CrossTalk: Forgive Us Our Traspasses

Forgiveness is one of those words that is often on our lips but rarely in our hearts. It is regularly heard but seldom understood. So today, let’s seek to understand it.

Forgiving does not simply happen with the passage of time. It is a willing act. Forgiveness is not helplessly waiting for the passage of time to dull your feelings or fog your memory. Nor does forgiveness say, “don’t worry about it,” or “no big deal.” These are excuses to minimize the debt. They say that what you did wasn’t really wrong, it wasn’t that serious, or that you are not to really blame. Such statements are fraudulent forgiveness. Genuine forgiveness says: “What you did was both wrong and inexcusable. But I won’t demand that you pay. Instead, I will pay the debt myself.”

As hard as it is to forgive like this, it is just as hard to be forgiven. For to be forgiven requires you to admit, “I was wrong and I have no valid excuse.” Saying this does not earn your forgiveness (that has to be earned by the forgiver). Rather it makes us want to be forgiven. As long as you want to justify your actions, you cannot want to be forgiven. For this reason, pride is the enemy of forgiveness. Whether you are confessing your sins to God or to another person, pride kills our desire for true forgiveness.

So forgiveness requires two things. It requires us to empty ourselves of all pride when we do wrong. And it requires the forgiver to pay the whole debt. That’s real forgiveness.

But real forgiveness is a rarity. When we are wronged, we usually fake forgiveness but don’t really give it. We file our hurts away in memory banks so that we can use them as leverage on later debts. This way we retain the power to avoid confessing our own sins against others. Thus, instead of living in the peace of mutual forgiveness, we live with temporary and fragile truces. And when we are wronged, we are reluctant to say anything out of fear of upsetting the truce. Without forgiveness, we fear that naming our hurts will only open the flood gates for our own unforgiven sins to be trotted out in a hopeless attempt to “reconcile” accounts—matching up sin for sin, wrong for wrong, injury for injury. Such counterfeit forgiveness leaves behind a string of broken relationships that litters our lives.

But there are worse consequences than these. The problem goes deeper than just poisoning our relationships with one another. The problem strikes at the heart of the Gospel itself. If, in our personal lives, forgiveness is no longer asked for and given in its true sense, we start to believe the lie. And when this happens, the forgiveness of God in Christ becomes just as hollow for us as the counterfeit forgiveness that we offer our neighbors.

Don’t let this false forgiveness color your view of Christ. Instead let the true forgiveness of Christ inform your forgiveness for others. For Jesus always and only deals in real forgiveness. As the true Forgiver, He has already paid your debt by His death on the cross. And as the true Forgiver, His forgiveness toward you is never based on the passage of time, or your good behavior. Nor does He store your sins away to be brought up later as tools of control. Rather, in Christ, God promises you that He will not think anymore of your sins, or bring them up against you, or allow your sins to harm His feelings toward you.

Knowing this we can lay aside all pride and joyfully confess our sins knowing that God will forgive them truly. And so we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 

Conversations on Christ: the Two Natures and Holy Scripture

The topic for today concerns Scriptures. i.e. writings--not sermons. And Holy writings at that. Special writings in a league of their own (canon). About these particular Writings, we wish to speak of both their divinity and their true humanity. -- Two natures distinct but not separated in Christ.

Writing, first.

The Christian faith is created and sustained by the oral Word. From the moment that God first spoke light into being, this has been the case. Orality is so central, in fact, that there is no indication that Holy Writing even existed before God Himself first wrote on tablets of stone.

From this,  I conclude two things:

•  Scripture serves a different function than preaching.
•  It is not a subordinate function but vital enough to garner God's direct attention.

Post enlightenment theologians often make the mistake of equating the living voice of the Church with the Holy Scriptures. Thus failing to take seriously the unique, God-given purpose of Holy Writ.

And this purpose is to keep the preaching true.

Canon, second.

We speak of Holy Scriptures in the plural. Not one book but a collection. Each book was admitted to the canon through examination and consensus. Today I will not defend each of the 66 individual choices. I simply note that these particular writings have been afforded a special place unparalleled by any other Christian writings--past or present.

To ignore this distinction is to reject 3500 years of Church history. To embrace it is to receive the fullness of what God has given to His Church.

Divinity, third.

These books are God's books like no others. Theopneustos = God-Spirited. Whatever we can say about the truest and best non-canonical writings, we must say that and something additional about the Holy Scriptures.

