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Introduction to the Work of Christ · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reform Thinking. I'm really glad you could join
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us Today. We're doing a deep dive into,
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well, the incredible scope of Christ's work.
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What we want to do is get a clearer picture of who Jesus is,
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his unique person, and everything he accomplished for
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us, for humanity. We'll approach this using 2 main
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frameworks. First, his three basic
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functions, you know, Prophet, Priest and King.
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And 2nd, the two main stages of his work, his humiliation and
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then his exaltation. It's quite a structure, but it
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really helps unpack things. It really does, and it's so
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vital to remember this isn't just, you know, academic head
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knowledge. Understanding Christ's work is
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absolutely fundamental to grasping the core of Christian
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belief. It helps us appreciate why Jesus
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specifically was uniquely suited for his role within the Trinity,
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and it highlights the grand task he came to accomplish our
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salvation. It shows how it all fits
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together. Right.
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So let's start with that first framework, how his work is often
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categorized. Traditionally, people talk about
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the offices of Christ, prophet, priest, and king.
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It's a very common way to think about it.
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But you mentioned there's been a bit of a shift in modern
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theological discussions, maybe favoring different terminology.
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What's behind that? Yeah, that's a really insightful
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question. It gets into how we understand
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Jesus active role. The term offices has a long
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history, a very significant one. I mean thing of John Calvin, he
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gave it a lot of attention in his institutes, but more
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recently many theologians lean towards using the word functions
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instead. Now the goal isn't to throw out
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the old understanding, but maybe to refine it a bit.
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Refine it how? Is there a potential downside to
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thinking in terms of offices? Well, one main concern,
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especially looking back at, say, Protestant scholasticism, that
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period of really detailed systematic theology, was a
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tendency to separate these roles too sharply, almost like viewing
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them in isolation. You know, like distinct job
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descriptions. He switched between, rather than
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seeing them as deeply interwoven aspects of his one mission, GC
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Berkauer, for instance, he cautioned against making these
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categories too rigid or sort of artificial.
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OK, so the worry is it might sound a bit too formal, maybe
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even a bit bureaucratic, like job titles rather than active
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roles. Exactly.
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Office can sometimes carry that institutional feel which might
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unintentionally, you know, obscure the really dynamic and
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personal nature of what Christ did.
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Shifting to functions often described as revealing, ruling
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and reconciling tries to keep the focus on the unified nature
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of his work. Burkhauer himself often spoke of
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the office singular to stress that unity.
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And you see others trying different words to, like Dale
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Moody using prophet, priest and potentate.
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It keeps the idea, but maybe frames the kingly part of it
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differently. The core point is it's all one
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seamless work. That distinction is helpful.
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Thinking of them as active functions or even commissions
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really highlights Jesus as the Messiah, doesn't it?
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The anointed 1. So what specific roles was he
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anointed for? Yes, precisely.
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Anointing in the Old Testament set people apart.
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Priests, prophets, kings. Especially.
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So when we call Jesus the Christ, the anointed One, we're
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asking anointed for what? And the really vital insight
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which comes through strongly in our sources is that all three
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aspects revealing truth, ruling his Kingdom and reconciling us
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to God, They are absolutely inseparable.
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You can't really downplay one or treat them like separate tasks.
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They're all woven together in his complete work.
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OK, with that unified picture in mind, let's zoom in on each
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function, starting with the revelatory role, the prophetic
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one. This is where we see Jesus as
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the ultimate revealer of God's truth, showing us God in a way
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no one else possibly could. Absolutely.
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And it's very clear from the Gospels that Jesus saw himself
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this way and others recognized him as a prophet.
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He even said himself, remember a prophet Lex honor in his
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hometown. That's in Matthew.
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And you see the crowds recognizing this too.
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Like during the triumphal entry, people ask, who is this?
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And the answer was this is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth, his
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own disciples on the road to Emmaus.
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They described him as a prophet, powerful in Word and deed.
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That's in Luke. John's gospel also shows people
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calling him the prophet. Like after the feeding of the
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5000 or the man born blind he healed calling him a prophet.
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Even the opposition, the Pharisees, tried to argue
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against him being a prophet based on his Galilean origin,
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which ironically shows that people were seeing him as one.
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And this wasn't just a new idea. His prophetic role actually
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fulfilled specific Old Testament prophecies, didn't it?
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It brought a long held expectation to reality.
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Exactly right, Peter. In Acts chapter 3, he explicitly
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connects Jesus to that promise Moses made way back in
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Deuteronomy 18. Moses said God would raise up a
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prophet like him from among the Israelites, and Peter says
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that's Jesus. So Jesus wasn't just the
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promised king from David's line, but also the ultimate prophet in
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Moses line. It's a consistent thread.
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OK, so he was a prophet, but what made his prophetic ministry
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stand out? How is he different, really
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different from all the prophets before him?
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This is where his unique person, his deity, makes all the
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difference. You see, other prophets were
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messengers sent by God. They delivered a message from
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God. But Jesus came from the very
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presence of God Himself. He is the Word, the Logos, the
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divine reason as John chapter 1 puts it, the light that
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enlightens everyone. Because of who He is, He can
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reveal the Father in a way no mere human messenger ever could.
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John 1.18 is key here. No one has ever seen God, but
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the one and only Son has made Him known.
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Wow. So he wasn't just carrying a
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message about God, he was the message embodied.
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That's a huge difference. It really is.
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Think about his claims he claimed pre existence before
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Abraham was born. I am that echoes God's name
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reviewed to Moses. He spoke of coming down directly
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from heaven. John chapter 3 touches on that.
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And remember when Philip asked to show us the Father?
