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We're going to read John 24-31. It's going to be more of a launching 
pad verse, if you will, to explore the stuff of Christology over 
the next number of weeks or however many weeks that you have me for. 
We'll look at the doctrine of Christ from various portions 
of the Holy Scriptures and, of course, the testimony of the 
Scriptures as a cohesive whole. This is John 20 beginning in 
verse 24. Now Thomas called the twin. One 
of the 12 was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples 
therefore said to him, we have seen the Lord. So he said to 
them, unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put 
my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his 
side, I will not believe. And after eight days, his disciples 
were again inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors 
being shut and stood in the midst and said, Peace to you. Then 
he said to Thomas, Reach your finger here and look at my hands 
and reach your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be 
unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said 
to him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because 
you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not 
seen and yet have believed. And truly, Jesus did many other 
signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written 
in this book. But these are written, that you 
may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that 
believing, you may have life in his name. Amen. Well, certainly 
one of the things that we have here is the identification of 
Christ by Thomas, this blessed declaration from the one that 
demanded, if you will, certain evidential proofs that Jesus 
was the Christ, that this one reported to be resurrected was 
certainly Jesus Christ, the Lord. We have this blessed confession 
in verse 28 and Thomas answered and said to him my Lord and my 
God Christ in his graciousness the risen Christ in his graciousness 
had did or had demonstrated or had gone through the exercise 
as Thomas had demanded allowing him to look upon his pierced 
hands to touch his hands and to reach his hand into his side 
and to be not unbelieving, but believing. We have this summary 
statement in verses 30 and 31 where we read, and truly Jesus 
did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not 
written in this book, but these are written that you may believe 
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing 
you may have life in His name. It's interesting, you see, the 
Bible is not a detailed history. It has and it contains perfect, 
infallible, detailed history. But the Bible, by and large, 
is charismatic. It carries the character and 
the flavor of a proclamation from on high. concerning the 
saving verities and perfections of God for His chosen elect through 
the Lord Jesus Christ. There were many things that Jesus 
did in the presence of His disciples, but they're not all recorded. 
It's because the purpose of the written word is verse 31. These are written that you may 
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing 
you may have life in His name. It brings into view the importance 
of Christology. And so we're going to do tonight, 
or engage in tonight, in an introduction to Christology. And hopefully 
over the next couple weeks, if we have that many weeks before 
Jim comes back for an exposition in 2 Samuel, we'll look more 
at this topic of Christology. But first off, what does that 
mean? Hopefully you've been here long enough in this church to 
know what Christology means. It simply means a study of Christ, 
the study of or the doctrine of Christ. Specifically, and 
maybe to summarize that, when we study Christ, we study his 
person and his work. That's what Christology is. It's 
a study of the person of Christ, and it's a study of the work 
of Christ, his person. In Christology, we study his 
person, and so we ask and answer many questions. Who is he? It's 
a question that we ask. Was he a man born of ordinary 
generation? Or was he a man born from on 
high, the Holy Spirit overpowering and overshadowing the Virgin 
Mary? Is he God? Is he man? Is he fully God and 
is he fully man? Or is he only partially God and 
partially man, as the heretics of old and some heretics of our 
present day might argue? with respect to his person? Has 
he become some sort of new being, the fusing of divinity and humanity? Or is his divinity, do his divinity 
and his humanity remain intact, separate? Are they confused? 
Are they intermingled? All of these questions that are 
necessary and important for us to come to a full and a proper 
appreciation of biblical Christology, His work. We ask and answer questions. What did He do? Why did He do 
it? Who did He do it for? Is it a 
full, complete, and perfect work of salvation? Or is it only partially 
complete, required for its fullness to have additional supplementation 
by human contribution? So, Christology. And we may say 
that all of theologies converge in Christ. Or all of theologies 
converge in Christology. Theology. The Word or Son is 
the second person of the Triune God. So, a study of Christology 
necessarily lands us in a study of theology proper. Because, 
as we just said, the Word or Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is 
the second person of the Triune God. of His Father's glory, the 
express image of His person, the one who upholds all things 
by the word of His power. Soteriology. Christ came into 
this world sinners to save. He is the author and the finisher 
of our faith. A study of Christology is again 
a study of His person and His work. And so we land upon that 
blessed and high topic of soteriology when we study the doctrine of 
Christ. Anthropology. He is, this anthropology 
is the study of man. When we study Christology, we 
necessarily land upon or touch upon that otherology of anthropology. He is the second Adam who came 
into this world to reverse the curse or to redeem us who were 
cursed by virtue of our association to Adam the first. and we are 
conformed unto the image of Adam the second, by Adam the second, 
risen and exalted on high, sanctifying us by the spirit. Ecclesiology, 
he's the Lord of the church. You see a study of Christ necessarily 
lands us as well on ecclesiology, the doctrine of the church, because 
he is Lord of the church. He is the one who walks among 
the lampstands, which are his churches. When we come into the 
Lord's Day Sabbath, remember Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath. Christ is the worship leader. There's a great article by Don 
Lindblad in the new book published by Arbat, by Common Confession, 
Essays in Honor of James M. Renahan, where he argues from 
Hebrews 2, with regards to Christ being, in essence, the worship 
leader of the church. We come in on the Lord's Day, 
and Christ is our worship leader. He is the Lord of the church. 