Filled with God, they are what God is: Creative, most of all. They convey the content of Christianity creatively, not as echo but as source. Pure as God is pure. True as God is true.  Unadulterated by the lies and the deceptions of the devil or mired in the misunderstandings of the world.

They are creating. Given as new wine to burst old thought patterns. Given to restructure our thoughts and not simply confirm them...whether those thoughts be about the world's origins, or about popular morality, or about human nature--it's capacities and limitations. All thoughts are captive to the Word of God and these are God's Words. Even while they were undeniably written by men.

Humanity, fourth.

"To err is human." That's the operative axiom. "If we are going to take the humanity of these books seriously, we must allow that they might contain errors. Otherwise we make Scripture non-human, non-incarnational, non-Jesus."

Post-enlightenment theologians have stressed this point. But no one prior. Because the major premise is wrong. It is not human to err. Error is not part of our humanity itself but rather a corruption of it. Jesus is without sin while remaining fully human.

So too, human language is not intrinsically flawed. It was, after all, given to mankind before the fall, not afterwards. What is human in the Holy Scriptures has nothing to do with error. It has everything to do with Jesus.

Christ in Everything.

In the man from Nazareth we encounter the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In the Holy Scriptures we encounter the fullness of the Godhead verbally.

The words themselves--grammar, syntax, context, culture--reveal God. Personality, perspective, emphasis, mode of speech--reveal God as well. Not just near approximations of God, but the fullness of the Godhead.

There is no more of God to be sought outside of these particular words. Just as there is no additional God to be sought outside of the crucified One. And any so-called wisdom that must deny, alter, ignore or relativize these words is no wisdom at all--merely old wineskins that need bursting.

To extol the humanity of the holy Scriptures is to fix our attention on the actual words. Each one is important. Each one is inspired. None are wrong. This does not imply or assert mechanical inspiration any more than Jesus' sinlessness implies that He is an automaton.

It is simply to stand with the Church of all ages, receiving all that Jesus gives.

P.S. I stumbled across a pretty good essay by Reformed theologian, Harold O. J. Brown (1933-2007), titled: "The Arian Connection: Presuppositions of Errancy" More than any other article, I found, I discussed the Scriptures in terms of the two natures of Christ. It is found in Challenges to Inerrancy: A Theological Response, edited by Gordon Lewis and Bruce Demarest, paperback 414 pp.

Conversations on Christ: The Two Natures and the Eucharist

Of what is the flesh of Jesus capable?

Can Jesus' body actually be physically present in the Eucharist and still remain truly and fully human? That is the central question of modern eucharistic controversies. That is also the central question of ancient controversies over the two natures of Christ.

Can Jesus' flesh be life-giving while remaining truly human? Everything that needs to be said about the modern controversy was already said in the ancient one. Therefore, I want to address the topic of the day by rehearsing the basic concerns that were reconciled in the Chalcedonian Definition.

The Nicene Creed confessed the core Christian belief that Jesus Christ is true God "of one substance with the Father..." and also true man "incarnate...made man." Thus, by 325ad, any denial either of Jesus' true humanity or of His true divinity was permanently ruled out.

While these basic facts were settled, the deeper question still remained:

Of what is the flesh of Jesus capable?

Can Christ's human nature contain and communicate divine power? Or, must any and all divine power be denied Christ's humanity lest it become something other than truly human? Each side held a legitimate biblical concern. But each side also held the seed of heresy--prone to reject either the divinity or humanity.

Hebrews 2:14 states: As we are "flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same," also 4:14: He is "like we are." If this is not true, our flesh remains unredeemed and unreconciled. But if Jesus' human nature is filled with divinity can it still be real?

Some (like Nestorius) took it that far, denying that any divine power operated through Christ's flesh (echoes of Arianism). But if Jesus' humanity has no divine power, how can He say in John 6:51,  "My flesh... I will give for the life of the world"? Clearly Jesus' flesh is life-giving—an attribute proper to God alone!

Does that make Jesus' humanity super-human—therefore, non-human? Again, some (like Eutyches) so blended the divine and human as to make Jesus' human nature only seem human (shades of Gnosticism)

Language barriers, cultural suspicions, ego and politics all contributed to amplify the divisions and drag out the controversy. But true Christians on both sides of the debate recognized the legitimacy of each concern.

