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Lesson 5 God the Son Lord's Day 11 - 13 In Lord's Day 8 we learned about a triune God - One God, consisting of three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Lord's Days 9 and 10 speak about God the Father. Lord's Days 11 - 19 teach us about the Person and the work of God the Son.
Q. 29. Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that is a Savior?
(a) Matthew 1:21, Hebrews 7:25; The name Jesus In Matthew 1, we read that through an angel the Lord informed Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, of the coming birth of the Savior. In verse 21, the angel says, "And thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins." God the Father gave His only begotten Son the name "Jesus." Therefore this name must be very special. It means: the Lord saves. That is part of His task: to save, to deliver. To save is to deliver from the greatest evil and to bring to the supreme good. What is greatest evil? Is it war? illness? death? hell? No, it is sin! Because of sin the perfect communion with God was broken. Through sin we severed the bond with God and our neighbor. The consequences are terrible: war, illness, death, and hell. All the misery which we see around us and which we ourselves experience is a result of sin. And what is the supreme good? Is it life? health? riches? prosperity? or perhaps heaven? No, it is communion with God! It is peace with God, interaction with God, joy in God. The supreme good is the greatest blessedness. "Blessed" actually means "full." "Blessed" is a shortened form of "blessedness." Thus to be blessed means to be full of blessedness. The Lord Jesus is the only One who can save us. The Son of God is Savior. We cannot save ourselves, nor can Mary, Allah, or Buddha. He who lives on without Jesus remains wretched, that is full of catastrophes. He will go lost forever. Peter said on the day of Pentecost: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4: 12).
Q. 30. Do such then believe in Jesus the only Savior, who seek their
salvation and welfare of saints, of themselves, or anywhere else?
(a) 1 Corinthians 1:13, 30-31, Galatians 5:4; The only Way Those who seek their happiness and salvation outside of Jesus are forewarned that they will not find it there. Christ said, "I am the Way" (John 14:6). That implies that there is no other way to attain salvation. All other ways which we take will be dead end ways. The Catechism states very explicitly that salvation is not be sought or found in any other. However, practice teaches us that we do not believe this. The Roman Catholic church teaches that the merits of the saints and those of the believer himself must be added to the work of Jesus. Jesus is a Savior, but then a helping Savior. He will fill in for that which I lack. We don't need to be Roman Catholic to believe this. To gain salvation by our doing and not doing, along with a helping Jesus, appeals to us more than the message: "Nothing of, but all of Him." Then we do take the name of Jesus on our lips, but we deny Him by our deeds. What is meant by denying? It is the opposite of confessing. It is saying that you do not know somebody. Denying can also be done without words. Then your doing and not doing contradict what you confess. If we say "Jesus only can save us," but at the same time claim that we must be a good person to be saved, then we deny Jesus with deeds. True faith says, "I can do nothing, but the Lord Jesus can do everything for me." That is said from the heart. We then completely entrust ourselves to Him. He is all Faith finds everything in Jesus: satisfaction for heavenly-high guilt, peace for a restless heart, and a righteousness which entirely serves to God's honor. The believing sinner finds his full salvation in Jesus Christ. With what man would like to add, he would degrade Jesus. Then Jesus would not be a complete Savior. Then on the cross He would not have been able to say, "It is finished." If His work had come short in any thing, the Father would not have raised Him from the dead. Then there would never have been an Easter. No one could then have been saved. The apostle John wrote, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
Q. 31. Why is He called Christ, that is, anointed?
(a) Psalm 45:7, Hebrews 1:9, Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18; The Name Christ The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:5, "There is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." Thus the Lord Jesus has more names. In the preceding Lord's Day there was spoken about the name "Jesus," that is, Savior. We could say that this is His personal name. However, persons who hold an office also have an official name in addition to their own personal name. Think only of a president, king, or judge. It is the same with Christ. In addition to "Jesus," His personal name, He also has an official name, "Christ." That is a Greek name, which we find in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, we find the Hebrew name "Messiah." Both names, "Christ"' and "Messiah," signify "Anointed." We read in the Bible how that people were anointed with oil when they received an office. Think only of Aaron the high priest, David the king, and Elisha the prophet. The oil portrayed the gifts of the Holy Ghost, with which He qualified the office bearer for his office. Of Christ it is also stated that He was anointed. God says in Psalm 2:6: "Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion." The Father ordained the Savior for this official work, which means He was chosen and appointed. And the Lord Jesus accepted that office. The Lord Jesus was not anointed with oil, but with the Holy Ghost Himself. Christ received all the gifts of the Holy Ghost in order to perform His official work. He received three offices. Therefore He is Prophet, Priest, and King. The three offices of Christ In the Old Testament times a prophet proclaimed the Word of God and explained it to the people. Christ makes the way of salvation known and also makes certain that the message is understood in the heart. The heart is then opened and renewed. The priest in the Old Testament had a threefold task. He offered a lamb or some other clean animal, and then he made intercessory prayer for the people. After that, he blessed the people. The catechism calls Christ the only High Priest. Many priests served in Israel during the Old Testament times, all under the guidance of a high priest. And yet here Christ is called the only High Priest. Why is that? The priests were sinful people. They always had to offer for themselves first. Afterwards they could offer for the people. They were never finished offering, because the blood of animals could not atone for sin. But Christ is Priest and sacrificial Lamb at the same time. After His offer on the cross no more animals had to be offered. The prayers of the priests were imperfect and were not always heard. The intercessory prayers of Christ are always heard. Therefore it is good for us to always ask in each prayer for the intercessory prayer of Christ. When the priest gave a blessing, he could not give the substance of the blessing to the people. However, when Christ blesses, the blessing is actually received. In Israel a king reigned. He issued laws, governed the country, and protected it against all enemies. The catechism calls Christ the eternal King. All kings on earth have died or will die. Christ is and remains King eternally. It is a privilege for a king or queen to have the hearts of the people. King Jesus captures people's hearts by His love and governs them by His Word and Spirit. The Word of Christ is a law of love for His people. Then obedience cannot be missing. This King also teaches how His subjects are to obey. God's children have three mortal enemies: Satan, the world, and their own sinful heart. King Jesus protects His people against these enemies. He safeguards them until they are in their eternal home.