Our confession says he is the prophet and priest, the head 
of the, prophet, priest, and king, the head of the church, 
the judge of the world. And not to exhaust all theologies, 
but eschatology. The doctrine of last things. 
Christ is the center of that study of last things. He is the 
judge of the quick and the dead. He will come at the last in great 
power and glory to judge the living and the dead and to bring 
his chosen home. So when we study Christology, 
we may say that we're not to sort of sever an ology from a 
study of the biblical presentation of God's truth. and just examine 
it, but rather all of the other ologies, if you will, converge 
upon this one ology. I'm going to stop saying ology 
in a little while. But all of the other blessed 
studies in doctrine, in theology, converge, if you will, upon this 
one, the doctrine of Christ. The Christological enterprise, 
that is, the undertaking of the study of the great subject of 
Christ, is not an insignificant thing. You know, it's of the 
utmost importance. If we come to the Bible and we 
see time and again the question being asked, for example, in 
the book of Acts, sirs, what must I do to be saved? The answer 
always comes, and it is Christo-centric and Christo-exclusive in its 
nature. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved is the answer. And so it is of the utmost 
importance. It's not simply lower discipline. It's not a branch upon the tree 
of discovery, but it is the highest science. It is the tree of discovery 
itself. It is that blessed subject, that 
blessed study, that one where we come in and we examine our 
blessed Savior. And it's not a casual discipline. 
Christ is not, you know, Christology is not a doctrine. Hopefully 
no doctrine of the Bible is a doctrine where we put our hands in our 
pockets and we just examine something in some sort of cold or casual 
manner. The study of Christ is a blessed study. Again, we don't 
come with our monocles or our microscopes and our beakers and 
examine something with the flavor of cold speculation, but rather 
we come with warm, joyful Christian hearts to a topic of study that 
God in his grace has brought us from death to life to examine, 
to glory in, to revel in, and to Keep on learning until Christ 
our Savior brings us home. So before we get in to look at 
five things with regards to the importance of Christology, let's 
start with this quote from Spurgeon that many of you have heard to 
set our bearings, if you will, as we seek to go about this blessed 
enterprise in studying our blessed Savior. I would propose that 
the subject of the ministry of this house, as long as this platform 
shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by 
worshippers, shall be the person of Jesus Christ. I am never ashamed 
to avow myself a Calvinist. I do not hesitate to take the 
name of Baptist. But if I am asked, what is my 
creed, I think I must reply, it is Jesus Christ. The body 
of divinity to which I would pin and bind myself forever, 
God helping me, is Christ Jesus, who is the sum and substance 
of the gospel, who is in himself all theology, the incarnation 
of every precious truth, the all-glorious personal embodiment 
of the way, the truth, and the life. No doubt Charles Spurgeon 
understood the importance of Christology. And so what is? Or wherein do we see the importance 
of Christology in the Bible? Before we get to those things, 
very briefly, the importance of Christology is demonstrated 
as well in the history of the church, isn't it? For anyone 
familiar with a little bit of church history, The first eight 
centuries really were a battle for the proper and pristine doctrine 
of the person of Christ. The first five centuries were 
probably the most heated, but the battle raged on after that. 
Not to say the battle stopped, but the first eight centuries 
of the church are marked by Christological controversy. Who is this Christ? Who is this one who came and 
who died and who rose again and who ascended on high? Is he a 
created being or is he God of God, light of light, true God 
from true God, begotten not made, one in being with the Father? 
Is he truly God and truly man? All of these questions, Christological 
questions, were asked and answered. And not necessarily asked like, 
oh, who is this Christ? Let us examine. But defended 
by those who had defended against, or the doctrine of Christ, the 
pristine biblical doctrine of the person and the work of Christ, 
defended against those who were deviating, against those who 
were seeking to propagate error and heresy. And so the church, 
century upon century, comes together and they hammer out these creeds 
through controversy. They come together in councils 
by virtue of controversy And they write down confessions of 
faith with regards to Christ, ensuring that the people of Christ 
are hedged in against error and heresy. And we'll look at some 
of that in future sessions, some of the language. But the importance 
of Christology, no doubt, is demonstrated by church history. 
But we want to look at the Bible tonight and look at what it says 
with regards to the importance of Christology, the study of 
Christ. The first thing that we want 
to note is that the importance of Christology is seen in that 
He, Christ, is the scope of Scripture. That is, that Christ is the one 
to whom all Scripture points. We may say that all the types 
and shadows and washings, all of the ceremonies and sacrifices, 
all of the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament all have 
their glorious intended terminus in Christ Jesus the Lord. It's the scope of scripture, 
the canonical trajectory. Barcelos, I think, uses this 
term. He'll probably say that he got it from someone else. 
The canonical trajectory, the overall canonical trajectory 
of scripture is Christ-ward. The Bible is Christ-ward in its 
trajectory. A great quote by Nehemiah Cox, 
one of the 17th century particular Baptists, he wrote this, the 
great interest of man's present peace and eternal happiness is 
most closely concerned in religion. And all true religion since the 
fall of man must be taught by divine revelation, which God 
by diverse parts and after a diverse manner has given out to his church. 