The biblical Jesus must be truly God and truly man. But not only this. These two natures must relate in such a way that Jesus' flesh itself becomes life-giving while remaining true man.  That's the incarnation! We are saved because God is made man.

In 451 both sides came together at Chalcedon to confess: The flesh is filled with divine power while remaining flesh. "We confess that one and the same Christ [has] two natures without confusion, change, division, or separation...in one person."

Jesus' human nature remains pure—neither mixed with the divine nor changed into a half-god. He is one with us in every respect. "without confusion or change" But neither can He be divided into parts. His divine nature is eternally and fully united with the human nature.

Now, wherever the Son of God is, Jesus' flesh is; and wherever Jesus flesh is, there is the Son of God. "without division or separation." Cyril of Alexandria put it thus: "[Jesus'] flesh gives life because it is the flesh of the Word who gives life to all." (Anathema 11) While the flesh of Christ, as flesh, has no power to save. The flesh of Christ as the flesh of the Son of God contains and communicates all of God's life-giving power.

So, of what is the flesh of Jesus capable?

It is capable of containing "the fullness of the Godhead bodily." (Col. 2:9) for the "Word is God...and was made flesh" (Jn 1:1,14) It is capable of giving life "to all receive it" (Jn 6) It is capable of doing all of this while remaining truly human because, and only because, it is fully united with the Son of God. For wherever the Son of God is, there also is Jesus' humanity...without confusion, change, division, or separation.

Since Jesus declares His will to give His flesh to be eaten in the Holy Eucharist, His humanity is also is capable of this. So in bread Jesus gives His flesh. And in His flesh, gives us God.

Thanks be to God.

CrossTalk: Who Is My Neighbor

Jesus teaches us to, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31). So do the apostles (Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14 and James 2:8). But this rule did not just begin with Jesus. It was taught by Moses (Leviticus 19:18) and was well known 1500 years before Christ. In fact, one of the clearest statements of this rule came, not from Jesus, but from an expert in the law of Moses as recorded in Luke 10:25-27.

This simple sentence includes everybody and excludes nobody. In fact, it is so overwhelmingly impossible that the law expert asks Jesus a follow-up question: “and who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). This question prompted Jesus to tell the familiar story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35). A certain man was mugged and left for dead. Two religious authorities traveling that way saw him but did nothing. Only a Samaritan (an enemy) stopped to help him, binding his wounds, taking him to an inn and providing for his convalescence.

Clearly the religious authorities were wrong to do nothing. They should have counted the victim as their neighbor and helped him. This point is so obvious that it has been written into our own legal framework for centuries. We have a whole class of laws termed “Good Samaritan” laws based on this parable. You might think that this is the whole point of Jesus’ story. But Jesus takes it in a different direction. Instead of saying, “which of these three recognized the poor victim as his neighbor?” Jesus summarizes the parable by asking, “Which of these three was neighbor to him?” (Luke 10:36). This question turns everything around! Instead of focusing on the one needing help as our neighbor, Jesus focuses on the One who helps as our neighbor!

It’s not that Jesus is discouraging us from being helpful. Certainly not! After all, He concludes by saying, “Go and do likewise.” But Jesus here highlights an even more important point for you. The Good News of the Bible is not just a rehash of all the laws that would have you do good to your neighbor. We already know these and fail regularly. The really Good News is that your creator Himself is your Neighbor who does good to you.

What Jesus comes for is to be your Good Samaritan. You are the one who has been set upon by Satan. You find yourself beaten, stripped, robbed and left for dead. And the Samaritan comes along to help you because you can’t help yourself. He doesn’t come because you have treated Him well (after all, Jews hated Samaritans). Rather, He comes to you because He is Good and because He is your truest Neighbor. In this way, He does for you what no religious teacher, guru or sage can do. They all pass by yelling out encouragement and instructions to you but ultimately leaving you in the same place they found you. Only Jesus actually picks you up and carries you to safety. That’s why we call Him Our Saviour.

This is what the Christian Church is all about. It is that inn where the Good Samaritan takes you. In the parable, the Samaritan leaves behind enough money to provide for the extended care of the victim. In the Church, Jesus provides His washing, His preaching and His feeding for your ongoing care. So as you busy yourselves with all the things that you do in care of your neighbor, never forget who is your truest Neighbor nor pass by an opportunity to be picked up and cared for by Jesus, your Good Samaritan.

