, ‘God with us.’) When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”
Matthew 1:20-25

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus….And Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin!” Luke 1:30-31, 34

The Notes:
“conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” = miraculous conception apart from a paternal human party.

“the virgin” = quoted from Isaiah, this Hebrew word, “alma” technically refers to a young, unmarried Hebrew woman. While some scholars argue that it does not technically mean “virgin,” they miss the obvious that virginity was the rule and assumption of the Hebrew culture, the condition of any young, unmarried woman unless she was proven to be in an otherwise condition. The translators of the Septuagint, the 70 Hebrew scholars who translated the Hebrew text into Greek, chose the clear word, “virgin,” for the translation.

“he took his wife but knew her not until she had given birth to a son.” = Joseph did not have sex with Mary until she had given birth to Jesus. (e.g. Genesis 4:1).

“How can this be, since I am a virgin!” = Mary’s self-attestation to her virginity.

“The story of the virgin birth, far from being an obstacle to faith, is an aid to faith; it is an organic part of the majestic picture of Jesus which can be accepted most easily when it is taken as a whole.” J. Gresham Machen in “The Virgin Birth of Christ”

“In contrast to what the cards would have us believe, Christmas did not sentimentally simplify life on planet earth. Christmas art depicts Jesus’ family as icons stamped in gold foil, with a calm Mary receiving the tidings of the Annunciation as a kind of benediction. But that is not at all how Luke tells the story. Mary was “greatly troubled” and “afraid” at the angel’s appearance, and when the angel pronounced the sublime words about the Son of the Most High whose kingdom will never end, Mary had something far more mundane on her mind: But I’m a virgin! Nine months of awkward explanations, the lingering scent of scandal…It seems that God arranged the most humiliating circumstances possible for his entrance, as if to avoid any charge of favoritism.” Philip Yancey

Perfect Obedience
The Text = “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

“For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” Hebrews 7:26

“ Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned….For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one many, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ…. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5: 12,17,19

The Notes:
“in every respect…yet without sin” = perfect obedience of the law of God.

“separated from sinners” = Jesus Christ is one of us yet he is in a class of his own as the only perfect human being.

“one man” = Paul uses this language to compare and contrast Adam to Jesus. Both are human beings under the law of God. Adam failed but Jesus prevailed.

“Now some asks, ‘How has Christ abolished sin, banished the separation between us and God, and acquired righteousness to render God favourable and kindly toward us?’ To this we can in general replay that he has achieved this for us by the whole course of his obedience.”
John Calvin

The perfect obedience of Christ includes both his fulfillment of the law of God and his completion of the acts of redemption, atonement for our sins upon the cross.

The Text = “Being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8

The Notes:
“human form” = incarnation

“obedient” = according to the will of the heavenly Father, according to the divine plan of redemption.

“The death upon the cross was the supreme act of obedience… Strictly speaking, it was not an infliction. It was an undertaking, a commitment assumed, an act to be effected by himself, the exodus that he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. In the event he poured out his soul unto death, he laid down his life, he dismissed his spirit….” John Murray

Progressive Human Experience
The Text = “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52

“Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered.” Hebrews 5:8

The Notes:
“increased” = describes normal human maturation – growth

“increased in wisdom” = The Word of God, the Wisdom of God, in his incarnation, memorized the Torah with other boys in Nazareth; At the temple at 13 years old he was wise to an extent that the scribes were astonished at his knowledge and application of it.

“If he increased in wisdom he must have increased in knowledge, and this increase in knowledge must have applied preeminently to his understanding of the Father’s will and of the purpose for which he came into the world.” John Murray

“increased in stature” = Jesus’ body grew normally, like every other boy in Nazareth. He was a baby, weaned, potty-trained; he went through puberty; he was subject to the common curse including sickness and exhaustion.

“increased in favor with God” = his obedience increased not from imperfection to perfection, but in proper application as increased opportunities confronted him.

“increased in favor with man” = As he interfaced with more and more people, the number of those who received his gospel and embraced him as Lord increased.