He caused this light gradually to increase until the whole mystery 
of his grace was perfectly revealed in and by Jesus Christ, in whom 
are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. God, whose 
works were all known by Him from the beginning, has in all ages 
disposed and ordered the revelation of His will to men, His transactions 
with them, and all the works of the Holy Providence toward 
them, with reference to the fullness of time and the gathering of 
all things to a head in Christ Jesus. So in all our search after 
the mind of God in the Holy Scriptures, we are to manage our inquiries 
with reference to Christ. That last statement is very important. So in all our search after the 
mind of God in the Holy Scriptures, we're to manage our inquiries 
after Christ. That is the point of the Lord 
Jesus Christ on His resurrection day. You can turn to Luke 24. This is a passage that we probably 
come to very often, and it is for good reason. It's one of 
those places in Holy Scripture that help us to understand the 
meaning of the giving of revelation, helps us to understand the purpose 
of the Bible. Notice the Lord Jesus Christ 
in two places here. One, before those disciples in 
despair on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, 25 and then before 
his disciples largely in verse 44, but notice Luke 24 25 Then 
he said to the most foolish ones and slow of heart to believe 
in all that the prophets have spoken Ought not the Christ who 
have suffered these things and to enter into his glory and beginning 
at Moses and all the prophets He expounded to them in all the 
scriptures the things concerning himself you see Christ is opening up the Bible to these 
disciples. And he's not just going to Psalm 
22 and Isaiah 53 and that's it because those are the only places 
that sort of speak explicitly of Jesus Christ. No, he's beginning 
at Moses and all the prophets. He expounded to them in all the 
scriptures. the things concerning himself. 
He would have started at Genesis. Probably, he might have even 
gone to Genesis 1 and following, talking about the creation of 
the world, and he might have said, you know, that's me there. 
You see where God spoke in the beginning. I am the Word of God. 
He would have definitely gone, well definitely, we don't know 
if he did. We don't have that data in Luke 24. But it's wholesome 
to assume that Christ would have gone to Genesis 3.15. and said 
that he is the hero born of woman who would crush the serpent with 
his heel. Verse 44, we have the same thing going on now before 
all his disciples. We read, Then he said to them, 
These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with 
you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written 
in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms concerning me. 
And he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the 
scriptures. Remember that prior to his crucifixion and resurrection, 
There was some doubt on the part of the disciples. They didn't 
have it all together as sort of a cohesive theology of Christ 
and his work, necessarily. Were they saved? Yes. But they 
did not have a full-orb theology of Christ and what it meant and 
what he was to do. those sorts of things. He opens 
their understanding so that they might understand that in all 
of the Old Covenant, in all of the Old Testament, the revelation 
from on high concerned Him. This three-fold summary of the 
books of the Old Testament, the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and 
the Psalms. That's a three-fold idiomatic 
summary, if you will, of the entirety of the Old Covenant 
Scriptures. And so Christ is saying that He is the scope of 
Scripture. We could go to places like Acts 
3, but we won't, to see, and you can make a note of that, 
the end of Acts 3, where Peter is preaching after he and John 
go into the temple, they heal the man outside of the temple 
gates, and then they preach to an audience there. And he says 
that all the prophets since the beginning spoke about Christ, 
that he would die, that he would rise again, and that he would 
bring salvation to his people. The apostolic kerygma in the 
New Testament, in the early church, that is, the pattern of apostolic 
preaching sets forth this very thing, the importance of Christology 
and the scope of Scripture. And in fact, that's the second 
point. So the first was the importance of Christology is seen in that 
He, Christ, is the scope of Scripture. Secondly, the importance of Christology 
is seen in that He, Christ, is the chief topic of the church's 
proclamation. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't 
it? If He is the scope of Scripture, if He is the glorious intended 
terminus of all that came before Him, then no doubt He is the 
chief topic of the church's proclamation. And that's what we see when we 
get to places like Acts 5. You can turn there with me in 
Acts 5. He is the chief topic of the church's proclamation. 
In Acts 5, Notice what we have when we move forward to verse 
40. This is a report, a summary report 
of the religious leaders, the unbelieving religious leaders 
agreeing with Gamaliel, his advice with regards to the release of 
the disciples. Notice in verse 40, and they agreed with him. 
And when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, 
they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus 
and let them go. So they departed from the presence 
of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer 
shame for his name. And daily in the temple and in 
every house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus 
as the Christ. You see that is the chief topic 
of the church's proclamation going from house to house in 
this case and proclaiming teaching and preaching that Jesus is the 
Christ. We look at the book of Acts and 
that's what we see, don't we? We see the disciples, the apostles 
of Christ going out and not proclaiming how to have your best life now, 
Not giving 17 illustrations on how we can apply golf to our 
Christian walk. They go out and they proclaim 
Jesus as the Christ. They go out and they proclaim 
that the old covenant scriptures prophesied and promised that 
this Jesus would come. This Jesus has come to the Jews. They would say, you by wicked 
hands have delivered him up to death. You crucified the Lord 
of glory by hanging him on a tree. The kerygma, the preaching, would 
also include that this one though has been raised by God, he's 
been ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high, and all 
who believe in him will have everlasting life. The importance 
of Christology is seen in that he is the chief topic of the 
church's proclamation. Stephen Charnock says, with regards 
to Paul, the Apostle Paul, a verse we'll look at next, Christ crucified 
is the sum of the gospel and contains all the riches of it. 
