CHRISTOLOGY-

The Doctrine of Christ

Page 1: Introduction to Christology

• Christology explores the person and nature of Jesus Christ.

Page 2: The Person of Christ

Page 3: Key Questions

• What does the world say about the person of Jesus?

• What do you say about Jesus?

Page 4: Responses to Jesus' Identity (Matthew 16)

• Two responses:

  • Culture’s answer: Jesus as a good moral teacher, a prophet.

  • Peter’s answer: Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Page 5: The Dual Nature of Christ

• Jesus Christ: Fully God and fully man in one person.

• The heart of the Christian faith focuses on the person of Jesus Christ.

Page 6: Understanding Christology

• Christology:

  • Comes from "Christos" (Christ) and "Logy" (study of).

  • When studying the Bible, you're ultimately studying Christ.

  • The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, centers on Jesus.

Page 7: What is Christology?

• A field of study in Christian theology concerning Jesus' nature.

• Focuses on:

  • The relationship between the Divine and Human in Jesus.

  • Key topics include the Incarnation, resurrection, and salvific work (soteriology).

Page 8: Christ Throughout the Scriptures

• Old Testament: Anticipation of a coming Messiah.

• New Testament: The Messiah has arrived.

• Acts/Letters: Proclaiming His message.

• Revelation: Promise of His second coming.

Page 9: The Gospels' Portrayal of Jesus

• The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) present cohesive accounts of Jesus’ life rather than contradictory ones.

Page 10: Synoptic Gospels

• Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke.

  • Meaning of 'Synoptic': "Together" (Syn) + "seen" (Optic).

  • Contain overlapping material (parables, stories).

• John: Different focus, not classified as a Synoptic Gospel.

Page 11: Each Gospel's Focus

• Matthew: Jewish perspective, fulfillment of OT prophecies, Jesus as the promised Messiah.

• Mark: Brief, focuses on Jesus’ miracles.

• Luke: Emphasizes salvation for both Jews and Gentiles.

• John: Devotes two-thirds to the last weeks of Jesus' life; high Christology.

Page 12: People's Responses to Jesus

• Shepherds: Recognized Him as the good shepherd.

• Simeon: Acknowledged Him as the promised Messiah.

• John the Baptist: Identified Him as the Lamb of God.

• Nicodemus: Called Him a good teacher.

• Woman at the Well: Recognized Him as the Savior.

• Pharisees: Accused Him of blasphemy.

Page 13: Jesus' Self-Testimony

• Jesus' identity as seen in the Gospel of John:

  • Gives seven “I AM” statements (Ego Emi: "I AM"), identifying Himself as God.

Page 14: Blasphemy in Claims

• Example: John 12:49 - Jesus claimed to speak and act on the Father’s authority, perceived as blasphemous.

Page 15: "I AM" Statement - Bread of Life

• I AM the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

  • Context: After feeding the 5,000.

  • Purpose: Jesus fulfills the spiritual hunger of His people.

Page 16: "I AM" Statements

• I AM the Light of the World (John 8:12).

  • Purpose: His life reveals the truth about sin and our need for salvation.

• The Door (John 10:7, 9) - Claims eternal life is found only through Him.

• The Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

Page 17: Further "I AM" Statements

• The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) - Exclusivity in coming to the Father through Jesus.

• The True Vine (John 15:1) - Emphasizes the connection to Jesus for spiritual sustenance.

• The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25) - Jesus as the giver of life to the spiritually dead.

Page 18: Paul's Testimony about Jesus

• Jesus as Savior (Acts 9; Eph. 2:8).

• Accomplished Redemption (Eph. 2:1-10; 1 Corinthians 15).

Page 19: Jesus in the Old Testament

• The book of Hebrews shows Jesus as the better type:

  • Better than Moses, Adam, the true Tabernacle.

  • Fulfillment of the sacrificial system and priesthood.

Page 20: The Humanity of Jesus

• Exploration of why it was necessary for Jesus to be human.

Page 21: Meaning of Jesus' Humanity

• Considerations on what it means for Jesus to be human.

  • Importance of His humanity.

Page 22: Reasons Jesus Became Human

• Representative Obedience: Jesus obeyed where Adam failed (Rom. 5:18-19).

• Substitute Sacrifice: Had to be fully human for an acceptable sacrifice (Heb. 2:14-17).

Page 23: Mediator Between God and Man

• Christ’s role as mediator requires both full divinity and humanity (1 Tim 2:5).

• Fulfillment of God’s Purpose: Illustrated through Heb. 2:8-9 and other scriptures.

Page 24: Example for Humanity

• Jesus as the ideal example for living (1 John 2:6).

• Pattern for Redeemed Bodies: His resurrection as the first fruits of our resurrection (1 Cor. 15:42-49).

• Sympathetic High Priest: He understands our struggles (Heb. 2:18, 4:15-16).

Page 25: The Virgin Birth

• Evidence for virgin birth discussed in Isaiah 7 and Galatians 4:4.

• Without the virgin birth, Jesus could not unite full deity and humanity, affecting the foundation of salvation.

Page 26: Jesus' Body

• Luke mentions Jesus as a baby (placed in a manger); human experiences like hunger and fatigue.

Page 27: Jesus' Mental and Emotional Development

• Growth in Wisdom: Jesus learned to function as a human - eating, walking, reading, etc.

• Demonstrated human emotions (e.g., astonishment at faith - Matthew 8:10).

Page 28: Sinlessness of Jesus

• Jesus was human but did not possess a sinful nature or sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15).

Page 29: The Debate on Sinlessness

• Impeccability vs Peccability of Christ regarding His ability to sin.

• Temptations were real, confirmed by scripture (Heb. 4:16).

Page 30: Temptation and Sin

• Acknowledgment of Jesus' ability to be tempted but remained sinless due to His divine nature.

Page 31: The Eternal God-Man

• Confirmation that Jesus remains fully God and fully man forever post-ascension (Acts 1:9-11).