Not only is the Incarnation presented to us in historic narrative and in personal correspondence, but it includes what modern historians would call “Personal History.” We discover Jesus Christ to be a normal human being with an authentic personal experience.

The Climax: Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension
The Text = “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death…. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God….” Acts 2:23-24, 32-33

The Notes:
“crucified and killed” = actual and cruel death, superintended by God but nonetheless an historical event committed by human hands.

“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death” = resurrection; Jesus was truly dead in the grave but his heavenly Father granted him new life resulting in the powerful, historic act of resurrection, witnessed by an entire Roman guard.

“exalted at the right hand of God,” = the ascension of Jesus into heaven takes humanity into the heart of God! In heaven, Jesus Christ is eternally human, the God-Man forever. The incarnation of the Son of God has resulted in an eternal dual nature of Christ.

The New Testament presents the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension as historical events. These events are the climax of the Master Story.

“Christians have never believed that the cross was the end of that history, nor even the resurrection. To adopt such a view would put us in the strange position of having to fall silent midway through the creed. Yet to continue in full voice is not possible without renewed commitment to the absolute priority of Jesus-history.” Douglas Farrow in “Ascension and Ecclesia”

“The gospel is not just a moving fictional story about someone else. It is a true story about us. We are actually in it…. When I realized I was actually inside Jesus’ story (and he inside mine) it changed me…. The fear and pride that captured my heart was finally dislodged. The fact that Jesus had to die for me humbled me out of my pride. The fact that Jesus was glad to die for me assured me out of my fear.” Tim Keller in “The Reason for God.”

The differences between Christianity and other religions are numerous. Christianity uniquely presents the gospel as the reason for union between God and humanity in contrast to human morality and good deeds as the reason. Christianity follows a Savior with a dual nature – fully human and fully divine. Islam believes Jesus to be one prophet among many. Ghandi considered Jesus to be a fine teacher and model for life. Buddhism holds Christ in high regard. There are many differences between major world religions that distinguish Christianity. Here is one more to consider in this talk on “The History of the Incarnation.” Miniscule bits of the holy texts of world religions are presented in historical narrative. Most of the religious writings of the world are aphorisms, proverbs, and ethical commands codified. But a major portion of the Bible of Christianity is historical narrative and personal correspondence. The incarnation is presented not only as a fact or a theological point, but as a story – the true account of our redemption – the Master Story. It is not only presented as a direct word from God, through angels, to a prophet (like most world religions), but it also presented through the form of a human being writing a letter to another group of human beings. It is imbedded in history.

Group Discussion
1) What do you find difficult to understand about the incarnation?
2) What do you find difficult to believe about the incarnation?
3) Why is an historical record of the incarnation important?
4) What is the Master Story? Does it inform all of human history?
5) What is the climax of the redemptive history of the Bible?
6) What is the climax of world/human history?
7) Discuss the quote of Athanasius on page one.
8) Why is it important that the Son of God existed infinitely before the incarnation?
9) Why is it important that Jesus was born of a virgin?
10) Why is it important that Jesus perfectly obeyed God’s law?
11) Why is it important that Jesus had a normal, human experience complete with progressive, unfolding wisdom, stature, and favor?

Talk Two: The Science of the Incarnation

Natural Science and the Bible
The Bible is not a textbook of natural science. Nevertheless it does not ignore basic scientific topics, like space, time, and matter. The Bible retains the ancient views of its authors and communities. This does not make the Bible inaccurate or unusable but rather it makes the Bible a reliable historic account. Its purpose is not to give to us a scientific presentation to the precision of present-day science, but rather, its purpose is to present the history of redemption. The Bible presents this world as a field governed by natural law as well as a field in which divine miracle occurs. Both natural law and divine miracle are tools of God used to accomplish his holy will (the sustaining and restoration of his creation included.) The person who woodenly believes that Science answers all our questions is usually disappointed with the study of the Bible, which does not answer all our questions. Needless to say, Science does not answer all questions as scientists are quick to admit as they present their research findings. The Incarnation of the Son of God is not presented in the Bible from a scientific perspective. Nevertheless, the biblical presentation does include some intriguing elements of space, time, and matter. This presentation raises many questions. Any discussion of the Science of the Incarnation is bound to be stimulating and fascinating.