Paul was so much taken with Christ that nothing sweeter than Jesus 
could drop from his pen and lips. Isn't that what you get when 
you read the Apostle Paul? Nothing sweeter than Jesus could 
fall from his pen or lips. When he proclaimed, he proclaimed 
Christ. Yes, he would proclaim with great 
power. and with great vigor against 
the sins of particular cities and churches that he's writing 
to, but he always brings it back to that Christocentric center. He always plants the cross right 
in the middle before his hearers so that they might understand 
and realize that Christ is all in all. And so, Charnock is exactly 
right. The church's proclamation, the 
chief topic is that of Christ. And we see that in the Apostle 
Paul in many places, obviously, but one of them that we can turn 
to is 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. There's 
so much, in fact, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and 2, chapters 1 and 
2, that we could read. But notice the language of 1 
Corinthians 2 beginning in verse 1. And I, brethren, when I came 
to you did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring 
to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know 
anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." You 
see, this is why it is a preaching crime. It's a pulpit crime, to 
use the title of James White's book. It's a pulpit crime to 
have a Christless church, Christless proclamation, a Christless worship 
service. Because he is the scope of Scripture, 
and secondly, he's the chief topic of the church's proclamation. 
Wherever a preacher finds himself, it is always to be brought back 
to a Christocentric close. Christ is to enter into pulpit 
proclamation, or else it is no real valuable proclamation at 
all. Now that's not to say, the pastor's 
preaching through the genealogy of, well, actually, no, that 
is to say, if he is preaching through a genealogy from 1st 
or 2nd Chronicles, there is, I'm trying to remember the Isaac 
Abrams or something like that, he talked, talking about the 
scope of Scripture, he lists, I think it's eight things that 
mark the scope of Scripture being Christ, and one of them is the 
genealogies of the Old Testament. One of them, the genealogical 
data that we have in the Old Testament, you might just think 
it's only genealogical data. No, it's not. It is Christo-centric 
in its thrust, or Christ-ward in its trajectory, but we don't 
have time to flesh that out necessarily. So we have here the Apostle Paul 
writing these words, for I determine not to know anything among you 
except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Paul would say in Colossians 
1.28, and perhaps that is a place where we can see the weight of 
knowing who Jesus is in His person. Notice in Colossians 1.28, we 
read, Him we preach. warning every man and teaching 
every man in all wisdom. That's Colossians 1.28. Him we 
preach. Now, who is He talking about 
when He says, Him we preach? Who does He mean? Well, the Christ 
that He had just opened up in the book of Colossians. He is 
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created 
that are in heaven and that are on earth. visible and invisible, 
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, 
all things were created through Him and for Him, and He is before 
all things, and in Him all things consist. He is the head of the 
body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from 
the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should 
dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him 
whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace 
through the blood of His cross, Him we preach. That Christ we 
preach. That Christ we confess. That 
Christ we study. That Christ we glory in to know. That is the Christ that we rejoice 
in. point in the book of Colossians 
itself. I can hear Karl Truman saying 
now the burden of the Pauline letters. The burden of the letters 
to Paul, this specific letter of Colossians, is to set forth 
the supremacy of Christ. His divinity. His perfect divinity. His perfect and full divinity. 
His perfect humanity. His full humanity. His perfect 
salvation, having made peace through the blood of the cross, 
and that he is true wisdom, and that he is the only redemption. 
And so we have the reality that Christ is the chief topic of 
the church's proclamation. That demonstrates quite clearly 
the importance of Christology, the knowing of, the doctrine 
of, the studying of Christ. To close off that reality, this 
is Spurgeon again, on the importance of preaching Christ, noting some 
things concerning the Apostle Paul. Paul did not budge before 
the sharp and practical reply of the conquerors of the world. 
He did not tremble before Nero and his palace. Whether to Greek 
or Jew, Roman or barbarian, bond or free, he was not ashamed of 
the gospel of Christ, but gloried in the cross. Though the testimony 
that the one all-sufficient atonement was provided on the cross stirs 
the enmity of man and provokes opposition, Yet Paul was so far 
from attempting to mitigate that opposition that he determined 
to know nothing save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. His motto 
was, we preach Christ crucified. He had the cross for his philosophy, 
the cross for his tradition, the cross for his gospel, the 
cross for his glory, and nothing else. It's a wonderful testimony 
with regards to Paul and the reality that Paul understood 
the importance of Christology. It was, the cross was, His philosophy, 
His wisdom, His everything. And so, we see, again, the importance 
of Christology and the fact that Christ is the scope of Scripture, 
that He is the chief topic of the Church's proclamation. And 
then now, thirdly, we see the importance of Christology, or 
the importance of Christology is seen in that He, Christ, is 
the only way of salvation. He's the only way of salvation. 
