Advent Study: Incarnation (Session 4) High Christology

 

Incarnation Session Four

Dec 17, 2024

 John 1:1-18 (High Christology)

The 20^th century saw a great deal of work around the historical Jesus. As early as the late 18^th century scholars have attempted to reconstruct an understanding of the man Jesus of Nazareth, his message and ministry impact. Historical Jesus reconstructions tear away any and all religious notions of the man and present the human Jesus as one among many historical figures that have impacted human history. Albert Schweitzer wrote that historical Jesus efforts is like looking in a well. The unfortunate result is that Jesus ends up looking like a reflection of the scholar, their views, ethics and emphases. Some paint the historical Jesus as a revolutionary and social justice warrior. Others an esoteric mystic. Still others contend Jesus to be a rabbinic teacher akin to Hillel.

The historical Jesus is irrevocably lost to us. What we have is the Christ of faith. If you want to know Jesus, read the scriptures. There you will find him. That’s not to say you won’t find him outside of biblical study. You will find Jesus in the Church in mission work among the poor and marginalized. One can experience Jesus in works of art like Michelangelo’s Madonna dell Pieta or the Sistine Chapel. You can experience Jesus, the real Risen Jesus on your bed at night in prayer.

 

In a leadership training seminar, my colleagues and I were asked who our heroes were. Some named sports figures like Vince Lombardi or Tom Landrey. Some mentioned authors like James Patterson or Gene Roddenberry. Others mentioned musicians or movie stars. My answer was Jesus Christ. I’ve met him.

 

Share a time when you experienced the Jesus.

 

Tonight, we will encounter the high christology of John and other New Testament writings. High Christology is a fully developed understanding of who Jesus is. The apostles are depicted as blind to who Jesus was, until after Pentecost. At Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus, the Church was filled with The Holy Spirit. Peter preached powerfully in Jerusalem that day to the visiting worshippers from all around the Roman empire. 3000 came to faith in Christ. What made the difference was the spiritual presence of Jesus at work in Peter and the early church.

 

Read John’s prologue: John 1:1-18

 

·         What do you learn about Jesus?

·         Who is Jesus?

·         What does Jesus stand for?

·         What is the impact of Jesus’ ministry?

 

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus was the first to use the concept of Logos, the divine rational intelligence that orders the cosmos and gives humanity the gift of rational thought. Logos (The Word) gives the universe form and meaning. Even scientists today are amazed at the complex order of things, such that some have abandoned Darwinian ideas of existence by chance and circumstance and embraced the idea that the universe exists by intelligent design. Someone or some power with great intelligence made the universe as we know it. Perhaps our ideas about the universe are not unlike the historical Jesus, we end up making observations that are tied to our own ways of thinking and preferences.

John asserts that Jesus preexisted the known universe. As the Word of God, Jesus was the agency through which all that is seen was made. And all that has yet to been seen by human eyes was made through Him. To get further insight into this view of Jesus as agent of creation, read Colossian’s 1:15-20.

 

What do you learn about Jesus in Colossians 1:15-20?

 

John’s prologue is playing off of the creation story in Genesis 1. Read Genesis 1:1-4

 

What parallels do you see between Genesis 1 and John 1?

 

John says that we received grace and truth through Jesus Christ. What does that mean to you?

 

How do you define grace?

What is the truth that came through Jesus?

 

John’s Upper Room discourse is spread over several chapters.  It is during this special time his disciples on the night before his crucifixion that Jesus told them he was going away to prepare a place for them. They were understandably upset. “Where are you going? How can we know the way if you don’t tell us where you are going?” Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will know my Father too.” (John 14:6-7a)

 

How does these words inform grace and truth coming to us through Jesus?

 

According to Paul, our destiny as God’s children is to become like Jesus, to be conformed to His image. (Romans 8:29)

 

Our founder, John Wesely taught that grace was God’s love in action. Through the activity of the Holy Spirit at work in us the through God, God is transforming the world. Both our inner world and the entire cosmos is being transformed in newness of life by the workings of grace. One way to think about grace is unmerited favor, the mercy shown undeserving sinners. But Wesley taught that grace was free for all and for all. Through grace, we die to our former sinful lives with Christ in his crucifixion. We rise into newness of life with Christ in His resurrection. An acrostic teaches the concept of the transformative power known as grace.

 

God Restoring All Creation to Excellence

 

We know the excellence of Jesus, the best of humanity and the fullness of God. The entire universe is being conformed to His excellence, until every enemy is vanquished and brought to submission under His feet, Christ reigns.

 

Incarnation is the kingdom of God, the reign of his love transforming creation until all are one in the love of Jesus Christ. May your Christmas gift be the transforming grace of our Lord filling your heart with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)