“The beauty of scientific laws shows the beauty of God himself.”
Vern Poythress in “Redeeming Science.”

The Text = “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God….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.”
John 1:1-2 & 14

The Notes:
The basic fields of science – time, matter, and space – are latent in the text!

“In the beginning was the Word…He was in the beginning with God…” =TIME

“the Word became flesh” = MATTER

“and dwelt among us.” = SPACE

Infinity and the Incarnation
The Text = Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:13-14 and “Before Abraham was born, I am.” John 8:58

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2

“Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven -what can you do? Deeper than Sheol –what can you know?” Job 7: 7-8

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3

The Notes:
“I am” = no beginning and no end of God; infinite existence – TIME

“from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” = infinite existence of God; eternity extends without limit into the future; Infinity extends without limit back into the past and forward into the future, in respect to TIME.

“Infinity is that perfection of God by which He is free from all limitations.” Louis Berkhof.

“Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?” = rhetorical Q answered, “No.”

“His greatness is unsearchable” = without limitations.

Infinity is a topic of discussion and research in the Sciences, including Philosophy and Mathematics since Aristotle. Presently cosmologists talk of the megaverse, an infinite cluster of universes of which our universe is merely one.

“Einstein never took the idea seriously. “He thought they were an artifact, a sloppy application of the equations,” says Peebles. Mathematically, a black hole is a so-called singularity—a place where space and time become so distorted that the equations of general relativity yield infinities, rather than rational numbers, as solutions. To Einstein, infinity was no answer at all—it was a failure. He could believe in gravity waves and other unlikely predictions of general relativity because math supported them. Black holes defied math….Einstein was often wrong but even his errors led to deep truths.” Karen Wright in “The Master’s Mistakes,” published in Discover Magazine

NOVA: How do mathematicians define infinity?
Netz: Something, which is equal to some of its parts. That’s really the technical definition.
NOVA: Is there a difference between the mathematical concept of infinity and infinity in terms, say, of space or time—the philosophical concept?
Netz: That’s the curious thing. Infinity became a really clear and well-defined quantity mathematically in the late 19th century, which it wasn’t before and which makes it rather different from what we ordinarily talk about when we talk about infinity, namely, about something very, very big. In mathematics nowadays, when we think about infinity, we think about a set whose properties are different from those of ordinary sets.
NOVA: So is infinity an active field of study for mathematicians today?
Netz: Oh, infinity is what mathematics is about. Infinity always was what mathematics is about. It’s just that there are many different ways of dealing with it. (Nova’s PBS aired interview of Reviel Netz of Stanford University)

The Science of the Incarnation includes this topic of Infinity. The Infinite Son of God enters into a created dimension of time, space and matter.

The Ascension and the Incarnation
The Text: “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.” Luke 24: 36-43

The Notes:
In (36-43) Jesus shows his disciples that he is truly part of this world, existing as a true human being in our space and time. He is not a spirit visiting from another period of our space and time, from the past or from the future. He is not a vision of a being existing in another dimension, in heaven or in a neighboring universe governed by a different set of natural laws. He is actually present body and soul with his Disciples. They can touch his flesh. He can eat a piece of broiled fish. It is this Jesus Christ, body and soul, who arrives to the boundaries of time and space and instantly disappears into the heavenly realm.

The Text: “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.” Luke 24: 50-53

“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’” Acts 1: 9-11

The Notes:
“as they were looking on, he was lifted up” = These are interesting verbs describing the ascension. They are passive. Did something or someone snatch Jesus out of space and time?
As Gerrit Scott Dawson writes in his book, Jesus Ascended, “He did not so much go up as he was picked up.” In natural science we are accustomed to thinking of impersonal force pushing or pulling matter from one location to another. But we also know from our own experience that a personal force can push and pull matter. Whatever the cause, the science of the ascension is the snatching up of Jesus into a realm beyond time and space.