That is wherein we see the importance of Christology. Because by Christ, 
or Christ is the only one by whom we are saved. We see this 
clearly in many passages in Scripture. And hopefully these ones you 
might have memorized if you come up against anyone who is one 
of those people that might say something like, well, what's 
true for you is true for you, but what's true for me is true 
for me. All religions lead to heaven. Some sort of religious 
pluralism like that. We would want to take them to 
places such as John 14, 6. John 14, 6, one of those texts 
that speak to the glory of Christ and also to the exclusivity of 
salvation by Him. John 14, 6, Jesus said to him, 
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the 
Father except through me. And we might say that there is 
a fourfold hammering of the exclusivity of Christ for salvation. He is the way, the truth, and 
the life. If that isn't enough language 
of exclusivity, then he drives it home by saying, no one comes 
to the Father except through me. Christ is the blessed way, 
the blessed truth, and the blessed life. And He is the only way, 
the only truth, and the only life. And no one comes to the 
Father except through that blessed One, the Lord Jesus Christ. The 
disciples no doubt heard Him, and understood Him, and repeated those words of Christ before 
their audiences throughout the book of Acts. In Acts 4.12, there's 
another verse that is clear with its exclusivity with regards 
to Christ being the only way of salvation. In Acts 4.12, we 
read, Nor is there salvation in any other. He's just finished 
preaching concerning Christ. For there is no other name under 
heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Christ is the 
only way of salvation. And again, when we see this brought 
out in the narratives of God-saving sinners in the book of Acts, 
in Acts 16, remember that occasion with the Philippian jailer. He's 
about to impale himself on his own sword because of the dishonor 
prisoners escaping. No prisoners left. They remind 
him of that, Paul and Silas. And then he says, Sirs, what 
must I do to be saved? And again the answer, believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. There is 
only one way. They didn't say believe, you 
know, in the, you know, the Proverbs of Buddha. They didn't say if 
you follow after Vishnu or one of the Hindu gods. They didn't 
say just follow your own, you know, the dictates of your own 
conscience. And as long as you help ladies with their groceries 
and mow their lawns, then all will be well. He says, believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. The Christological 
and Christocentric imperative of our religion is clear in the 
Bible. It is only by the Lord Jesus 
Christ, it is only by the blessed Savior that men will be saved. if the clarion call of the Bible 
is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, 
then man is absolutely well served by a knowledge of Him. You see, 
we are to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean 
some sort of esoteric, ethereal, you know, informationless attachment 
to the Savior. It's not some sort of simple, 
sincere feeling of religious attachment to Christ. that is 
in view when the apostles say, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. It's not some sort of mystical 
and ethereal sincere emotional attachment to Christ that is 
in view, but it is to believe the right things concerning him. 
And so if it is to believe the right things concerning him, 
then we are well served to know who this Christ is and what He 
has done. Now that's not to say that we 
are to be emotionless Christians. We could flesh out what emotion 
is, but we're to love, we're to rejoice, we're to have our 
souls, our hearts absolutely warmed by the knowledge of Christ. 
But you see, being a Christian doesn't mean first and foremost 
to have sincere feelings concerning this fellow Jesus. It is to know 
who this Jesus is to believe in him and to rejoice in him. We're to know this Christ, we're 
to understand who he is, and we are to by faith lay hold of 
the only one who saves and the only one who brings us to the 
Father. It's interesting when we look 
at, for example, John's epistles, not his gospel, but 1st, 2nd, 
and 3rd John, when he's combating Antichrist, the Antichrist, I 
don't want to step on any eschatological toes, but the Antichrist isn't 
one single individual in history, and it's not one single individual 
in our future. When John is railing against 
Antichrist, he's railing against first century Christological 
heretics who were denying the humanity of Jesus Christ. Are there people to be worried 
about? Yes. Are there bad guys out there? 
Yes. But we aren't to fear some bad 
man antichrist in our eschatological future. There may be bad men, 
but it won't be the antichrist of the Johannine epistles. They were first century heretics 
who were denying the humanity of Christ. He is antichrist who 
denies that Jesus came in the flesh, he says. And so the importance 
of Christology is brought into view by those epistles of John. You read 1 John, or John 1 in 
his gospel, and there some of the fathers, Cyril of Alexandria 
for example, in his commentary says, we believe that people 
came to John instructing him concerning what these people 
were saying about Christ, the denial of his humanity. And so 
John was excited, if you will, to write in his prologue certain 
Christological truths in order to combat first century heretics. In other words, he is fully divine. In the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is fully 
human, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He is begotten 
eternally by the Father, the only begotten Son. There are 
certain truths brought out by John, and then when we get to 
his epistles, we find that this Antichrist movement are those, 
you know, incipient Gnostics, perhaps, who were propagating 
this idea that Jesus Christ had not come in the flesh. And so 
John calls them Antichrist, because they're denying the reality that 
Christ truly took on humanity. an absolutely vital doctrine. 
