MODULE 2 : CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES

LESSON 4 : THE HUMANITY AND THE SAVING WORK OF JESUS CHRIST

INTRODUCTION:

As was stated in the previous lesson, several difficulties arise out of misunderstanding of the two natures
of the Lord in one person, his deity and humanity. Though the two are inseparable in the person of the
Lord, the bible teaches of their proper places in the plan of God for man. It is important to mention here
that the humanity of the Lord has much to do with his saving work and this, too, we will study here.

1.0 THE VIRGIN BIRTH INCARNATION OF JESUS CHRIST

1.1 The Word who was God (John 1:1) became flesh referring to Jesus (John 1:14).
John 1:1 (ESV) - 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God.
John 1:14 (ESV) - 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen
his glory, glory as of the only Son[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1.2 He is the only begotten of the Father. His sonship is different from ours. We are adopted
sons of God while he is the only begotten of God. Men were neither nor ever will be
begotten in the same manner that he was. (Romans 8:15)
Romans 8:15 (ESV) - 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but
you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

1.3 The manner of conception of the Lord Jesus was supernatural in itself as it was by the power
of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:30-38). This is what is often called the Incarnation. This is the
reason he is called the Son of God. The phrase refers to the Word being made flesh by the
power of God. It was of a virgin birth. Mary was a virgin at the time of conception and until
after the Lord was born (Luke 1:34; Mat 1:18-25).
Luke 1:30-38 (ESV) - 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and
you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the
house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the
angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child
to be born[b] will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her
old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called
barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the
servant[c] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from
her.

Luke 1:34 (ESV) - 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

Matthew 1:18-25 (ESV) - 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his
mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be
with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to
put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do
not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their
sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means,
God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded
him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his
name Jesus.

Jesus is the son of God and the son of Mary but was not the son of Joseph by the flesh
though he was by the Law. Also, Mary was never called the Mother of God as the Lord
Jesus had neither mother nor father prior to his incarnation.

1.4 False views concerning the incarnation

 The Ebionites. They denied the reality of Jesus’ divine nature (John 1:1).
  The Gnostics. They denied the reality of Jesus’ human nature (1 John 1:1).

 The Arians. They affirmed Jesus’ preexistence but denied his deity. This is the position
of the present-day Jehovah’s Witnesses.

 The Nestorians. They believed two persons actually indwelt the body of Christ, the
human person and the divine.

 The Eutychians. They went to the opposite extreme and said both natures (the human
and the divine) mingled to make up a third and totally different nature from the original
two natures.

1.5 The true view of the incarnation

In the one person, Jesus Christ, there are two natures, a human nature and a divine nature,
each in its completeness and integrity, and these two natures are organically and
indissolubly united, yet so that no third nature is formed thereby.

2.0 THE SINLESSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST

2.1 He was born without sin. Just because he was born without sin does not exempt him from
sin. Examples of beings who were without sin yet fell into sin are Lucifer and the angels that
rebelled with him and Adam.

2.2 He had to learn to refuse sin and obey the Father (Isa 7:14-16; Heb 5:7-9). He was tempted
in all points as we are, yet was without sin (Heb 4:15).

2.3 The “Son of Man” is a messianic title, which the Lord applied to himself. Literally, it means
son of Adam. The apparent reason of him using this title is his desire to identify with the
sons of Adam, in the likeness of sinful flesh, which is an apt description of him relative to this
mission. It is worth noting that it is along this line that he is also called the Last Adam and
the Second Man.
1 Cor 15:45-50; Rom 8:3; 5:12-21; Gal 4:4; Heb 2:14-18.

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3.0 THE SACRIFICIAL DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST.
3.1 Christ’s death was sacrificial. God’s will was not to save through the blood of bulls and goats
but by a human sacrifice of eternal merit. The Old Testament sacrifices were just a shadow
of things to come and those who believed in them relied on the promise of the Messiah,
which was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Heb 10:1-9; 11:39-40; 2 Cor 5:21.

3.2 Christ’s death was once and for all. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ has its merits eternally
settled with God. It cannot be diminished by unbelief neither can it be increased by human
efforts. Heb 10:10-14.

4.0 THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

4.1 It was a bodily resurrection. Jesus was resurrected in the same body which was laid in the
tomb but was transformed into a glorious body by the power of God. This means that it is of
a higher substance than the flesh and blood bodies we have as proven by the resurrected
Lord’s ability to pass through burial linen wrappings, doors and walls. John 20.

4.2 The Resurrection Establishes the Following

 The Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Jews crucified him because he claimed to be the Son
of God. God resurrected him because he is the Son of God. John 8:40; Romans 1:4.

 The resurrection confirms the Christian hope in the same. Jesus Christ is the firstfruits of
the resurrection. 1 Cor 15:20, 23.

 If there is no resurrection, there would be no Christianity and we would still be in our

sins. 1 Cor 15:12-19.

4.3 False Views Concerning the Resurrection

 The fraud theory. This says that either Jesus or his disciples (or both) simply invented
the entire thing. It would have us believe that Christ was simply a clever crook who read
the prophecies regarding the Messiah in the Old Testament and set about arranging for
them to be fulfilled by himself.

 The swoon theory. We are informed here that Christ merely fainted on the cross and
was later revived by the cool, dark air of the tomb. But how did he get out of that tomb?
What bright light did he use to blind and terrify the Roman soldiers who stood guard
outside?

 The vision theory. This would advocate that the early disciples were guilty of using some
kind of primitive LSD. If this be true, then the practice was certainly widespread, for on
one occasion alone over 500 claimed to have seen him. There is not one speck of
biblical or secular evidence to support such an empty theory.

 The spirit theory. This holds that only Jesus’ spirit arose. But Jesus is said to have
eaten while in his resurrected body. The very nailprints were still there. This view
cannot for one second stand the logic of reason.

 The heart theory. This says that he was only resurrected in the heart of his friends. The
trouble here, however, is that none of those friends actually believed he would literally
rise from the dead until they saw him with their own eyes, and heard his words with their
ears.

5.0 THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST

5.1 It is a bodily ascension. The same body which was resurrected is the one that ascended.
Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11; Acts 7:5-6; Zech 13:6.

5.2 The Ascension of Jesus Christ Establishes the Following:

 The beginning of the priestly intercession of the Lord for all the believers. Romans 8:34;
Heb 4:14; 6:20; 7:25

 He became our Advocate/Paraclete before the Father. 1 John 2:1

 It ushered the full ministry of the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-18, 26; 16:7-15.

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 It is a pledge of the Lord’s Second Coming. Acts 1:11