Conversations on Christ: The Two Natures and Inclusive Language

The 800 pound gorilla in the room is the entire issue of gender relations. I will ignore him (or her)...mostly.  For today we are discussing the language of Gospel proclamation.

But since "inclusive language" embraces both the nature of language, and the nature of humanity, and since these two converge in the Person of Jesus who is the Word (language) made flesh (human), I have to begin with a nod to the gorilla before turning to language and the incarnation.

And so, three points: 1) humanity is essentially binary; 2) gender is God's language — not man's invention; and 3) God's incarnation interprets both — not the other way around.

Humanity is essentially binary

This simply means, "male and female created He them." (Gn 1:27). Maleness and femaleness go to the essence of our being — body, mind and spirit. Strictly speaking, male and female are two modes of human being — ways of being human.

A female is, in her sexuality, completely and fully human and so is every male. And every human is either a male person or a female person. There is no asexual humanity. To be inclusive of all humanity is to embrace both sexes without denying their distinctiveness.

God is the author of language — not man.

God begat the eternal Word and created by Him (Gn 1; Jn 1; Ps 33). God gave language to Adam and Eve (Gn 2:19-20). God also multiplied languages at Babel (Gn 11) and sanctified them at Pentecost (Ac 2). And not only has He authored all human language, He uses it to reveal Himself.

Yahweh spoke the Hebrew language to Moses — complete with all the masculine and feminine nouns, pronouns and pronominal suffixes. In Hebrew He "called their name ADAM" (Gn 5:1). Both sexes are included in this term "man". Just as both sexes are included when Christ calls us His bride.

Such modes of speech are not cultural accidents of Hebrew or Greek — much less English. Rather, all the gender inflections found in the Holy Scriptures are God's own way of speaking. And to the extent that we ignore His mode of speaking, we also ignore His self-revelation. Conversely, to understand WHY God speaks like this, is to understand Him. And the place to begin this understanding is in the Person of Jesus Christ.

The incarnation of God's Son as a male is the base line.

If either the masculinity of Sonship or the sexuality of maleness bothers us, something is terribly wrong. Our problem is that we are offended by the very "thatness" of God's salvation.

Attempts to mute the gender language or treat His sexuality as interchangeable, only highlight the problem. As long as the details of the incarnation are approached as something to be overcome, we won't get it. For the fullness of the Gospel is located precisely in these concrete facts, namely that:

• Jesus' divine nature is the eternal Son of the Father — masculine, albeit not male.
• Jesus' human nature is pure male — conceived and born of pure female.

Only by receiving this Jesus and understanding everything in Him, will our offense give way to delight.

Conclusions:

Therefore, as the Church seeks to understand these mysteries, we need to hear God's words spoken. The gender language of the Bible should be heard in Church and not muted in any way. And we should listen reverently without imposing our cultural biases of chauvinism or feminism. Instead of attenuating God's gender-freighted language in our zeal to be inclusive, we should attend to it to learn how God's own choice of language reveals the truest inclusivity.

Cultural biases centered on power and exclusion, tempt us to minimize these incarnational facts. But to do so scuttles our only hope of redeeming our culture with the reality of God in Christ. The mystery of the incarnation is the only sure starting point to address both gender and sexuality.

If our understanding of gender clashes with these linguistic realities, it is our modern anglo-centric understanding of gender which is suspect—not the words employed by God. Since it is divinely wrought, you can be certain that beyond the offense and confusion, there is a Gospel-charged, beautiful reality just waiting to be discovered in all these gender distinctions.

God designed both language and humanity with Jesus fully in view—not the other way around. Both humanity and language were structured by God in order to be His own vehicles of self-revelation.

The very nature of most languages (romantic and semitic languages to be sure) makes the expunging of these distinctions virtually impossible. English alone — with it's loss of most gender inflections — makes gender neutrality remotely feasible. We ought to take care that our anglo-centrism not cause us to reinterpret the Bible in ways which not only mute the actual text of the original but also are impossible for our fellow Christians world-wide.

Our own language (English) has lost most inflections, including gender. Our anglo-centric worldview makes it very hard even to know what we have lost in the translation. And it is no accident that inclusive language debates are largely limited to English translations! This ought to give us pause to consider what we have already lost before deliberately losing still more.