The fathers of the early church used to say, whatever is not assumed is not 
healed. In other words, if Christ did 
not assume our humanity, then humanity cannot be healed from 
their sin. If Christ did not take on man's 
nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities 
thereof, yet without sin, If he didn't do that, then those 
who have man's nature, us, with all the essential properties 
and common infirmities thereof, with sin, will not be healed 
from the sinless one who came into this world, sinners to save. 
He needs to assume that which is to be healed, and he did so 
by taking upon himself man's nature. And so all of that coming 
back to Christ is the only way of salvation, and the Bible clearly 
brings that out. Fourthly, the importance of Christology. The importance of Christology 
is seen in that He, Christ, is to be properly identified. He is to be properly identified. What do we mean by that? Remember 
the occasion in Matthew's Gospel. This comes up a lot too from 
the pulpit and from the table. In Matthew 16, when Christ asks 
that question of man, he asks his disciples two questions, 
in fact. The first one is, who do men say that I, the son of 
man, am? And they answer, some say Jeremiah, 
some say Elijah, some say John the Baptist, or some other man. 
And then Jesus Christ asks them, who do you say that I am? And 
he says, Peter answering, 4 to 12, says, thou art the Christ. 
the Son of the Living God. So Christ Himself brings forth 
in His earthly ministry the importance of a proper identification of 
Christ. Again, it's not just, you know, we're not saved by 
some sort of sincere emotional attachment to, A, Jesus Christ. There is only one Jesus Christ 
that is to be believed in. And if we have erroneous doctrine 
concerning Him, then that's a bad place to be. If we deny His deity, 
That's a bad place to be. If we deny His humanity, that's 
a bad place to be. In fact, turn with me to John 
8. John 8. Because with regards to this 
point that the importance of Christology is seen and that 
He, Christ, is to be properly identified, we have first that 
His full deity is to be confessed. His full deity is to be confessed. Notice in John 8, beginning in 
verse 23, and he said to them, you are far from beneath, or 
excuse me, you are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this 
world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that 
you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I 
am, you will die in your sins. You see the weight of what Jesus 
is saying there. If you do not believe that I 
am, you will die in your sins. You see the importance of Christology 
here at the point of an identification of Christ, specifically here 
at His full deity. He is using the language of that 
Exodus 3.14 proclamation, that Isaianic proclamation of the 
covenant God, I am that I am. Here, you may have an italicized 
he, or you might have something like that in your Bibles, but 
the language is repeated by Christ on many occasions. He's identifying 
himself with the Father. He's saying that he is God. Remember, 
later on in this discourse, he will say, before Abraham was, 
I am. He didn't say, before Abraham 
was, I was, as if he's affirming Arian Christology, that he was 
just a created being from before the foundation of the world or 
something silly like that. He didn't say, before Abraham 
was, I was. He said, before Abraham was, 
I am. In other words, I eternally existed 
as God, as deity. I have the fullness of deity. And so Jesus himself demands 
that a proper identification of himself is necessary in order 
to enter everlasting life. Now, we must say and we must 
confess that we are not saved by our theological precision. Let's just say that we're not 
saved by our theological precision. However, the saved are to be 
theologically precise. We're saved by grace alone, through 
faith alone, in Christ alone. But you see, that doesn't mean 
then that we're just skipping through a mystical universe of 
sincerity and emotionalism with no propositional truth. This 
Bible is given to us so that we might know that Jesus is the 
Christ, that we might know, that we might engage in intellection 
and cognition, feed ourselves with the Bible, take it in, sit 
under preaching that we might learn and know this Christ. You 
look at Ephesians 1, 15 and following to the beginning of chapter 2, 
what does the Apostle Paul pray? that God would increase us in 
knowledge and understanding and wisdom so that we might know 
the fullness of our Savior, the glorious one who has conquered 
principalities and powers by his blessed and perfect saving 
work. We are to know, with respect 
to his person, in identifying him properly, we are to know 
that he is full deity. We could go to many other passages, 
we won't, but 1 John 1.1, Romans 9, 5 and 6, many other places, 
John 20, 28 that we already read tonight, my Lord and my God, 
Christ is fully God. But we're going to explore that 
in future sessions and flesh that out to be sure. Secondly, 
we need to, of course, with respect to his person, confess his full 
humanity. His full humanity. John in his 
first epistle writes, every spirit that does not confess that Jesus 
has come in the flesh is not of God. For many deceivers have 
gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming 
in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." 
See, we are to confess. We must confess Christ's full 
humanity. This is why we said at the outset 
that Christology touches upon soteriology. In fact, we might 
even say Christology is soteriology in a sense. You see, Christ comes 
and he is the mediator between God and man. He isn't mediator 
because he intercedes, but rather he intercedes because he is mediator. Soteriology is intimately linked 
to Christology. And the confession of his full 
humanity must be made because if he is not truly man, then 
man is not truly saved. I know I'm preaching to the choir. 
