Jesus – His Supremacy
Series: CREED: Truths that Unite
Brad Bailey - January 24, 2021
Intro...
A great big GOOD MORNING to each of you joining today...and a warm welcome to any who may be joining from afar or in the future.
This week our nation held the inauguration of it’s presidency... and once again many of us may have been struck by the enormity of such a role and various ways it is celebrated. President of the United States of America... is deemed among the most powerful titles that one can bear. Along with positions such as Prime Minister of Britain....or Chancellor of Germany. or President of the People's Republic of China... they represent the very highest of positions on earth.
Well today we are engaging what it means to recognize a role that transcends all forms of human power... one who has given the ultimate in sacrifice...and who bear the ultimate in authority.
These words of recognition we come to... are part of our new series entitled Creed: Truths that Unite. We are engaging the central truths captured in the Apostles Creed. As noted before... the Apostles Creed is the oldest known and most widely accepted Christian creed. It captures the central truths of the Scriptures which the apostles affirmed... and we are starting this year with these truths... because these truths can center us... form us...and unite us.
And this creed provides a brevity that allows us to easily enjoy declaring it together.
So each week, we are having different members first lead us in the creed... to which we can say aloud by following the words we will put up.
And today I welcome Matt and Emily Olivencia-Audet... who both bless me and humble me in their abilities and service to our community... from hosting to youth to care for those in need. It’s a privilege to welcome Matt and Emily. [1a]
[Creed read. See Note 1a]
Last week we began with the first statement of the creed.... “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” And today we engage the second,
“I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,”
These words recognize the one unique figure that unites the Creator with we the creation.
He is the most universally recognized figure in all of human history...whose identity defines life more than any other.... yet also the one whose identity itself is often the most avoided.
He himself would ask... “Who do you say I am?” ...knowing the answer to that question mattered more than any other.
So lets pause for a moment...and take a moment to open our minds and hearts to God in prayer.
[PRAYER....like those who have lost all reference points... that locates our position... the very position of our existence.... we ask that you help us to hear you speak... and to align our lives with what is true.]
Let’s consider these words of recognition. “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,”
Having just recognized God... as the Father Almighty... creator of heaven and earth... we come to the recognition of Jesus... as the Christ, his only Son, our Lord.... and this is followed by more statements that recognize essential truths about Jesus... how he was conceived... suffered...died... rose...and ascended. And we will engage each of these in the weeks ahead. ...because each of these additional statements are essential to understanding Jesus.
The Creed includes more statements about Jesus NOT because of some generic desire to make him more important... but because of two aspects about him that must be given the clearest of affirmation...and those are his NATURE...and his ROLE.
If we’ve grown up with any exposure to a Christian culture, we’ve heard many references to God as “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”... or of Jesus being Savior and Lord...and we may not appreciate how radical these truths are. The unique nature of Jesus is profound...and the role he serves in our relationship to God is vital to understand. And that is why these statements about his incarnation,,, suffering... death...and ascension are going to be so rich to look at in the weeks ahead.
But today we begin with the how his most prominent nature and role are recognized in ... Christ... Son.. .and Lord.
Some of you may be old enough to remember how common it was to see the symbol of a fish used as a Christian symbol. During the Jesus Movement that emerged in the 1970s... the fish was seen on Bible covers ,,, T-Shirts...and bumper stickers. Some may wonder what the significance of this fish symbol is about.
It’s actually the most ancient of such symbols. It comes from an acrostic made up of 5 letters in the Greek alphabet that represent the first letter of the words that were most central to belief in Christ... these five letter represent the Greek words that translate into English as: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."
Now these 5 Greek letters on their own.... spell the Greek word pronounced ICHTHYS which is the Greek word for fish. So the fish became a symbol which they could use to communicate their common faith without saying anything ... which was important because they were being persecuted throughout Rome. So the symbol of the fish became something of a code. When a Christian met a stranger on the road, one would draw one-half of the outline of the fish on a rock or in the dirt....and if the other person was also a believer...they would complete the other half.... allowing them to recognize that they shared this belief. The fish symbol was also scratched on walls or rocks to point the way to where Christians were meeting in secret, at ever-changing locations. And even today we can find several representations of the fish symbol on the walls of the underground Catacombs. [1b]
So here we have a symbol...used in the first century... that captures in essence the very statement of belief that we are recognizing as the second statement of this creed. Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. That not only shows how central it was...but also how immediately this recognition of Jesus began. That’s important to realize...because it has become common for people to say that the beliefs about Jesus were just something that were made up at a far later point in time. But these truths are not something that emerged later...but rather these were the clearest and most central beliefs ... rooted in the very life and reality of those who lived during and within a generation of the life of Jesus. [2]
So let that early symbol of the fish remind us that these words...“I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord”... were the central statement of belief... from the earliest of times.
