Understanding Jesus Christ's Nature and Atonement

Sep 23, 2024

Lecture Notes on Jesus Christ: Inclusive and Exclusive Aspects

Introduction

  • Jeff Vines, a preacher in California, describes Jesus as "the most inclusive, exclusivist."
  • Biblical passages highlight Jesus' wide inclusivity and exclusive claims:
    • Inclusivity:
      • John 3:16: "Whosoever believes will not perish but have everlasting life."
      • 2 Peter 3:9: God desires all to come to repentance.
      • 1 John 2:2: Jesus as atoning sacrifice for the whole world.
    • Exclusivity:
      • John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."
      • Acts 4:12: Salvation in no other name.
      • Sermon on the Mount: Enter by the narrow gate.
  • John Ortberg's book "Who Is This Man?" emphasizes Jesus' cultural impact.

Focus on Jesus

  • Lecture focuses on Jesus' person and work, often divided as his identity and atoning work.

The Person of Christ

  • Identity of Christ:
    • Exploration of Jesus' humanity and divinity.
    • Old Testament predictions are not clear-cut.
    • Examples of Jesus in the Old Testament:
      • Genesis 18: Abraham's visitors, one called "the Lord."
      • Daniel 3: Fourth figure in the fiery furnace.
      • Proverbs 8: Jesus Christ as wisdom.
      • Isaiah 53: Suffering servant.
      • Various prophetic titles and typology pointing to Christ.
  • Challenges in Recognizing the Messiah:
    • Dispelling myths about Old Testament messianic predictions.
    • Limited expectations of God incarnate in the first century.
    • Fragmented perceptions of Jesus' role (e.g., revolutionary, magician, rabbi).
    • No singular unified portrait exists.
  • Titles and Claims:
    • Son of Man: Ambiguous title.
    • Jesus' self-designations and roles as prophet, priest, and king.

The Work of Christ

  • Atonement:
    • Gospels offer a fragmented view; epistles provide more clarity.
    • Miracles as previews of atonement.
    • Complex understanding, not systematic; multi-faceted.
  • Vocabulary of Atonement:
    • Justification, propitiation, redemption, reconciliation, sanctification, regeneration, adoption, election, calling, deification.
  • Theories/Models of Atonement:
    • Penal substitution, Christus Victor, moral exemplar, satisfaction of God's honor, recapitulation.
  • Implications of Atonement:
    • Rooted in Jesus' story, celebrated in the Lord's Supper, evident in conversion.
    • Emphasizes a new creation, co-ruling with God.
  • Final Thoughts:
    • The doctrine of Christ evolves with time and culture.
    • Importance of maintaining a biblical view of Jesus.