I don't think we have any Dosetics in here. Is there anybody that 
follows in the long line of Dosetics from the first sentence? There 
are some who would still deny his humanity somewhere out there. But this is something that we 
need. It's good to fill our minds with Christology so that we can 
have our hearts inoculated against those errorists out there who 
would seek to steal away the joy that we have in Christ Jesus 
the Lord. We are to fill our minds with 
the knowledge of God so that we might have a hedge around 
our souls, so that when wicked men dressed sharply in their 
suits and ties come to our doors and rap on them and want us to 
talk about watchtower doctrine, we can adequately respond that, 
no, you're wrong. The Bible clearly teaches his 
full deity, his full humanity, and the perfection of his saving 
grace, his saving work. with respect to his person, then 
we need to confess and we'll get to this point later. But 
you see, when we confess his full deity and when we confess 
his full humanity, we also must confess his uncompounded, undivided, 
unconfused person. We cannot say that the deity 
divinizes the humanity, that the humanity humanizes the divinity. There is no intermingling of 
the natures in the one person, but rather, as our confession 
says, two whole perfect and distinct natures were inseparably joined 
together in one person without conversion, composition, or confusion, 
which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the 
only mediator between God and man. You see, if we somehow confuse 
the two natures, saying that Christ is now one a composite, 
confused being that has saved his people from their sins, well 
then we say that the divine nature is immutable, or that it is mutable, 
that it is passable, that it is changeable. If we say that 
as well, then we ascribe things to his humanity that we never 
should, and we create a savior that cannot save because he's 
not truly man, he's not truly God anymore, he's not truly man 
anymore, he's some what they would call a theanthropic tertium 
quid, a God-man third thing, something that isn't fully God, 
something that isn't fully man, but is now some new thing that 
is going about the work of salvation in an earthly ministry. No, we 
confess his full deity, his full humanity, that these are now 
inseparably united in one person, but not confused, not mixed, 
not compounded, and not intermingled. Well then, lastly, if there's 
any questions afterwards, you can ask away. Lastly, the importance 
of Christology is seen in that he, Christ, oh excuse me, we 
didn't look at this, with regards to his work. So with respect 
to his person, his proper identification, the importance of Christology 
is seen in that Christ is to be properly identified And then 
the importance of Christology is seen in that Christ's work 
is to be properly known and preached. His work is to be properly known 
and preached. The first thing we would want 
to note is its complete historicity. The story of Christ and specifically 
his work is perfect in its historical representation in the Bible. 
The Bible does not give us error. Christ truly did come into this 
world, sinners to save. One of the places where we find 
that clearly argued by the Apostle Paul is in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 
1 through 7. Remember what we see there. He 
wants to remind the Corinthians of the gospel of Jesus Christ 
that they believed in, unless they believed in vain, unless 
they're entertaining this idea that there is no resurrection 
from the dead. But then he reminds them of what the gospel is. He 
says that Christ Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures. And in fact, the language that 
he uses in 1 Corinthians 1 isn't necessarily the rendering in 
the New King James might not properly bring this forth. It's, 
of course, a fine translation, the one I prefer. But notice 
the language in 1 Corinthians 15, if you have the New King 
James or the King James, I believe, is the same. It reads in verse 
3, For I deliver to you first of all that which I also receive. The language is probably more 
bringing forth the thrust of, For I deliver to you of first 
importance that which I also receive. There is a deliverance 
of a message or the The important message that is delivered and 
that should be received is this, that Christ died for our sins 
according to the scriptures, that he was buried and that he 
rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And notice 
the addition of an argument for the historical veracity of the 
resurrection of Christ. that he was seen by Cephas, then 
by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by over 
500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the 
present, but some have fallen asleep. After that, he was seen 
by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all, he was seen 
by me also, as by one born out of due time." The historicity, 
the complete historicity of the work of Christ. He really did 
come into the world. He really did do what the Bible 
said he did. We're not to take the words of 
the scriptures as just some cute story to set forth an idea of 
what all men must attain to. We should all strive for our 
own Christ event and be heroes that would go to a cross and 
have the power of some weird... There are people out there, the 
Jesus Seminar and other strange religious groups that would you 
know, preach some sort of nonsense like that. The story of Christ 
isn't really true. It's just a story that's been 
given to sort of give us a kick in the socks as we, you know, 
seek to change society for the better. No, Christ came into 
this world, sinners to save. The Bible, infallible, inerrant, 
inspired, comes to us and presents us a true history of the savior 
of men's souls, and we are to believe it. It's complete historicity. It's certain efficacy. is under 
his work still. It's certain efficacy. When we 
read the Bible, we read that his work is not a work of maybe, 
it's not a work of perhaps, but it has certain efficacy. Christ 
comes and he accomplishes that which he was sent to do. He doesn't 
inaugurate some system of salvation that now needs to be actualized 
by men in their free will, but rather he came and he perfectly 
executed the work of salvation And that is a work that is perfectly 
applied. We think of a text like Matthew 
121. Simple words, but it speaks to 
full indefinite atonement. You will call his name Jesus, 
for he will save his people from their sins. It's clear language. It's not no language of perhaps 
and maybe. He will save his people from 
their sins. That truth is reflected in that 
Pauline saying in 1 Timothy 1.15. This is a faithful saying, worthy 
of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners 
to save, of whom I am chief, he says. There is a certainty 
to its efficacy. 1 Peter 1, 3 to 5 as well, we 
have that blessed doxology by Peter there. Blessed be the God 
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. who according to his 
abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through 
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance 
incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away reserved in 
heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith 
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last day. It's certain 
efficacy is clear from the pages of Holy Scripture. It's necessary 
exclusivity, we've already noted that, John 14, 6. It's glorious 
application, the glorious application of the benefits of Christ's work. 