“While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried into heaven” = The intimacy of blessing gave way as Jesus spoke his love yet physically walked away from his Disciples. At a spatial distance from them, he was forced into another realm or dimension.

“This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way…” = Jesus Christ has ascended body and soul, taking humanity into the very heart of God, into the very center of heaven!

“Today our firstfruits ascended up to heaven, and taking up the flesh from us took possession of his Father’s throne, in order that he might work reconciliation….Stand amazed therefore, beloved, at the ingenuity of the Master, and glorify Him who gives such things freely to you….See, we who were excluded from paradise have even been taken up into heaven itself….For the Lord of all has ascended, reconciling the Father to the generation of man.”
 John Chrysostom

“For today our dust is taken up on the shoulders of the cherubim and being received within the inner palace is set upon the royal throne.” Leo Imperator

Group Discussion
1) Discuss the following quotes of Dr. Vern Poythress of Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, in his book, Redeeming Science (Crossway):
“So when we find discrepancies between the Bible and science, we look for where we went astray. Somewhere someone has misinterpreted – whether misinterpreting Scripture, or misinterpreting the world of scientific study, or both!… We need to be ready to reexamine both our thinking about the Bible and our thinking about science….But the Bible is always right, and should be trusted on that account. Likewise, God’s word concerning providence is always right and trustworthy. But modern science, as a human interpretation of God’s providence, may make mistakes. Our interpretation of providence may need revision. And our interpretation of the Bible may need revision.”
2) Why is it important that Jesus is the incarnate Son of God who has infinitely existed?
3) Why is it important that the Infinite Son of God incarnated, that is took upon himself a true human body?
4) How would describe the relationship of different dimensions to someone?
5) Where is heaven in relationship to earth?
6) How did the Son of God enter this world of time, space, and matter? Try to explain it in terms of natural science rather than in biblical/theological terms.
7) How did the incarnate Son of God depart this world of time, space and matter? Try to explain it in terms of natural science rather than in biblical/theological terms.
8) Is it possible that another dimension would have different expressions of time, space, and matter? What do you think the Apostle Peter means when he quotes, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” ( II Peter 3:8) Check out the context.
9) Does the Incarnation do violence to natural science? Does it defy natural science? Does the language of the virgin birth include any reference to natural science?

Talk Three: The Gospel of the Incarnation

The Exclusive Way to God
The Text = I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 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.” Acts 4: 11-12

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7: 13-14

“I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved…” John 10: 9

The Notes:
The Incarnation of the Son of God is inseparably connected to the divine mission of salvation.

“I am the Way” = The incarnate Son of God in the midst of humanity blazing a trail into the heart of divine favor. He blazes this trail with his own life, his own human existence, his own body, on the cross, in the grave, raised to new life and ascending into heaven. (More about the “Way” under “Suffering then the Glory.”)

“I am the Truth” = The incarnate Son of God not only fulfills and displays/imparts divine truth, but he is divine truth in human form. He not only knows the truth but he perfectly lives the truth – perfect application of knowledge // the Wisdom of God. Divine truth presented in the incarnation of the Son of God concentrates on the gospel, how a fallen humanity might be restored to a holy God.

“I am the Life” = The incarnate Son of God’s mission is to destroy the enemies, Satan, Sin, and Death. None of these have the power or authority to separate us from God. The Incarnate Son of God who has passed through death into newness of life (the resurrection) obtains new life for the many.

“No one comes to the Father except through me” = the exclusivity of the gospel is inseparably connected to the Incarnation of the Son of God. No one else can occupy this role as Savior but for the Incarnate Son of God. Any gospel that denies the Incarnation of the Son of God is no gospel at all.