And lets engage these words...particularly Jesus...and Christ...and God’s only Son...and Lord.
The name Jesus was actually a common name in the first century of Israel...but not without significant meaning. At the time, names captured something of one’s character or trade. Some may recall, that God told Jesus’ parents to name their son, Jesus, for a specific reason. Because Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew word, Yeshua, which means God saves. He saves His people. So Jesus’ proper name was going to signify His work.
The Jesus in whom we confess our belief is none other than God who has come to save us.
That is a profound statement ...but... it was also a common statement. Many boys were given the name Jesus... just as many are named Jesus today in Latin culture.
However... he was not like every other Jesus... He was Jesus Christ. Now, contrary to what we may have assumed when we first heard these two words put together... "Christ" is not Jesus' last name. Rather, Christ is a title... the Greek word Christos literally means "the anointed one." It parallels the Hebrew word for Messiah. The title Messiah or Christ... refers to the one who God has anointed to be the ruler.
In reading the prophets we begin to hear how God began to refer to a unique figure... a Messiah... an anointed Savior.... that was coming.... one unlike any other... one that was from him and represented him like no others. So in believing in Jesus...who is the Christ... we are believing that he was the one who God said he would send to save the world... and rightfully rule.
And in what way was he representing God? This leads to the next enormous statement ...recognizing Jesus as God’s only Son.
It’s helpful to understand that realizing Jesus to be the unique son of God was not something they could easily grasp. They had expected God to send one who would be a king like no other. There was so much that the prophets had revealed about the one whom God was going to send...to save his people... that suggested one unlike any other. But there were references to being born in the line of David... and sitting on the throne of David... and other references that led people to assume that this figure would merely be a more remarkable human king...and notably quite remarkable as they are described as one who would represent God as a combination of prophet and king and ruler that would... as God had declared...restore everything that was wrong. That itself would suggest that this figure was more than any mere human. And in fact, God had said even more....God had also said he was sending one from heaven... who would be looked upon with pity... and become a sacrifice... and then be exalted like no other.... and that as we heard in the words of the ancient prophet Isaiah... and quoted during the Christmas season... this child “would be called mighty God”... “and their government would have no end.” [3]
So indeed... God had spoken of this Messiah....this Christ... this rightful ruler in ways that clearly declared they would bear his very nature and authority ...they would bear divinity... as part of the eternal Godhead. How? That is what becomes clear in the actual life and testimony of Jesus. It becomes clear that Jesus is the incarnate manifestation of God the Son... the only Son of God.
In the most well known verse of the Bible... John 3:16... as the King James version translates it.... we are told that
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 (NKJV)
The phrase that is translated as “only begotten son” is translating the Greek word monogenas. The mono part means, “one” or “only” ....and the genas part is related to the English words “gene” and “genetics” ...and put together they communicate that is he is the “absolutely unique” or “one of a kind and there can never be another of the same kind.” The term doesn’t actually include the meaning of having been begotten or created in any way...simply that of existing as the only one of this type. The term stresses the absolutely unique nature of Jesus Christ.
And it’s important to hear clearly that Jesus is the ONLY eternal Son of God. The nature of Christ as the Son of God is not at all the same as what is meant when we human lives are referred to as children of God. It is important to understand that Jesus is part of the eternal God... he is the eternal son. Jesus is the earthly incarnate manifestation of God the Son... who was never created. Over and over the Scriptures speak of his having been from the beginning.
And what is reveals is that God is one God... yet relational in nature...in such a way that the sending of a Savior...was the sending of an eternal son of the eternal Father... a sending that reflected divine love.
And the nature of the Son involves bearing the very nature of God... a representation that was now God in the flesh. This is what is said so clearly in the Biblical Book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 1:1-3
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
How can we know God? Creation itself reveals a lot. The ancient portion of the Scriptures provide testimonies of God revealing himself...and the prophets provide some of what God has spoken. But now... God has spoken in the fulness of the Son... who is the exact representation of his nature. He is the living Word... the Word coming to life. The Son has come in the person of Jesus... to be the very embodiment of God’s nature...and the very sacrifice by which both divine justice and divine love could be truly manifest.