Conversations on Christ: The Two Natures and Baptism

Baptism and Creed

We believe in one God, the Father...

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten...
In one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We confess one Baptism for the remission of sins.

That's how we have confessed these things since Constantinople in 381. The unique, eternally-begotten Son is made flesh in One Lord Jesus—one Person. (without confusion, change, division, or separation) And the unity of these two natures constitutes the unity of both Church and Baptism.
"One Lord [Christ], one faith [Church], one Baptism, One God and Father of all" Ephesians 4:5-6.

The 10th chapter of Hebrews fleshes this out. "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all... Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, ...namely His flesh,... Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

As Tertullian (ca. 190) put it: "The flesh is the hinge of salvation." And Baptism is our new birth into the flesh of Jesus.

Baptismal Types

Before the incarnation of God's Son, baptism had not been inaugurated, only prefigured.

1. At the first creative moment, we see the Spirit of God brooding over the waters and we hear God speaking His Word. (Genesis 1:3) This is the basic shape of Baptism: Water and Spirit and Word.

2. Later God baptized the world with a flood, cleansing it of corruption and violence and saving for Himself a new humanity in Noah and his family. Peter writes:"Eight souls were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—Baptism" (3:20-21).

3. When God freed his children from Pharaoh and made them a kingdom of priests, He drew them out of the Red Sea. (Just as Moses himself had been "drawn out of the water" to become royalty.)
"All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Cor. 10:2).

4. But Moses could not lead them into the Promised Land. Only Joshua could. Joshua put the Ark of God into the Jordan and made it a road (Joshua 3:17). 1480 years later, another Joshua stood in the same place to be baptized by John.

Baptism, John and Jesus

"When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son," (Gal 4:4) and exactly at that time John inaugurated a new and unique baptism. Now it is a "baptism of repentance for the remission of sin" (Mk 1:4; Lk 3:3).

John explained: "O brood of vipers! [begotten of serpents]...9 do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father: for I say unto you, that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones" (Matt 3:7-9).

Baptismal forgiveness has to do with fatherhood and children. The Serpent's seed are cut down and true seed of Abraham is begotten by the Father in their place. This is exactly how Jesus describes baptism when Nicodemus came to Him. "Unless a man be generated again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

Then, Jesus explained that it happens in Baptism. "Verily, verily, I say to You, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

Baptism Today

That's why, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Not because Baptism is another washing in addition to the washing of Jesus. But because by it you are reborn into the pure and holy flesh of the Son of God.

As Paul puts it, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Galatians 3:27  You have "received the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'" Galatians 4:5-6

At Jesus' baptism, while He was standing in the water, the Father declares that this Man, born of the Virgin, is His own eternally-begotten Son. And Jesus still stands in the water.

Just as the Ark's presence in the Jordan made it a road into the Promised Land, so Jesus' continued presence in Baptism gives Baptism it's content.
 -- This is the place were our bodies are sprinkled with pure water...
 -- This is where the Father declares: "You are My son by adoption and grace."
 -- This is where, the Spirit of Christ comes upon you.

And we respond by confessing: "One Lord [Christ], one faith [Church], one Baptism, One God Father of us all..." (Ephesians 4:6)

Conversations on Christ: The Two Natures and Forgiveness

1) The forgiveness of sins embraces two events: atonement and absolution. Forgiveness earned and forgiveness delivered. Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 5: "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them (forgiveness earned); and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then ... we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (forgiveness delivered)" (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)

Note that in both events God acts in Christ! "God was in Christ, reconciling"... and also we speak "in Christ's stead." Jesus, according to both His divine and human natures, atoned for the sins of the world by His perfect obedience and His innocent suffering and death.

AND

Jesus, according to both His divine and human natures, delivers the fruits of His atonement through "the word of reconciliation."

The atonement is history. "It is finished," (John 19:30) "once, for all" (Hebrews 10:10) accomplished on Calvary. The delivery is His ongoing work; happening in the "One Holy Christian (catholic) and Apostolic Church." (Nicene Creed)

2) Just as we can admit none of our work into the earning of forgiveness. So also, there is no place for synergism in God's delivery of forgiveness. It "is a gift of God lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

As soon as we say that God Himself is the one who delivers His forgiveness to us, the natural question is: what God? And the answer is: the same God who earned the forgiveness--Jesus Christ.
It is not as though Jesus handed off the baton to the Holy Spirit upon ascending. The Holy Trinity is indivisible. And while no one can say "'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1Corinthians 12:3).
The Holy Spirit remains the Spirit of Christ who is present by virtue of Jesus who sends Him. (Jn 1:7). And where Jesus is, He is present with both natures—entire and intact (unconfused, unchangeable, indivisible and inseparable).