“there is salvation in no one else” = The “Cosmic Christ” cannot save for it is a concept, not a Person and the human body is missing, the human body necessary for death on the cross! A master teacher/guru cannot save for he is a mere human being pointing to the one Way. Such a good, moral teacher is bereft of a pre-existing and abiding divine nature necessary for the conquering of the archenemies of God and his people.

“This Jesus is the stone….for there is no other name under heaven given unto men by which we must be saved” = The name, Jesus, refers to the human nature of the Incarnate Son of God. The space/location and action of salvation is this world, “under heaven,” and so the mission of the incarnation is part of the divine plan to redeem all creation exclusively through Jesus Christ. “Given unto men” communicates the passivity of humanity and the active mission of God freely saving us.

“the gate is narrow” = exclusivity of the gospel

“the way is hard that leads to life” = this is primarily a reference to the passionate work of the incarnate Son of God, whose mission led to the cross. The difficulty for any of us who embrace this gospel is self-denial, the giving up of all of our other plans and attempts for justifying ourselves before a holy God. Jesus said, ‘If any man come after he, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me….”

“I am the gate” = The Incarnate Son of God is the exclusive entrance into the secure community of faith/ fellowship with God.

“Christianity not only leads its members to believe people of other faiths have goodness and wisdom to offer, it also leads them to expect that many will live lives morally superior to their own. Most people in our culture believe that, if there is a God, we can relate to him and go to heaven through leading a good life. Let’s call this the ‘moral improvement’ view. Christianity teaches the very opposite. In the Christian understanding, Jesus does not tell us how to live so we can merit salvation. Rather, he comes to forgive and save us through is life and death in our place. God’s grace does not come to people who morally outperform others, but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior.” Tim Keller in The Reason for God, Chapter One, “There Can’t Be Just One True Religion.”

The Redeemer of God’s Elect
The Text = “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” John 6:37-38

The Notes:
The Father and the Son perfectly complete our redemption.
“For I have come down from heaven” = reference to the incarnation – absolutely necessary in the divine plan for our redemption.
“not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” = The Council at Chalcedon (451) clearly presented the dual nature of Christ ( together, a complete human nature and a complete divine nature) yet the Church discussed and heatedly debated whether or not Christ had one or two wills. Those who argued that Jesus Christ had two natures yet only one will were known as Monothelites. The Council of Constantinople (680) finally silenced Monothelitism affirming that in Christ there was two natural wills. These two wills were distinct, yet inseparable; they always worked in harmony; and the human was invariably subordinate to the divine.

“This passage, ‘Yet not as I will, but as you will,’ (Mt. 26:39), shows plainly enough the gross folly of those ancient heretics, who were called Monothelites, because they imagined that the will of Christ was but one and simple; for Christ, as he was God, willed nothing different from the Father; and therefore it follows, that his human soul had affections distinct from the secret purpose of God.” John Calvin in his Harmony of the Gospels

The Text = “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.,,,” Ephesians 1: 3-7

The Notes:
The saving acts of the Father, namely predestination and adoption, are inseparably connected to the “redemption through his blood,” the work of the incarnate Son of God, Jesus, who died on the cross to cancel sin.

The Coming Kingdom of God
The Text = “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1: 14-15

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” Matthew 4:23

“But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24: 13-14

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Luke 17: 20-21

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one in born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:3-5

The Notes:
Jesus refers to the kingdom of God/heaven so often in the Gospels that it is impossible here to present his complete message of the kingdom, which is “already but not yet.” These notes concentrate on the relationship of the kingdom God to the incarnate Son of God as the announcer of it.

“proclaiming the gospel” = a human voice using human language in a human community delivers the good news of the kingdom of God.

“proclaimed throughout the whole world” = the gospel of the kingdom of God is a message for this present world, connecting us to the heavenly realm to come. It’s principle messenger, the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus, perfectly matches this message of the two realms yet one kingdom.