This wasn’t an easy thing for these Jewish Israelites to understand. Try to imagine them surrounded by a world was filled with different cultures having different stories about the mythical gods and their vain conflicts...and other cultures believing in gods who represented every aspect of nature that must be appeased ...and now a God unlike any human concept ...has called them out... declaring that He is the true and living God... that there are no others... that he is not bound by any image or idol of earth... and how some of the nations around them begin to see that the God of this new nation of Israel is like no other. Their faithfulness was rooted in their faithfulness to the one true God. They were distinctly rooted in monotheism... a recognition that all existence and authority is centered in one true God.
So as the reality of God being one God but in the three persons of Father... Son...and Spirit....became clearer... it was a challenge for this Jewish culture to understand and believe. [4]
This is what would become known as the Trinity... or a trinitarian understanding of God...which refers to our understanding of one God in three persons.
Let’s be clear...God has never spoken of being three Gods... but rather He speaks as ONE God for whom there is an intrapersonal relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit. As we can see...each is recognized in the Apostles Creed... because each is clearly recognized in the Scriptures.
The nature of One God in three intra-related persons is both something that we can find profoundly beautiful...but also something that our nature can never fully comprehend.
One of the common images that has been used to think about the nature of the Trinity is that of an egg: You have the yolk, the white and the shell . But they are all one egg. Another image is the nature of water... of the compound H2O. Water can be a liquid, it can be ice, and it can be vapor. Each one bears a different form and purpose...but all three are H2O... the exact same nature.
While these can be helpful... ultimately...there is an aspect of the Divine Trinity that transcends our nature. We exist in a more limited dimension. So another way of thinking is to imagine for a second that you are a square. You’re a nice little square... living on your little two - dimensional piece of paper for your whole life. You have friends... circles and triangles and lines. But then one day, someone tells you that there is something like you — and yet not like you . Something like a square — and not like a square. We call it a cube. Imagine being a square your whole life and trying to wrap your mind around a cube. It would be difficult to do because it’s multi-dimensional... and qualitatively different from you. Even if you could say some things about the cube, there would be still be an awful lot of mystery if you’d only lived in a two-dimensional world all your life.
Similarly, there is going to be mystery when it comes to understanding the nature of God. This actually makes sense. It actually makes the most sense for there to be some things about God that are so different from us and our understanding that they would be hard to grasp. If you asked someone about the nature of God, and they went on to describe someone who sounded an awful lot like your Uncle Al , you’d be a little suspicious. The point is that there ought to be some mystery in trying to understand a Being qualitatively different than humanity. [5]
What we can understand is that ultimately... it means that we exist in relationship to one God...in whom there are three persons who share the same nature but relate in distinct dimensions of personal relationship... with God as Father, Son, and Spirit.
As one early church father, Athanasius, noted, we can understand this threefold relationship when we consider prayer. The Bible says God the Father ordains all things and so we ask him for what we need. But we aren’t worthy to come into his presence to ask, so Jesus provides the basis to come to God...and as such it is common to pray “in Jesus name.” But we wouldn’t even really know what to pray if the Holy Spirit didn’t come to live within us. Athanasius put it this way: take away the Father, and you have no reason to pray. Take away the Son, and you have no right to pray. Take away the Spirit, and you have no desire to pray. As such... knowing God as one God in three persons... reveals the full nature of God’s nature...and the full nature of our relationship. [6]
For those who may wonder... is his nature as the Son of God made really clear from the original Scriptures? Consider just a few examples... examples that jump out from every point of reference.
In the announcement of his coming birth, the angels proclaimed
“...therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” - Luke 1:35
The prophet John the Baptist affirms this claim. John the Baptist is a key witness, as he fulfilled the prophecy of one who would go before the Christ and proclaim His coming. John declares...
“I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” John 1:34
What stood out to so many is the authority that Jesus had over evil spirits. And as Mark recorded...
“And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’” - Mark 3:11
Speaking to his disciples, Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. - Matthew 16:15-17
Jesus himself knew what that the religious leaders of the day would silence him with charges of blasphemy... but as he moved toward the end of his ministry... and the conflict was unavoidable... those closest to him recorded how he declared quite clearly... saying...
“Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father...I and the Father are one.” John 10:15a, 30
And when “the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ Jesus said, ‘I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” - Mark 14:61-62
And with that response... they called for him to be crucified. They knew what Jesus was saying... and Jesus didn’t deny it.
The role as son of God is at the very center of understanding and knowing Jesus. Jesus spoke with what people recognized as the authority of God... he did what people recognized as the works of God.... he claimed the names that were ascribed only to God and the position that only God could have. And so it was not surprising to see that nice Jewish boys who knew that you didn’t worship anything that wasn’t God...fell down on their faces and worshipped Jesus Christ–Lives like John and Peter and Paul, who had been reared on the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me,” worshipped him...and never did it ever enter their minds... nor that of Jesus... that they were in the slightest way breaking the first commandment, but rather that they were fulfilling it to its fullness.
As C.S. Lewis said so pointedly,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him or kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” - C.S. Lewis [6b]
Jesus understood that he had come from heaven... explaining that he came only to do what the Father was doing... and that he would atone for the sins of us all...as only God could do... and would be raised an exalted and ascend back to his position in heaven. He was always serving as God’s only Son. He was and always will be God the Son.
And this leads to our final phrase... the most important recognition of all...that of Lord.
The word “Lord” is the most frequently used title for Jesus in the New Testament. [6c]
It is the Greek word Kyrios or Kurios, and it was used commonly in the Roman world...but always with significant implications...because it means master, ruler, or sovereign, and can also mean king. Its basic meaning is “absolute ruler.” And this is exactly the position which Jesus alone is worthy to be given. He is the king above all kings. He is the king who came and gave his life for the sake of all who may enter his kingdom. It may be common for people today to think that we can accept him as our savior...and only relate to him as our Lord if we choose to go into some second stage of Christian life. The truth is that he is savior and Lord...and there is no way to naturally separate these. And this early creed reminds us that the only belief that will actually be coherent and cohesive...is that which recognizes him as Lord. He is both forgiver and leader... only in this way is he the restorer of our lives.
To recognize him as Lord... is not expressed in our words as much as our wills. It is expressed in one’s ultimate allegiance. For those in early Rome... it was this recognition of Lord...and the reality of this allegiance that was so defining of their lives.
It’s been noted that in first century Rome you could stand in a public gathering and cry out, “Jesus is God!” ...and no one would be upset. That was just a religious belief. Many pagans could freely add to the many gods that they worshipped. “Religious beliefs” didn’t threaten the state. But if you shouted, “Jesus is Lord!” you would start a riot. Because Caesar claimed to be Lord. It was the recognition of Jesus as Lord... that made Rome deem Christians to be a threat... and brought tremendous persecution. [7]
The same is true today.... in relationship to our family and friends. It’s not our beliefs in themselves that usually create tensions in such relationships. It’s our allegiance. It’s not simply what we believe about Jesus... but our allegiance to Jesus above all. And it is helpful to realize that as the control of Caser diminished in the years ahead... Roman culture realized that these Christians were different in all the ways that Rome could value. The allegiance they thought was a threat...was only a threat to a vain desire for control. The nature of Christians...and the Christ of Christians....was actually a source of honesty...and compassion... and sacrificial care for the common good. In the same way... we need to understand that many may feel threatened by our allegiance to Christ...but if we can help translate what that allegiance means... just as many countries can realize that those who recognize that Jesus is Lord... can be the best of citizens...so can some relationships learn that they can be the best of spouses and children and friends. When we recognize that Jesus is Lord... it can actually help to talk about what Don’t be afraid to talk about what your allegiance is really about.
So let me conclude with what it means to us... when we recognize that Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, and our Lord,
When I recognize... and embrace...
“I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,” it means...
I can know the nature of God
The nature of God can clearly be known. Without Jesus, we would never really see God’s nature. When we affirm that we believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord," we assert that God is no longer hidden. God has shown his face in the Messiah from Nazareth,
Some of us know that we can find it hard to really understand God ... we have questions that are hard to answer,,, understanding that is hard to resolve. But when we look at Jesus...it helps us see through what is confusing or confounding... and provide a clarity all it’s own.
