Christology

Before the Word became flesh, He existed eternally as the second person of the Trinity. John's Gospel opens with this staggering truth: 'In the beginning was the Word'—not 'came to be' but 'was,' indicating eternal pre-existence. This Logos was both 'with God' (distinct person) and 'was God' (same essence). All creation came into being through Him; He is the agent of creation, not a creature. The pre-incarnate Christ appeared throughout the Old Testament as the Angel of the LORD, the Commander of the LORD's army, and in various theophanies. Bethlehem was not His beginning but His arrival—the eternal entering time.

Throughout the Old Testament, a mysterious figure called 'the Angel of the LORD' appears—distinct from ordinary angels and identified with YHWH Himself. He speaks as God, accepts worship, and exercises divine prerogatives. This Angel appeared to Hagar, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, and Manoah's wife, among others. He is called 'God' yet is sent by God, speaks for God yet is God. The early church fathers identified this Angel as the pre-incarnate Christ—the second person of the Trinity manifesting visibly before the incarnation. These appearances foreshadowed and prepared for the full incarnation in Bethlehem.

The incarnation began with a miracle: the eternal Son took human nature through conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, without a human father. This was not a mythological divine-human mating but a supernatural creative act. The virgin birth protected Christ from inheriting Adam's guilt through natural generation while ensuring His true humanity through Mary. He was born of a woman, born under the law, fully human in every respect yet without sin. The miracle of the virgin birth signals the newness of what God was doing—beginning the new creation in the womb of a virgin.

In the incarnation, the divine and human natures were united in one person without confusion, change, division, or separation (the Chalcedonian Definition). Christ did not cease to be God when He became man; He did not have a human person added to His divine person. Rather, the eternal Son assumed human nature into personal union with Himself. He is one person with two complete natures—fully God and fully man. Each nature retains its own properties: as God He is omniscient, as man He grew in wisdom; as God He cannot die, as man He suffered death. This union is permanent—Christ remains the God-man forever.

The incarnation involved a profound humiliation, described in Philippians 2 as Christ 'emptying Himself.' This kenosis does not mean He ceased to be God or surrendered divine attributes; rather, He voluntarily veiled His glory, declined to exercise certain divine prerogatives independently, and submitted to human limitations. The eternal, infinite, omnipotent God became a helpless infant, grew tired, thirsted, and ultimately died. He who was rich became poor; He who was served became a servant; He who was worshiped was mocked. This self-emptying reached its nadir at Calvary, where the Lord of glory hung naked between criminals.

Christ fulfills the prophetic office as the ultimate revelation of God to humanity. Moses predicted a prophet like himself whom Israel must heed. Jesus is that Prophet—greater than Moses, for He is not merely a messenger but the Message itself, the Word made flesh. As Prophet, He reveals the Father perfectly ('He who has seen Me has seen the Father'), declares God's truth authoritatively, and pronounces divine judgment on sin. His prophetic ministry continues through His Spirit illuminating Scripture to His church. He is prophet not by calling but by nature—the eternal Word who makes the Father known.

Christ is our great High Priest who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin and now intercedes for His people at the Father's right hand. Unlike Levitical priests who offered repeatedly and for their own sins first, Christ offered one sacrifice—Himself—once for all. He is both the priest who offers and the lamb who is offered. His priesthood is not Levitical but after the order of Melchizedek—eternal, royal, and without predecessor or successor. Having passed through the heavens, He sympathizes with our weaknesses, having been tempted in all points yet without sin. We therefore approach the throne of grace boldly through Him.

Christ is the anointed King, heir to David's throne, yet His kingdom far surpasses any earthly monarchy. He is 'King of kings and Lord of lords,' exercising sovereign authority over all creation. His kingdom is 'not of this world'—not established by worldly power but by the Spirit's work in human hearts. Yet it is real, present (in the church), and future (in consummation). As King, He protects His people, conquers their enemies, and governs them by His Word and Spirit. Every knee shall bow to this King—willingly now in worship or unwillingly at judgment.

At the heart of the gospel stands the cross, where Christ died as a substitute for sinners, bearing the penalty they deserved. This is penal substitution: 'penal' because He bore the legal penalty due to sin; 'substitution' because He took our place. God's justice required that sin be punished; God's love provided a substitute. On the cross, the Father imputed our sins to Christ and punished Him in our stead. The sinless One became sin for us. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The wrath we deserved fell upon Him. This is not cosmic child abuse but the Father and Son together executing the plan of redemption.

Christ's death accomplished both propitiation (satisfying God's righteous wrath against sin) and expiation (removing the guilt of sin). Propitiation addresses the Godward aspect—the holy God who must punish sin has been appeased; His wrath has been turned away through the sacrifice of Christ. Expiation addresses the manward aspect—our sins have been covered, removed, blotted out. The mercy seat (hilasterion) was where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement; Christ is our mercy seat, the place where God's wrath and mercy meet. In Him, justice is satisfied and sinners are cleansed.

Redemption language pervades Scripture's description of Christ's work. We were slaves to sin, held captive by Satan, under the curse of the law—and Christ paid the ransom price to set us free. This redemption is not paid to Satan (as if he had legitimate claims) but represents the costly price of our deliverance. Christ's blood is the purchase price. We are bought with a price and no longer belong to ourselves. This redemption is comprehensive—delivering us from sin's penalty, power, and ultimately its presence. The Exodus from Egypt foreshadowed this greater exodus accomplished through Christ's blood.

Sin made us enemies of God—not merely estranged but actively hostile, under His wrath. Reconciliation is the restoration of this broken relationship. Through Christ's death, the enmity is abolished, the barrier removed, and peace established between God and man. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them. This reconciliation is not mutual negotiation but one-sided initiative—God reconciles us to Himself while we were enemies. Having been reconciled by Christ's death, we shall be saved by His life. We are now ambassadors of reconciliation, proclaiming this peace to a hostile world.

Christ's resurrection is not merely a happy ending to a tragic story but the vindication of His person and work. The resurrection declared Him to be the Son of God with power, demonstrated the Father's acceptance of His sacrifice, and guaranteed our justification. He was delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification. The empty tomb proclaims that death could not hold Him, sin's penalty was fully paid, and the new creation has begun. Christ is the firstfruits of those who sleep—His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of all who are in Him. The resurrection transformed a band of terrified disciples into bold witnesses who turned the world upside down.

Forty days after His resurrection, Christ ascended visibly into heaven, received up in glory, and seated at the Father's right hand—the position of supreme honor and authority. The ascension completes the humiliation-exaltation pattern: He who descended is the same who ascended far above all heavens. From this throne He pours out the Spirit, intercedes for His people, and rules over all creation. The ascension marks the beginning of His heavenly session, where He awaits the subjugation of all enemies under His feet. He ascended to prepare a place for us and promised to return in the same manner—visibly, bodily, gloriously.

Christ currently reigns at the Father's right hand, exercising dominion over all creation and interceding for His people. This heavenly session continues until all enemies are made His footstool. He is now putting all things under His feet through the preaching of the gospel and the advance of His kingdom. Yet this present reign is not the consummation—Christ will return personally, visibly, and gloriously to judge the living and dead, resurrect His people, and establish His eternal kingdom. The same Jesus who ascended will return in like manner. This blessed hope animates Christian living, fuels evangelistic urgency, and comforts suffering saints.