“the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” = the kingdom of God is profoundly spiritual, infiltrating any community and any soul. The physical, structural manifestations of the kingdom follow the spiritual coming of it.

The Significant Connection between the Kingdom of God and the Incarnate Son of God is the Messianic Consciousness of Jesus: He knows that he is the Messiah, that is, the anointed King of the coming kingdom of God.

The Text: “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 16: 15-16

And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, ‘The Lord said to my Lord,/ Sit at my right hand,/Until I put your enemies under your feet.’ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the throng heard him gladly. Mark 12: 35-37

“And they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13: 26

So Pilate… said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew” Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” John 18: 33-36

Suffering then the Glory!
The Text: “Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed….and after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” I Peter 4:14 and 5: 10

“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Luke 24: 27

The Notes:
The main theme of I Peter is that we, who are followers of Jesus Christ, follow his pattern of suffering first, then entering into his glory.

Luke 24: 27 is part of Jesus’ discussion with the two men on the Road to Emmaus soon after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus goes on to explain to them the whole of the Scriptures, supplying them with the redemptive history, including this pattern of Christ’s suffering first, then entering into his glory.

The Incarnation begins with the Son of God giving up the glories of heaven, humiliating himself by taking on the miseries of humanity in this world. These miseries reach a low point at the death of the Jesus Christ on the Roman cross. Then, on resurrection morning, Jesus Christ enters into his glory, ascending into heaven and exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords at the right hand of God. The gospel traces this descent from glory to suffering and the return to glory. The Gospel of the Incarnation announces the Son of God taking upon himself human flesh, assuming two natures through his entire earthly humiliation and suffering, even retaining his two natures for all eternity as he returns to glory!

Union with Christ
John Calvin presents union with Christ as the central biblical theme and expression of the gospel. The New Testament is riddled with the little phrase, “in Christ,” which expresses this union every Christian enjoys. The Spirit of Christ produces this union and so it has been classically known as “the mystical union.”

The Text: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

“Christ Jesus is in you!” II Corinthians 13:5

“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8: 10-11

“I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:3-4

The Notes:
“he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies” = So much can be said about union with Christ but our focus is upon its relation to the Gospel of the Incarnation. And so, notice Paul’s mention of the renewal of our mortal bodies! Just as Jesus was raised body and soul from the grave, we also shall be resurrected body and soul. The Gospel of the Incarnation assures us that God is redeeming not only our souls but our bodies as well.

“And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” = The Incarnate Son of God is the object of our faith as we continue to live in this world in the flesh.

“hidden with Christ in God….in glory” = our identity with Christ begins in this world but translates us immediately into the heavenly realm by identification with Christ in mystical union with him.

Restoration of all Creation
Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God is the Second Adam, fulfilling/making perfect everything Adam fail to do. The entire creation suffers under the common curse as a result of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin. And so, the “whole creation groans” waiting to be “set free from its bondage to corruption.” (Romans 8: 18-23). Jesus commands his disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature/to all creation!” (Mark 16: 15). God made humanity stewards of the rest of creation and so, the Son of God incarnates, becoming a member of the human race into to restore all of creation as the perfect human Steward.

Group Discussion
1) Why is it important to understand the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension as inseparable events included in the gospel?
2) How does “union with Christ” summarize the entire gospel?
3) Why is it necessary that the Christ should suffer death for our salvation?
4) How is the announcement of the Kingdom of God coming a gospel proclamation?
5) What significant parts/aspects of the gospel would be missing if we stripped Christ of the incarnation?
6) Do you consider the gospel to be simple, easily understood? Why or why not?
7) What is so important about the Council of Constantinople (680) correcting the Monothelites?

