DESCRIPTIONS OF JESUS CHRIST
Intro.
1. Who was Jesus? (Good moral teacher? Magician? Deceiver? God? A created
"god" who is not Jehovah God?)
2. Jesus is fully & completely God (deity) - Jno. 1:1-3, 14; Matt. 1:23.
3. The descriptions of Jesus in the NT merit our attention, & through them we gain
greater understanding & appreciation of Christ.
I. JESUS CHRIST: THE SON OF GOD - Lk. 1:35.
A. "Son of God" Denotes Equality Or Sameness With The Father.
-(Not the same person, but having the same nature & character as
God.)
1. "Son: used of eastern people primarily to denote sameness - Mk.
3:17; Lk. 10:6. ("Son Of God" does not suggest that Jesus was created by God
(any more than disciples are created by peace or James & John were created by
thunder!)
2. "Son of God" an expression of equality with God - Jno.
5:16-18 (23).
3. Jesus is thoroughly Deity (son of God), just as He is thoroughly
human (son of man).
B. The Son Of God Is The Exact Expression Of God - Jno. 14:9 (1:18).
1. Heb. 1:3 - He reveals the Father's character:
a. Brightness: "Radiance, brilliance," - He is
the shining brilliance of the Father's glory & majesty.
b. Express image: "A mark or figure burned in or
stamped on, an impression; the exact expression of any person or thing, a precise
reproduction in every respect," (Thayer, 665); Impress - Col. 1:15.
c. Substance: "Substantial nature, essence, actual
being, reality" (Arndt & Gingrich, 854).
2. The "son of God" is the exact representation of God's real
being - Col. 2:9. -{"Son of God" does not automatically suggest the Father
existed before the Son.}
3. "Son of God:" Fully equal with the Father…perfectly
reveals God's nature, character & attributes to man - Jno. 10:30-36.
II. JESUS CHRIST: THE ONLY BEGOTTEN - Jno. 1:14.
A. The Only Begotten: Unique, One Of A Kind.
1. Monogenes - "only one of its kind; unique; single of its kind,
only" (Arndt & Gingrich; Thayer, 417).
B. Two Points Of Truth To Remember:
1. "Only begotten" cannot be limited to birth or origin - It
can indicate that one is unique (exclusive).
a. Heb. 11:17-18 - Isaac was Abraham's "only
begotten."
b. Not speaking of birth process - another, prior
"begotten" existed.
c. "Only begotten" denotes uniqueness (v. 18) -
Only son of promise!
2. "Begotten" does not always mean "fathered" - It
can also denote and designate that one has been granted a position of preeminence
("cause to arise").
a. Psa. 2:6-7; Acts 13:32-33 (Rom. 1:4) - Resurrection day
fulfilled this prophetic day of coronation when the Son was "begotten"!
b. Not "fathered" when resurrected -- Caused to
rise to His position of preeminence!
3. Jesus Christ is the only begotten in as much as:
a. He is unique (incarnation) - The only one of His kind -
forever.
b. He is preeminent - By His resurrection God delivered Him
to His throne & declared Him to be the Son of God.
III. JESUS CHRIST: THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION - Col. 1:15-18.
A. "Firstborn" Denotes Preeminence When Applied To Christ
("over").
1. Context of Col. 1:15:
a. 1:14 - Only one capable of granting redemption through
blood.
b. 1:16 - Origin (source) of all things - (Rev. 3:14 -
Beginning, "cause or chief cause" - Vine, 111 - cf. Jno. 1:3).
c. 1:17 - He is before all things (eternal, Jno. 8:58)
& holds all things together (Matt. 28:18).
d. 1:18 - Head of the church.
e. 1:18 - First raised never to die again (power over
death) - Rev. 1: 17-18.
B. Firstborn Does Not Always Mean "The First One Born."
1. Exo. 4:22 (Jer. 31:9) - "Israel is My son, my firstborn" -
Place, prestige, honor - But not the first nation that ever existed on earth! (Acts 17:26;
Dan. 2:21; 4:32)
2. Psa. 89:26-27 - God would make His Son the firstborn…highest!!
- 1 Tim. 6:15 -Clearly, "firstborn" here means preeminence, not "first one
born" - and it is applied to the Christ!
Conclusion
1. Phil. 2:5-11 - Jesus did not cling to the glory of deity, but humbled
Himself for our redemption. He is now highly exalted.
2. Every knee should bow to the Son & honor Him - just as they honor the Father! -
Jno. 5:23; 1 Jno. 2:23