Theological term
Condescension of God
2 sermons · All terms
The Dominion of the Incarnate Son
Psalm 8 is not merely a meditation on creation but a messianic prophecy concerning the dominion of the incarnate Son of God. The sermon traces the psalm's double register — the glory of God manifest in the created order and the glory of God manifest in the incarnation — grounding that interpretation in the two New Testament passages where Jesus and the Apostle Paul explicitly apply Psalm 8 to Christ: Matthew 21 and Hebrews 2. The exaltation of the God-man at the right hand of the Father, his conquest of the devil through death, and his propitiation for the sins of his people are shown to be the true fulfillment of the dominion language of verses 4–8. Believers are exhorted to silence the enemy's accusations against them by invoking the blood and righteousness of Christ, which is the ground of both justification and assurance.
A Lofty Confession of Faith
Thomas's refusal to believe the apostolic witness to the resurrection exposes a posture common to all people: dictating the terms by which they will believe. Yet Christ condescends with sovereign grace to meet Thomas in his obstinance, drawing from him the highest Christological confession in the fourth Gospel — 'My Lord and my God.' John's purpose in recording these events is stated explicitly: that readers would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so receive life in his name. The sermon presses every hearer to ask whether they can claim Christ with Thomas's personal possessive — 'my Lord and my God' — and warns against every attempt to negotiate terms with God before believing.