Q. 32. But why art thou called a Christian (a)?
(a) Acts 11: 26; Christian We read in Acts 11:26: "And it came to pass´that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." The people in Antioch had become aware that those people were different than the Jews and those who had adopted the Jewish religion. Because Christ was the central figure in their lives and conversations, they were named after Him. This name was accepted as a name of honor, and it still is today. Or is it not a privilege and honor to be a Christian, but then in the most profound and true sense of the word. This is what this question is all about. The name "Christian" points to a bond with Christ. He who boasts of himself to be a Christian ought to examine himself to see whether there is a bond with Christ. A person is not a real Christian only because he is baptized and a member of a Christian church, although this is a privilege. A person is a true Christian only when he is united to Christ by faith and is a partaker of His anointing. The latter implies that the Holy Spirit dwells in his heart and that he experiences the Spirit's guidance in his life. The three offices of a Christian A Christian is an office-bearer: prophet, priest and king. A Christian is a prophet. Being a prophet shows itself in the confessing of the name of Christ. This means to confess Him, to give testimony, to bear witness, to exhort others, and to point out the way. One does not have to be a missionary, preacher, or elder to do so. A Christian is a priest. This implies that his life is a sacrifice. He does not live for himself, but for God and his neighbor. He has a tender life of prayer, also for his fellow man. He seeks to be a blessing in his surroundings. This he does this out of thankfulness for what he has received from God. A Christian is a king. His kingship becomes clear in his conscientious conduct. In the strength of Christ he strives against sin and devil and gains the victory. And one day he may sit with Christ in His throne and be forever king with Him over all creation. What a blessed future!
Q. 33. Why is Christ called the only begotten Son of God, since we are also the children
of God?
(a) John 1:14, Hebrews 1:1-2, John 3:16, 1 John 4:9, Romans 8:32; Christians are children of God In John 3:1 we read: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." There is no greater privilege for man than to be a child of God. Adam was a child of God in Paradise. However, by the fall he chose the devil to be his father and did what the devil whispered in his ear. We, as his descendents, do no differently. This father is always seeking our ruin. It is by regeneration that the children of the devil again become children of God. This can only be brought about by God Himself. We then receive the heart of a child of God. The Son of God The Lord Jesus is also the Son of God, but differently than God's children. He was never created, but has always existed from eternity. And He is eternally the only begotten Son of God. Think of a family where there are two kinds of children: adopted children and biological children. The first are adopted and provided for as their own children. It is only in this way that we, for Christ's sake, can become children of God. Adoption Thus, it is necessary that we be adopted by God. Then the devil is no longer our father, but the Lord God is. We then share in the love of our God and He will always provide for us. And one day we may live eternally with God in His heavenly home. Then we have the resemblance of God, for then we are holy, as He is holy. God also gives His adopted child the heart of a child. If I may call God my Father, this will be noticeable in my life and conduct. How is this adoption possible? It is for His sake, for Christ's sake. He was willing to leave the house of His Father, to become man, and to die as a transgressor in order to make this adoption possible. God's children will be forever thankful to the Lord Jesus for this. We cannot merit this adoption. On the contrary, we have all deserved death. And it is only grace if someone becomes a child of God. Imagine for a moment that a king not only grants mercy to a man condemned to death, but also adopts him as his own son. He becomes a prince in the palace and receives royal care and education. This is only a poor picture. The blessedness, the salvation of a child of God cannot be expressed, and it remains forever, eternally.
Q. 34. Wherefore callest thou Him our Lord? (a) 1 Peter 1:18-19, 2:9, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Timothy 2:6, John 20:28. Slaves of sin Through the fall, man not only became a child of the devil, but also slave, a slave of the devil and of sin. This is best perceived when a person who always committed a certain sin with much pleasure, for one reason or another does not want to do that sin anymore. He does not succeed in giving up that sin. Only then does one experience how strong the attraction to sin is and how he is enslaved to is. Formerly it was possible that a slave could purchase his freedom, or that someone else could purchase his freedom. This other person could also buy a slave to make him his own slave. Think only of Joseph, who was bought by Potiphar at the slave market (Genesis 39). The devil became our lord and master and we are his slaves, righteously so, as it is our own fault. Yet, a great injustice was here done to God. The devil robbed God of His own beautiful creation. It was done with our help, and we approved of it. Free servants of the Lord God does not resign Himself to the fact that we all became slaves of the devil. He does not want to just leave His creation in the hands of the devil. For that reason He sent His Son into the world to deliver God's creation. Christ says to Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). By His suffering and dying, the Lord Jesus paid His Father the price which was necessary to buy back God's elect and to deliver them. This includes that He paid the debt which was outstanding with God. However, more is necessary. They must also be delivered from the power of Satan. This takes place when the Lord comes in a man's life. Then he sheds abroad His love in the heart. This person will desire to begin to serve Him, but he then feels his slavery. Satan will not let loose of him. The result is a life and death struggle. But the Lord gains the victory and the redeemed sinner is forever God's possession. He acknowledges the triune God, thus also the Lord Jesus, as his Lord. In John 20:28 Thomas confessed it, "My Lord and my God." This manifests itself in his life; then it can be seen who is served: the Lord or Satan. Questions to go with Lesson 5 (Lord's Day 11- 13)
1. What does the name "Jesus" signify? (question 29)
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