God the Son, Mentor's Guide, MG10

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G O D T H E S O N

The humiliation of Jesus Christ, to use the theologian Oden’s language, deals with his descent from the heavenly realms in his divine glory to come to earth and die on behalf of the world. This lowliness was reflected in every dimension of Jesus’ Incarnation and earthly life, from his birth to his life and ministry. The culmination of this lowliness and humility is revealed in his passion and death on Calvary. His death may be understood through various dimensions which enable us to understand better the nature of our salvation in him: his death was a ransom for us, the propitiation for our sins, a substitutionary sacrifice in our place, a victory over the devil and death itself, and a reconciliation between God and humankind. The death of Jesus has been understood in various ways throughout Christian history. These theories of the atonement each focus on a particular dimension of salvation, and taken together they enable us to gain an even greater understanding and appreciation of the significance of Jesus’ death for us. Jesus’ death and its meaning has been viewed as 1) an example, 2) a demonstration of God’s love, 3) a demonstration of God’s justice, 4) a victory over the forces of evil and sin, and 5) a satisfaction of God’s honor. While none of these theories in and of themselves fully explains Jesus’ death, each contains truth which can enhance our understanding of its larger meaning and truth.

Restatement of the Lesson’s Thesis

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If you are interested in pursuing some of the ideas of Jesus, the Messiah and Lord of All: He Died , you might want to give these books a try:

Resources and Bibliographies

Brown, Raymond E. The Death of the Messiah . New York: Doubleday, 1994.

Kiehl, Erich H. The Passion of Our Lord . Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1990. Lohse, Eduard. History of the Suffering and Death of Jesus Christ . Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1967.

Stott, John. The Cross of Christ . Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1986.

The humility and death of Jesus Christ is so central to faith and practice that we as Christian leaders must relate its insights and truths to our lives and ministries constantly. How you flesh this truth out in your own life will determine your effectiveness in articulating its relevance in your own church and witness. HowGod might want you to change or alter your ministry approach based on these truths is

Ministry Connections