Secondly... when I recognize... and embrace... that “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,” it means
I can give my ultimate allegiance to the highest love and greatest good
There are many things that are good on some level...but not ultimate... not that which is above all and for all. When I worship Jesus above all...when I give my allegiance to him above all...I am choosing the one who created all and gave his life for all. That is the love that is worthy...and will actually serve the true good of all. And it’s helpful to realize that Jesus didn’t come to simply demand we worship him because he is lacking. He came to save us from worshipping what may be good but is not ultimate. He is saving us from trying to satisfy what is lacking in us from other things or other people that they can never satisfy. When I recognize... and embrace... “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,”... I am aligning my ultimate allegiance with ultimate good. I am giving my utmost for His highest. [8]
And finally... when I recognize and embrace... that “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,” it means
I can give him center stage
During this week’s inauguration... and when the President enters the capital to address congress.... he is preceded down the aisle by the Sergeant at Arms who calls out in a clear and commanding voice, "The President of the United States!" The sergeant at arms then gets out of the way so the President may enter and occupy center stage. When I recognize... and embrace... “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,”... I am declaring who gets center stage. If someone doesn’t catch my name...or remember my name... it’s really not that important... because I know that I am not the most important person in the room... or in the world.
And in that spirit, I invite you to join me in a moment of prayer. To help us center ourselves...I invite you to join me in simply closing our eyes...and I will lead us.
Prayer
Stand in the position not of placing our understanding on you...but of receiving and recognizing what you have revealed.
We indeed have no right to be your children... but the Son has come and atones for our sins.
Recognize that you are Lord... and we must choose our allegiance.
Confess ... given allegiance to entities unworthy.
So with the backdrop of our own nations inauguration... fitting such a role... we stop on this day and recognize that we believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
It’s in his name we pray.
Resources: Rooted: The Apostles' Creed by Cannata, Ray; Reitano, Josh; LIGON
The Apostles’ Creed: I Believe in Jesus Christ His Only Son Our Lord; Ray Pritchard: The Incomparable Christ: “Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord”, February 15, 2004;
Notes:
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
1b. Christian fish symbol has a long history. - April 24, 2009, By Michael Hickey
Ichthys, The Christian Fish Symbol: 5 Origin and History Facts by Blair Parke, Jan. 3, 2020
2. Some critics like to suggest that it wasn’t until the fourth century that the church “transformed” Jesus from a simple rabbi to a divine figure. But consider Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, written in the early 60s. In it, Paul quotes an early Christian hymn that predates his letter. Note what this hymn of the early church said about Jesus: Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit. But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)
These words were quoted by Paul some 270 years before the Council of Nicea drafted its creed affirming that Jesus was both God and human. Similarly, consider the words to another first-century hymn, found in Paul’s Letter to the Colossians: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the one who is first over all creation, Because all things were created by him: both in the heavens and on the earth, the things that are visible and the things that are invisible. Whether they are thrones or powers, or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. He existed before all things, and all things are held together in him. (Colossians 1:15-17) * These hymns show that very early on, the church was coming to understand that something of the man Jesus was “in the form of God” and that somehow the Son of God was Son of God before he became flesh in Jesus Christ. - Hamilton, Adam. Creed (Creed series) (pp. 64-66). Abingdon Press.
3. Isaiah 9:6
4. This Christian truth is ultimately understood as remaining monotheistic... not polytheistic... but it is often responded to as an offense to Jews and Muslims because of it’s unique affirmation of Jesus as divine. Initially the Jewish community brought pressure to deny the divinity of Christ....and the Gnostic elements in the Greco Roman culture wanted to deny the humanity of Christ...because of the worldview that only spirit was good and matter was inferior. Not surprising... when people have had a dominant worldview for a long period of time... the beliefs that this world has formed will become a source of pride...and something people won’t easily give up even when God reveals what is true and good. More can be found at: A SHORT HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY by ARCHIBALD B. D. ALEXANDER - PHILOSOPHY IN THE GRECO-ROMAN WORLD - here
5. Rooted: The Apostles' Creed, Cannata, Ray; Reitano, Josh - Page 34 · Location 655
6. The Apostles' Creed by Cannata, Ray; Reitano, Josh, pages 31-34
6b. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
6c. It appears 537 times in the New Testament.
7. Ray Pritchard: The Incomparable Christ: “Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord” credits this to Chuck Colson
8. The word worship comes from the old English word “worthship”...which means what we give worth to. Worship is about what we are giving worth to. So we are always worshipping something. And we are always giving our allegiance to some things or some people.