Talk Four: The Theology of the Incarnation

Jesus the Son of God: A Summary of John Murray’s Lecture
Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16). This is not an isolated incident or language sampling in the New Testament. At the grave of Lazarus, Martha says to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ the Son of God who has come into the world.” (John 11: 27). “The Son of God” is a frequent title used in the Bible. At Jesus baptism, the voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3: 17). The angel told Mary that her son would be “called the Son of the Highest.” (Luke 1:32). Paul’s epistles maintain the priority of Christ’s Sonship. What is the identity expressed by this title?
First of all divine Fatherhood is communicated by this title, “Son of God.” The Father and the Son talk to each other; they interrelate with each other. The Father has sent his Son into this world. The Son does everything, even die on the cross to glorify his Father. This relationship between Father and Son is to be distinguished from the relationship the Father Creator has to his Creation/children. The former is infinite while the latter is connected to creation and redemption.
Secondly the title “Son of God” communicates eternal Sonship. The Son of God is unique and also bears the title, “the Only Begotten Son.” This title does not express a beginning or conceiving of the Son of God but rather expresses his unique relationship to the Father. “Only Begotten” does not describe the act and process of the Incarnation but rather is a title assigned to the Son infinitely existing with the Father. The language of the Father giving his Son does describe the Incarnation. (e.g. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son….”) “He gave” relates to the Incarnation while “Only Begotten Son” refers to the Infinite Son of God existing prior to the Incarnation. Jesus also refers to his Incarnation and earthly mission as being “sent from/by God.” “Hence this filial identity (Son of God) is pre-existent, pre-temporal, and transcendent.”
The transcendent Sonship is prior and basic, even noticeably conspicuous in Jesus’ self-designation as he says, “No one knows the Son but the Father and no on knows the Father but the Son….” (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22). Jesus says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit….” Notice the singularity of “name” and the plurality of the three Persons who comprise that singular name. These are two of many citations that support this thesis: “The eternal, intra-divine, ontological Sonship is primary and basic in the title, ‘Son’ as predicated of our Lord.” In other words, the title “Son of God” refers to a relationship between the infinitely divine Father and Son prior to the incarnation and rooted in their divine being, their infinite existence. This transcendence is often attached to the Messianic references (e.g. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Matthew 16:16; “Christ,” meaning “Messiah,” both “the anointed One,” are references to the divine One who saves and rules. The title “Son of the Living God,” is appositional to “Christ.”
The transcendent identity described by the title “Son” also shows forth the depth of humiliation occurring in the incarnation. This is very God, the second Person of the Trinity, “stooping so low for sinners,” taking on flesh and living among us. Implicit in this humiliation of the Son is the category of limitation. “As incarnate there are limitations inseparable from human nature. But there were also limitations to which he was subject in terms of his commission.” Jesus was thirsty at the well of Jacob and on the cross; he was continually subject to the Father’s will. In Gethsemane he prayed, “Not my will but your will be done.” Later in the same garden he said, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send to me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). “Son of God” is not merely a title that describes Jesus as the incarnate Messiah. It describes the infinite relationship between the Father and the Son and it just so happens to perfectly describe the incarnate Messianic mission of the Second Person of the Trinity, namely, the Son of God. It is no way describes a purely human Messiah commissioned by God.
The religious leaders of Judaism understood Jesus’ claims and work. Read John 5:
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
25″Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
John summarizes the total witness of the New Testament: “We know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true: and we are in him that is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” (I John 5:20).

“As we think of the climatic demand of Jesus’ commission, obedience unto death even the death of the cross, what is here brought into focus is the sending by the Father of the only-begotten and beloved Son in the identity that is intrinsically his as the Son for all that was entailed in the agony of Gethsemane and the abandonment of Calvary. The Son came. Let us not forget it. But he came because he was sent. Jesus laid down his life. Let us not forget it. But he did so in pursuance of the Father’s commandment. What our Lord’s words teach us to ponder is the marvel of the Father’s love, the marvel before which we become lost in intelligent and holy wonderment. And his words remind us that to believe that the Father sent the Son is an indispensable ingredient of faith.” John Murray

