Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:5-11
The past few sermons have dealt exclusively with our fundamental beliefs about God. We have examined the doctrine of the Trinity which states that the one true and living God exists in three distinct Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Though different from one another, They are without division of nature, essence, or being. Last week we looked at God the Father specifically. This week we will summarize what Baptists believe about God the Son, the second Person of the Godhead.
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself
human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet
without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on
the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with
a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion.
He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator,
fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will
return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now
dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord. - Baptist Faith & Message 2000
God the Son is the Person of the Trinity who reveals, proclaims, executes, and carries-out the divine will of God the Father. He does not act on His own accord or according to His own agenda, but rather in perfect obedience to the plans and purposes of the Father. God accomplished His ultimate mission - the redemption of mankind from their sin - through the sacrificial work of the Son.
The position statement above begins with "Christ is the eternal Son of God". Many people don't understand the significance of the word "Christ". They believe it to be merely a name. They compare the name Jesus Christ to their own, reasoning that it is simply His first and last name. Let's be very clear, Christ is not just a name - it is a title of distinction. Let me give you some examples - King David, Prince Caspian, President Obama, Officer Krumpke... and Christ Jesus. So what title does "Christ" ascribe to the Son?
The word "Christ" is from the Greek, and it is the translation of the Hebrew word "Messiah". Both words mean "anointed". Therefore Jesus, the Son of God, is the "Anointed One" sent by the Father as the promised Messiah. Anointing is the act of setting something or someone apart or consecrating them for a holy or sacred use. In the Bible we discover that prophets, priests, and kings were all anointed.
Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet of God, was instructed to select and anoint his replacement - Elisha. This provides a fitting example that prophets are anointed. A prophet is one who delivers the message of God, who teaches the oracles of God, who reveals the will of God, and declares His decrees. Christ most certainly did these things, and is still doing them today.
Moses was instructed by God to anoint Aaron and his sons as priests. This indicates that priests are anointed also. A priest serves as a "middle-man" between the holy God and fallen man. The Jews would go to the priest in order to make acceptable sacrifices to God. As our High Priest, the Anointed Christ serves as the one and only Mediator between God and man. All believers have direct access to the Father through the Son, and the use of a human priest or other mediator is unnecessary.
Samuel was directed by God to anoint the young shepherd boy David to be the king of Israel. Here we see that kings are anointed, too. A king exercises authority as he rules over his kingdom. Those who violate or ignore his commands do so at their own risk. As our Anointed King, Christ reigns over the heavens and the earth. Currently He sits at God's right hand, but will soon return to consummate His kingdom and judge the world.
Jesus Christ is our Anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet He is our messenger, as Priest He is our Mediator, and as King He is our monarch. As such, we should be honored to be called "Christians", knowing that as the redeemed children of God we too have been anointed and set apart for His service. Come join us next week as we study about the third and final Person of the Trinity - God the Holy Spirit.
The past few sermons have dealt exclusively with our fundamental beliefs about God. We have examined the doctrine of the Trinity which states that the one true and living God exists in three distinct Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Though different from one another, They are without division of nature, essence, or being. Last week we looked at God the Father specifically. This week we will summarize what Baptists believe about God the Son, the second Person of the Godhead.
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself
human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet
without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on
the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with
a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion.
He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator,
fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will
return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now
dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord. - Baptist Faith & Message 2000
God the Son is the Person of the Trinity who reveals, proclaims, executes, and carries-out the divine will of God the Father. He does not act on His own accord or according to His own agenda, but rather in perfect obedience to the plans and purposes of the Father. God accomplished His ultimate mission - the redemption of mankind from their sin - through the sacrificial work of the Son.
The position statement above begins with "Christ is the eternal Son of God". Many people don't understand the significance of the word "Christ". They believe it to be merely a name. They compare the name Jesus Christ to their own, reasoning that it is simply His first and last name. Let's be very clear, Christ is not just a name - it is a title of distinction. Let me give you some examples - King David, Prince Caspian, President Obama, Officer Krumpke... and Christ Jesus. So what title does "Christ" ascribe to the Son?
The word "Christ" is from the Greek, and it is the translation of the Hebrew word "Messiah". Both words mean "anointed". Therefore Jesus, the Son of God, is the "Anointed One" sent by the Father as the promised Messiah. Anointing is the act of setting something or someone apart or consecrating them for a holy or sacred use. In the Bible we discover that prophets, priests, and kings were all anointed.
Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet of God, was instructed to select and anoint his replacement - Elisha. This provides a fitting example that prophets are anointed. A prophet is one who delivers the message of God, who teaches the oracles of God, who reveals the will of God, and declares His decrees. Christ most certainly did these things, and is still doing them today.
Moses was instructed by God to anoint Aaron and his sons as priests. This indicates that priests are anointed also. A priest serves as a "middle-man" between the holy God and fallen man. The Jews would go to the priest in order to make acceptable sacrifices to God. As our High Priest, the Anointed Christ serves as the one and only Mediator between God and man. All believers have direct access to the Father through the Son, and the use of a human priest or other mediator is unnecessary.
Samuel was directed by God to anoint the young shepherd boy David to be the king of Israel. Here we see that kings are anointed, too. A king exercises authority as he rules over his kingdom. Those who violate or ignore his commands do so at their own risk. As our Anointed King, Christ reigns over the heavens and the earth. Currently He sits at God's right hand, but will soon return to consummate His kingdom and judge the world.
Jesus Christ is our Anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet He is our messenger, as Priest He is our Mediator, and as King He is our monarch. As such, we should be honored to be called "Christians", knowing that as the redeemed children of God we too have been anointed and set apart for His service. Come join us next week as we study about the third and final Person of the Trinity - God the Holy Spirit.