To ascribe the work of bestowing faith to the Spirit alone, divorces the Spirit from the Incarnate Christ. And finds no ongoing relevance or purpose for the risen body of Jesus.

3) But the Biblical witness is clear: God's forgiveness of sins—spoken through a human mouth is inextricably bound up with the incarnation of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Throughout the Old Testament, forgiveness is prayed for and left to God. The priests never declared God's forgiveness to anyone. But shortly after Jesus' baptism, we see a remarkable change.

Matthew 9, Mark 2 and Luke 5 all report the healing of the paralytic. He is brought to Jesus, who says, "be of good cheer your sins are forgiven." Those who heard Jesus were astonished at this utterance. The man Jesus was saying what had never been heard before! The scribes counted it blasphemy saying, "only God can forgive sins." But Jesus went on to prove that "the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins," by saying, "Arise and walk." And "when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, who had given such power (Greek: exousia) unto men." (Mt 9:8)

God begins a new thing: delivering the forgiveness of sins through a man. The Scribes were right in one respect: only God can forgive sins. That is why no one ever was permitted to speak such things before Christ. But now God has become a man and this man—by speaking—forgives sins.


4) The incarnation has brought about something new...and it is permanent. The multitudes marveled not that "God had given such power to Jesus..." ...but that "God had given such power to men." This is the Gospel history which undergirds Jesus' promise to the Church: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom..."

A promise spoken to the disciples in both Mt 16(:19) and 18(:18) and fulfilled after the atonement was "finished" (Jn 19:30) and when Christ first showed His risen body to the gathered apostles. He said, "... as the Father has sent Me, even so I send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." (Jn 20:21-23) Now the Word sent by the Father is sent also by the Son and is heard wherever those sent by the Son are speaking the absolution.


This is the story of the book of Acts as Paul put it in his sermon at Antioch: "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man [Jesus] the forgiveness of sins is preached unto you" (Acts 13:38) And this is still the story of God's forgiving sin as Paul says in  (2 Corinthians 5:18): "all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation"

Conversations on Christ: Who Do Men Say that I AM?

The question on the table is: "Who do you say that I am?"

My answer is simply: "I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, The only-begotten Son of God...Who...was made man..." (Nicene Creed)

This confession, which arose from the grassroots of early Christendom and was formalized into these exact words at Nicene council in 325, are my own confession also.

Flesh and blood does not reveal this but the Father of Jesus. And while formal confessions over time can become formulaic and thoughtless,     ...the fault for this problem lies not in the formula itself but in its mis-use. For this reason, and in a conscious bid to re-assert the usefulness of this creed, I will spend the bulk of my time here today unpacking these words and demonstrating their usefulness in the everyday thought of each and every Christian.

And this presentation, will simply follow the outline provided by the Creed itself. Namely: Jesus is One; Jesus is God and Jesus is Man.

Jesus is One

When Jesus asks the question, "Who do you say that I am," the first part of the answer already lies embedded in the question itself.

For He asks "who I am" not "who we are," "who I was," or "who I will be." And these words cry out for an answer which is both singular and ever-present.

"I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ," one person--inseparable, forever The union of Jesus' two natures is not a temporary arrangement but permanent. And this permanent union means that anything Jesus is, says, or does must be in complete concert with Him as a single person.

It is not permissable to ascribe an action, quality or ability to one nature to the exclusion of the other.  That would make of Him two persons, not one. When Jesus is born, God is born. (Lk 2:11) When Jesus sleeps, God sleeps (Mt. 8:24), when Jesus is crucified, God is crucified (1 Co 2:8) and when Jesus dies, God dies. (Mt 27:54)

Of course, it is offensive to think of a God who does such things. And this is precisely the scandal of the incarnation.  This is why people like Arius and Nestorius, Euthyches and Marcion said what they said.

We must not kid ourselves into thinking that these people took their positions out of sheer unthinking malice and hostility toward God. Rather, they sought to defend God against such "scandalous" notions that He could be subject to crucifixion, suffering and death.