The Incarnation: A Summary of Louis Berkhof (Systematic Theology)
“It was not the triune God but the second person of the Trinity that assumed human nature.” Nevertheless, all three Persons of the Trinity were active in accomplishing the incarnation. The biblical record stresses the Son of God’s active participation in this historical act while his pre-existence is assumed. “It is not possible to speak of the incarnation of one who had no previous existence.” The incarnation defies our limited understanding. Nevertheless, it “shows that the infinite can and does enter into finite relationships and that the supernatural can in some way enter the historical life of the world.”
The Necessity of the Incarnation: Theologians since the Middle Ages through to the present have argued the necessity of the incarnation: Would the Son of God come in the flesh even if humanity had not sinned? In other words, did human sin prompt the incarnation or was the incarnation part of God’s infinite plan regardless of sin? Thomas Aquinas was the first to say that the reason for the incarnation lay in the entrance of sin into the world. Most of the Reformers followed Aquinas. However, a few have argued, “such a stupendous fact as the incarnation cannot be contingent, and cannot find its cause in sin as an accidental and arbitrary act of man. It must have been included in the original plan of God.” The role of Mediator must not be completely confined in response to the fall. Berkhof’s response to this historical debate: “There is but one plan of God, and this plan includes sin and the incarnation from the very beginning. In the last analysis, of course, the incarnation, as well as the whole work of redemption was contingent, not on sin, but on the good pleasure of God.”
The Change Effected in the Incarnation: When we read, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” we are not to think that the Son of God ceased to be what he was prior to the incarnation. The verbs used in these statements do not mean that the Son of God changed into flesh and thus altered his essential nature. Rather, they describe his taking upon himself an additional nature. -Hence the dual nature of Christ Jesus.
The Incarnation Constituted Christ One of the Human Race: “Christ assumed a human nature from the substance of his mother.” Mary was more than a channel through which the incarnation happened. She was organically connected: Jesus was truly her son.
The Incarnation Effected by a Supernatural Conception and a Virgin Birth: The birth of Jesus Christ was a supernatural birth involving the Holy Spirit – 1) He was the efficient cause of what was conceived in Mary’s womb; and thus excluded the activity of man as an efficient factor; and so the fully divine Person of the Son of God was born; and 2) He sanctified the human nature of Christ in its very inception, keeping it free from the pollution of sin; he prevented original sin from passing to Christ, as it is naturally passed down to us by ordinary generation. Thus the virgin birth is absolutely necessary. Its doctrinal purpose may be stated as follows: 1) Christ had to be born, the Messiah, of God and of humanity – the God/Man; and 2) He is born in such a way to escape original sin with all its guilt and shame.
The Incarnation Itself is Part of the Humiliation of Christ: Jesus suffered during entire earthly life. He suffered in his body and his soul. His sufferings resulted from various causes: 1) they resulted from his occupying a menial position as a servant among men; 2) they resulted from his living in a sinfully polluted community while ever being perfectly obedient; 3) they resulted from his being overwhelmed with the sufferings of the entire world; 4) they resulted from deprivation of the comforts of life, torment from the devil, and persecution from his fellow man. Ultimately, his suffering culminated in his death on the Roman cross and his resting in the grave dead for a short period of time. (Some of us are familiar with the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which includes the following Q & A: “Wherein did Christ’s humiliation exist? …in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried and continuing under the power of death for a time.”)

Group Discussion
1) John Murray concludes his lecture calling us to faith in Christ alone, telling us that the equality and co-working of the Father and the Son is indispensable to faith. How does the doctrine of the Incarnation move you to faith in Christ? How does it inform and fuel your faith in Christ alone?
2) Explain the dual nature of Christ. What is the creedal language preserving this doctrine? What about this doctrine is difficult to understand? To believe? What must occur within us prior to understanding and belief? What are the limitations of human rationalism? What is you personal experience with understanding and belief, particularly in regards to the Incarnation?
3) What have you learned about the Incarnation this week? Which portions/quotes in the talks have been the most helpful to you?
4) Read the chart on the following page and discuss it as a group. Is it important to know what other religions and cults believe? Why or why not?