1. His Central Role.

In Basic Bible teachings Christ obviously takes a central place. Even our secularized world reckons time before and since His coming (“B.C.” and “A.D.”). Consider that half of the articles of the Apostle’s Creed are devoted to Him. This simply echoes His place in Biblical revelation. “To Him all the prophets witness” (Acts 10:43). “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Paul “determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). A characteristic of heresy has usually been to divert us from Christ, perhaps even to “Christian principles” (as Abraham Kuyper (eared)! Especially the letter to the Colossians warns against that: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (2:8–10). The warning to be “not Christ-centered, but God-centered,” though sometimes appropriate, may also be misleading. Paul testified to all “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).

2. His Nature: God-Man He is God.

Especially the Gospel of John begins by highlighting this fact: He, “the Word was with God and . . . was God,” through whom “all things were made.” His disciples saw His Divine glory (John 1:1–3, 14). He did what no man, but only God could do (Mk. 2:5–12). “With the finger of God” He cast out devils (Lk. 11:20). He could say, “I and My Father are one” (Jn.10:30), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me . . . . He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (14:6, 9). After His resurrection a skeptical Thomas, seeing Him, confessed, “My Lord and my God” and that confession of Him as God was commended as the way, by believing in Him to “have life in His name” (20:28–31).

He is Man.

At the same time He becomes true man. He “being in the form of God” (having the distinguishing character of God) “made Himself of no reputation taking the form (distinguishing character) of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:6, 7). The Hebrews letter introduces Him as “the heir of all things . . . the brightness of His (God’s) glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power” (1:2, 3), properly addressed as “God” (v. 8). In the next chapter it speaks of His “coming to bring many sons to glory . . . . Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (vv. 10, 14, 15). Becoming one of us, He can fully “sympathize with our weaknesses.” “Jesus knows all about our struggles.” Therefore we are encouraged to turn “boldly” to Him for “grace to help in time of need” (3:14–16).

3. His Official Saving Work.

By God’s order, He had to be named “JESUS (‘Jehovah-Salvation’—the Greek form of the Hebrew ‘Joshua’), for He will save His people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21). He must also be given the title of CHRIST (“the anointed,” Hebrew “Messiah”). Old Testament representatives of God, prophets, priests and kings, were installed in office by “anointing” as a sign of their Divine calling and equipment by the Holy Spirit for special service. The leadership of those leaders was only a faint anticipation of that of the coming real Messiah, God our Savior.

He had to be Prophet, to speak, as God to teach us-How desperately and futilely the world tries to find counsellors!—He is the “Light of the World,” counseling and leading us by His Word and Spirit.

He had to be our Priest, to reconcile us to God by the sacrifice of Himself. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “Christ . . . suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). And “He is . . . able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34ff.).

He must be King. Before He was born His mother was told; “of His kingdom there will be no end” (Lk. 1:33). He preached the “gospel of the kingdom.” The summary ofHis career, (echoed in the Creed) simply follows that in Phil. 2:5–11: “He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name ofJesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” After His resurrection He declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18), and He ascended to heaven to a position “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Eph. 1:21).

Can we receive Him as Savior, but (in our changing, democratic society which has outgrown authoritarian notions) let Him be only our “Liberator?” The Lord faced such a proposal when the crowds who bad enjoyed a free lunch, wanted more, welcomed Him as prophet and were determined to make Him king (John 6:14, 15). When He diverted them from free dinners to speak of “everlasting life” they quickly left. Those who will not have Him as Lord and King, cannot have Him as Savior, but will have Him as Judge (Psalm 2; Matt. 7:21–23; Luke 19:14, 27).

The apostle Paul always felt overwhelmed that even he, the persecutor, might receive and preach “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). All who receive Christ as Savior and Lord are promised (along with the labors and battles of His service as His prophets, priests and kings) not only “abounding grace” now, but a part in His triumphant return and in His eternal kingdom and glory. Overwhelmed by that prospect which goes far beyond our ability to imagine, the Bible especially in its last book gives us glimpses of all joining in the Hallelujah chorus of praise to our God and Savior who will “reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:9–14).

Suggested Questions:

1. Is our faith to be God-centered or Christ-centered or both? (Acts 20:21.) 2. Why is His Godhead essential for us? (John 1:1–4, 14; 10:30; 14:6, 9; 20:28–31.) 3. Why is His manhood essential for us? (Heb. 2:10, 11, 14–18; 4:15, 16.) 4. What does He do as prophet? What does He do as priest? What is His substitutionary atonement? (2 Cor. 5:19, 21; 1 Peter 3:18.) 5. Can we have Him as Savior, but not as Lord? (Rom. 10:9, 10, 13; Matt. 7:21–23.) 6. What does His Lordship mean to us? (Matt. 28:18–20; Rom. 8:34–39.)

These articles may be summarized in the following:

The Office of the Christian Believer: What Is Man Created and Saved to Be and Do?

Man Created In God’s “Image” (Gen. 1:26–28; cf. Gen. 9:6; Jas. 3:9; I Cor.11:7)

1. A “Prophet” To know and speak of and for God.

2. A “Priest” To love and live in the friendship of God.

3. A “King” To serve and role for and with God. (Gen. 1:28; 2:15; cf. Ps. 8:3–9)

Fallen Man (Gen. 3: Rom. 5:12–21 esp. 19: cf. I Cor. 15:21, 22)

1. Deluded by the “father of lies,” the devil. (Eph. 2:2, 3; 4:17–19 John 8:44)

2. An enemy, estranged from and hostile to God, loving what he ought not. (Co1.1:21 Titus 3:3)

3. The devil’s slave and victim. John 8:44 (Ps. 14:1–3; 53:1–4; Isaiah 59:2–8; Romans 3:9–18)

Christ (Hebrew “Messiah,” “the anointed” [Ex. 30:22–33]) John 1:41; 29–34 Acts 10:38; Luke 4:18 cf. Isa. 61:1

1. The Prophet to teach men to know God again. (Deut. 18: cf. Acts 3:22–26) John 1:18; 17:3; I John 5:20, 21 (Heb. 1:1, 2)

2. The Priest to bring us back to God Heb. 9:11, 24 ff; 10:1 ff. I Pet. 3:18

3. The King to rule and protect. Luke 1:32, 33 Ps. 1; 8; cf. Heb. 2, restoring to proper status and action.

The “Christian” Named after “Christ” (Acts 11:26) because “anointed” with the Holy Spirit, to be restored to knowledge, holiness and righteousness. (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24)

1. Prophet Acts 1:8; 2:17 ff. (cf. Num.11:25–29, Joel 2:28, 29) To know and speak for God.

2. Priest to love and worship God Heb. 13:15, 16; Rev. 1:6; 5:10.

3. King to share in the service, struggle, victory and rule of His Kingdom. I Pet. 2:5, 9 (cf. Ex. 19:5, 6) Rom.12:1, 2 II Tim. 2:1–3, 12; 3:14–17; 4:7, 8; Rev. 1:5, 6; 5:9, 10; 20:4, 6 (cf. Dan. 7:13, 14, 18) Ps. 8; Heb. 2:3 ff.