We are to realize that Christ from on high applies the benefits 
of His saving work through His Spirit. All of that simply to 
say that Christ's work is a perfect work of salvation. Salvation 
from first to last, midst and throughout, is of a triune God 
who saves without a helper through the perfect work of the Mediator, 
the Lord Jesus Christ. All those given to him by the 
Father are by him saved and are by him in time brought forth 
from darkness to light, brought forth from deadness to life, 
brought forth by amazing and victorious grace, and are preserved 
unto that great and final day. Well, lastly, just by summary, 
and we can continue next time, but lastly, the importance of 
Christology is seen in that He, Christ, is the reason for and 
exemplar for our practical Christianity. In the four minutes that we have 
left, we'll just rehearse some of those things. Again, the importance 
of Christology, lastly, is seen in that He, Christ, is the reason 
for and exemplar for our practical Christianity. Firstly, our life of sanctification. 
Romans 8.29. We're predestinated unto Christ. We're called, justified, and 
glorified. We're conformed to the image 
of Christ. Romans 8.29. those whom he foreknew he predestinated 
to be conformed to the image of his son. Our life of sanctification 
finds that we are conformed unto the image of Christ. The importance 
of Christology is seen in that he is the reason for our practical 
Christianity and the exemplar for it. That means the chief 
example for our, in this case, our sanctification. Our doing 
of good works. Ephesians 2, 8-10, which ought 
to be memorized by every Christian. I'm not going to bind your conscience, 
but you should memorize Ephesians 2, 8-10. What does it say near 
the end? His workmanship, created in Christ 
Jesus for good works. We're created in Christ Jesus. 
We're new creatures. We're a new creation in Christ 
Jesus, united to Him by virtue of His saving work for the duty. of good works to brethren and 
to men. Our humility finds its reason 
in Christ Jesus and its exemplar in Christ Jesus. We think of 
Galatians 6.14, God forbid that I should boast save in the cross 
of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world has been crucified 
to me and I to the world. You see we have no boast We are 
to be humble. Why? Because our only boast is 
in Christ. And it's not because we're so 
holy that we don't boast. It's that there's nothing that 
we can, as men, boast about save the perfection of the cross of 
Christ and the glory of our God. There's nothing in ourselves 
wherein we can boast. Therefore, there is no boasting, 
Paul says in Romans 4. There's no glorying in ourselves, 
only in Christ and in His cross. We have Philippians 2, 5 to 11, 
which also speaks to Christ as the exemplar for our humility. There Calvin comments, since 
then the Son of God descended from so great a height, how unreasonable 
that we who are nothing should be lifted up with pride. Calvin 
had a way, as others do, have it a way of driving the nail 
into the coffin of pride, if you will. Since then, the son 
of God descended from so great a height, how unreasonable that 
we who are nothing should be lifted up with pride. We're ever 
lifted up with pride, we need to have our gaze drawn to a savior. Bloodied on Calvary's tree, one 
who was once and always is, but one who is the praise of angels, 
condescended to our lower shame to take upon man's nature and 
to die upon a cross. How unreasonable are we, or how 
unreasonable that we should be lifted up with pride, we who 
are nothing. Our attitude towards brethren, 2 Corinthians 8, 9, 
and in fact Philippians 2, 5 to 11 as well. Our attitude towards 
brethren, we have Christ as the center there who is to be the 
reason for and the exemplar for our love towards each other. 
That one who condescended, that one who was rich and who became 
poor for our sakes so that we might become rich. We are to 
have that sort of condescending, not condescending attitude, but 
humble attitude towards our brethren. We are to have that mind of Christ 
whereby we are to be marked by an others-mindedness, where we 
seek not our own good, but we seek the good of others. Well, 
just a small view then of some of those things that are some 
of those important elements with regards to Christology. Why is 
a study of Christ important? Well, we may not have exhausted 
all things, but hopefully we brought into view those important 
things. The scope of Scripture is Christ. The chief topic of the church's 
proclamation is Christ. The only way of salvation is 
Christ. Christ is to be properly identified. His work is to be known, and 
we are to recognize that He is the reason for and the exemplar 
for our practical Christianity. Well, in a few future sessions, 
we'll have a look at more with regards to Christology, some 
of the more specific points, His person and His work, some 
of those details, if you will, with regards to the incarnation, 
with regards to the Holy Spirit's role in the ministry of Christ, 
and all of these sorts of things. the stuff that we are to know 
as we grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus 
the Lord. Well, let us close in prayer. 
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time together. We rejoice 
in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you that we 
can study him from your word. We thank you that we can learn 
of our blessed Savior by your revelation. And we pray that 
as we draw breath, that we would find ourselves often with noses 
in the Bible discovering those blessed gems and treasures of 
our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that you would help us 
to know Him more day after day, and that our hearts would rejoice 
in our blessed, redeeming King. And it's in His name that we 
do pray. Amen.