But in the process of defending God, they denied the heart of what God did in Christ. In trying to explain away the scandal of the incarnation and the paradox of Jesus, they denuded Jesus and stripped Him precisely of His saving identity.

The theology condemned at Nicea took either of three different directions in trying to resolve the paradox of the incarnation and smooth over the scandal. Either they denied that Jesus is true God, or they denied that Jesus was tuly human, or they separated Him into two persons, one God, one human.

But ours is not to explain the paradox or defend God against scandal. Ours is to confess Jesus for everything He is; and to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. It was at this point that the teachers of the early Church introduced a very useful analogy into the discussion of the person of Jesus.

The branding iron was used to picture the interplay of Jesus' two natures. When a branding iron is used, it is actually fire that does the work. Iron alone cannot burn anything. When you add fire to the iron, now the iron burns. And yet, for a branding iron to be useful--that is to produce different and recognizable brands--the fire must only burn where the iron touches. Unless the fire is actually located in the iron, it is a useless tool.

So also with Jesus, while it will always remain true that people are forgiven, raised from the dead and reconciled to God only by the power of God Himself ...it is also true that God does this in and through the very human Jesus. And so, the two natures of Jesus are brought together into One God-man person without changing either nature into the other. Iron is still iron. Fire is still fire. Just as God remains God and man remains man.

From this basis, let's now think about what we can learn both about God and about man by observing that Jesus brings these two natures together in Himself. In doing so, we put aside our preconceived notions about who God can be and what or what not he can do and simply fix our attention on the Person of Jesus... And Jesus Himself reveals to us what God can truly do and who He truly is. And Jesus Himself reveals what it is to be truly human and made man. And as we look to Jesus to define these matters for us, we begin with His unity and conclude at least this much...

Since Jesus' actions, qualities and abilities cannot cannot be incompatible with either nature, we can at least learn from Jesus what is possible for God and man without negating each respective nature.

Simply put, if Jesus can die, then God Himself has found a way to die in Christ without becoming less than God. And if Jesus can give life and forgiveness and salvation, then humanity is, in fact, capable of conveying life and forgiveness and salvation without becoming more than human.

Thus, to confess "one Lord Jesus Christ" is to let Jesus be for us both the perfect image of God, and also the perfect image of man.  With that said, we can now look to Jesus to learn of God.

Jesus is God We confess Jesus to be "the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made;"

Jesus is God

That Jesus is God is simple to say. But what does it mean? Who is God in the first place? What is His essence? What is in His heart? How does He want to be known?

By asking these questions, we turn away from the sterile world of metaphysics and philosophy and into the personal world of theology and revelation. For there are any number of sound and reasonable conclusions that we can make about God by observing the glory and wonder of the heavens and the earth. But when God reveals Himself in the person of His Son, we see someone completely different than we expected!

This leads many to conclude that Jesus is only a partial revelation of God. ...that we learn about God partly from nature and partly from Jesus. Thus, most theological textbooks begin with a section on God in general and only after this topic is thoroughly explored do they turn to a discussion of Jesus.

I believe this to be a mistake. Not because we are incapable of seeing God in His creation ...but because we are bypassing the very revelation of God in Christ. "[God] hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, who is the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person." (Hebrews 1:2-3)

What more could we need to know about God than this? Especially, if that additional "knowledge" causes us to ignore, minimize or even contradict what God expressly reveals of Himself in Jesus?!?

And what is it that we see of God in Christ?

Simon's confession, identifying Jesus as God, led Jesus immediately to speak of:  First, of forgiving sins in the Church;  Second, the necessity of His suffering, death and resurrection We see, here, that His majesty, power, might and judgement are hidden and quieted ...while is mercy and love and self-giving are magnified.

This is not to say that God is not majestic, powerful, just and holy. Just hear again at the account of Jesus' Transfiguration."...his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him...and behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud... And when the disciples heard [it], they fell on their face, and were sore afraid."

The majesty is unmistakable. And if Peter wasn't yet frightened by Jesus' appearance, the booming voice from heaven knocked them all to the ground "like dead men." That's why I did not say that these majestic qualities were lacking in Christ.

 I did say that they are quieted--literally--by Jesus Himself! "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead." This charge of silence was not given tongue in cheek, but in all seriousness. God wishes His majesty and power to be known only in the proper context: Calvary.

And it is exactly this economy and way of presenting Himself that is the incarnation.

God deliberately hides His flashing glory "for us men and for our salvation." God wishes to be known wholly and exclusively in Christ precisely because God wishes to be known as savior from judgement and terror, sin and death.

Notice that after the frightening voice demanded that we listen to Jesus ....Jesus' first words are, "do not be afraid." "When they looked up they saw no one but Jesus only." This is not because God's self-revelation was partly removed!  It is because God's self-revelation is complete in Jesus.

Jesus is Man

With that said, we now turn to the human nature of Christ in order to learn about who we are.

Jesus is man: What are the minimum basic requirements without which a person can  no longer be said to be human?  Do you need a body? a free-will? the ability to feed yourself? or breathe for yourself? viability outside the womb? Self-determination?

Many today use such standards to label some human beings as unworthy of life. Just think of Terry Schaivo or the plight of the unborn and you see what I mean. On the other side of the coin, what are the maximum limits beyond which a person is no longer human but divine. Can a human being forgive sins? or raise the dead?

Here, again, you can perceive that these are precisely the things that Jesus did which caused believers to marvel and unbelievers to accuse Him of blasphemy. To deny that a human can do such things is to deny Jesus' true humanity ...either that or to divide Him into two persons.

But, on the other hand, there is a very real danger in elevating humanity to the status of Godhood--assigning to man that which is proper to God alone.

To return to our earlier analogy, it would be like turning the iron into fire itself. This, in fact, is the essence of sin--to desire to be like God. (Genesis 3) And so, to know both the true nature of humanity and also what God can do through a human being, we again look to Jesus alone.  For He alone is a true man!

We believe, teach and confess that Jesus Christ is true man...
 ...Even while His face is shining like the sun, and His robes are white like lightning.
 ...Even while He is forgiving the sins of the paralytic (Mt 9)
 ...Even while He is transmitting divine healing power through the hem of His robe.
In all these things, the flesh and blood of Christ are not doing human things but divine things and yet they do not cease to be human.

So, human being is not defined well either by setting up some "minimum basic requirements" or by denying that God can do certain things with it. Rather, human being is defined by Jesus alone.  He is "the new Adam." (Romans 5) Or, as Pontius Pilate once put it: "Behold, the Man."

So, what IS true humanity as revealed in Christ? I believe this can be summarized in two parts. First, to be truly human is to be and remain a creature. Jesus, as creature means that He depends completely and fully upon His creator.  To be a true man is to be constantly in a relationship of receiving from God.

This is why many people are puzzled by His prayer in the garden. Why does He need to pray such things if He is God? they ask.  !!He doesn't pray because He is God. He prays because He is truly a man!  Precisely at the moment when He is going to give His own life for the salvation of mankind, He must ask God for what it is He will give!

And so Jesus teaches that creaturliness is not something to be overcome. But something to embrace. To be dependant on God is not a liability but an asset To become "a perfect man, unto the measure of the  stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:13) is not to become independant from God but to finally be dependant.

I believe far too many people (Christians included) are of the opinion that the goal of human existence is to reach independance. And thus, when we see regression in this regard, we count it as failure and death.

I do not.

Especially in the twilight years, as our independance is stripped from us, I see God's gracious and loving hand bringing us to be precisely more like those little children who alone inherit the kingdom of God (Mk 10) But in addition to being a creature, there is a second thing that makes us human.

For, after all, everything that is not God Himself is a creation of God and thus, dependant on Him. But to be human is to be distinguished from every other creature by this: You are a creature in the Image of God. This alone--not language, rationality, genetics or anything else--this makes you human.

And what is this Image of God? Is it power?  Is it ruling force? Is it majesty? Is it sovereignty? No. None of these taken in isolation is a complete and balanced description of the Image of God. Rather, the Image of God is simply what Jesus shows us of God in His own person. The image is God is precisely what God reveals of Himself in Jesus.

We already discussed this in Part II of this presentation.  God is Love. God is merciful. God saves. And so, again in the direct context of Peter's confession that Jesus is God...

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

To follow Jesus in His perfect humanity is to follow Him in His self-sacrificial suffering. And this is the "Glory of the Father" and the coming of the Christ's Kingdom. Thus what charactorizes the true human existence is the image of God. Which is none other than Jesus Christ, the express image of the Father.