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Jesus's response was staggering. Anyone who has seen me has seen
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the Father. John 14.9 that shows his whole
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being, His actions, his life itself was a revelation of God's
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reality. Not just words about God, but
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God made visible. The writer to the Hebrews drives
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this home in chapter 1, saying Jesus is the climax of all
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revelation, far superior to prophets, even to angels.
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He's the radiance of God's glory, the exact representation
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of his being. OK, his personhood was the
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ultimate revelation, but what about his actual teaching, the
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words he spoke? Did his style or message echo
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the Old Testament prophets? Oh, definitely.
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In many ways, yes. His message certainly included
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those stark declarations of doom and judgment.
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Think of the prophets like Amos. Jesus pronounced woes on towns
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that didn't repent, chorus and Bethsaida Capernaum.
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Matthew 11 has that, and his judgments on the scribes and
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Pharisees in Matthew 23 are incredibly strong.
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Very prophetic in tone, condemning sin, calling for
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repentance. That was central.
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He wasn't only about judgment, right?
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Like Isaiah, he brought good news, too.
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Absolutely. Just like Isaiah spoke of good
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news and salvation, Jesus proclaimed the good news of the
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Kingdom. Think of his parables in Matthew
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13. The Kingdom like a hidden
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treasure or a Pearl of great price.
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It shows the immense value and joy of finding it.
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And his words of comfort in John 14, promising peace, his
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presence, the Holy Spirit preparing a place that sounds a
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lot like the comfort you find in Isaiah 40.
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Plus his teaching style often used parables and a kind of
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poetic structure very much like the Old Testament prophets.
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He even adapted some other parables like the Vineyard
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parable from Isaiah 5, which he retells in Matthew 21.
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It shows that continuity. It's also interesting how his
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revelatory work wasn't just confined his time on Earth.
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You're saying it's stretched before and continues even now?
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That's right, it spans across time.
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Before his incarnation, He was the Logos, the divine Word, the
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Light, enlightening everyone. According to John 1.
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All true understanding comes through him, and Peter tells us
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in his first letter that the Spirit of Christ was working in
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the Old Testament prophets, revealing things about his
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future suffering and glory. It's also quite likely, though
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theologians discuss the details, that he was involved in those
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Old Testament appearances of God, the theophanies, like the
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burning Bush or the pillar of cloud.
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So God was being made known through him even back then.
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That's the idea. Then, obviously his earthly
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ministry was the peak of direct revelation.
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He spoke divine truth and his very life demonstrated God's
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character. Hebrew says He's the ultimate
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revelation, better than prophets or angels.
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And it keeps going even after he ascended.
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How does that work? Yes, it continues powerfully
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through the church, guided by the Holy Spirit.
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Jesus promised his presence would continue, I am with you
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always. And crucially, he promised the
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Spirit would come to teach, to remind them of his words, to
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guide them into all truth. John 14 and 16 talk about this.
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The Spirit's work isn't separate from Christ.
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The Spirit glorifies Christ and reveals them.
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So Jesus is still revealing truth through the Spirit,
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through the apostles initially, and now through the church.
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It helps make sense of Luke saying in Acts that his gospel
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was about what Jesus began to do and teach, implying it
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continues. And there's a final future
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revelation still coming. Exactly.
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The ultimate unveiling happens at his second coming.
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The Greek word used is apocalypsis, revelation.
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Then all the barriers to knowing God fully will be gone.
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We'll see him face to face as Paul says in First Corinthians
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13 and John says in his first letter, We'll be like him, for
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we shall see him as he is, a complete revelation.
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That's incredibly comprehensive. But, you know, I recall hearing
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that some views historically maybe tended to focus only on
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this prophetic role, almost separating it out.
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That's a really important point in the history of theology.
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Yes. Certain liberal interpretations,
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particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries, did tend
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to emphasize Christ almost exclusively as a great teacher
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or revealer. This sometimes led to views like
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the moral influence theory of the atonement, where his death
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was seen mainly as demonstrating God's love to inspire us rather
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than, you know, dealing with sin directly.
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But our sources really stressed that this is an incomplete
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picture. His teaching itself, his
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prophetic words often pointed directly to his Kingdom and his
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atoning death. Mark 10.45 is a prime example.
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He came to give his life as a ransom.
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So you just can't pull these functions apart.
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Prophet, priest, king, they're all tied together, each vital
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for the whole picture. That really clarifies things.
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Can't just isolate 1 aspect. OK, let's pivot then to his role
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as king. Ruler over everything.
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Right, the kingly function. And the Bible is just saturated
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with this idea. The Gospels constantly present
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Jesus as the promised king, the fulfillment of prophecies like
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Isaiah 9 about the government resting on his shoulders, ruling
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on David's throne forever. Hebrews applies Psalm 45
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directly to him. Your throne, O God, will last
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forever and ever. And Jesus himself talked plainly
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about his Kingdom in Matthew 13. He talks about the Son of Man
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sending angels to deal with sin in his Kingdom in Matthew 19.
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He talks about sitting on his glorious throne in the new
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creation. And of course, Palm Sunday, the
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crowds explicitly hailed him as king, shouting Hosanna to the
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Son of. David, that's undeniable
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scriptural backing. But I think for a lot of us,
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maybe it feels like his full kingship is still mostly future.
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We look around the world and doesn't always look like he's in
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charge right now. Is his rule present or just
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coming later? That's a very understandable
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feeling, and it's easy to think of his rule as mainly future
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because, well, we don't always see clear empirical proof of it
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day-to-day. But Scripture insists his rule
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is active right now. First, think about his control
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over the entire universe. Giant 1.3.
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Through him all things were made.
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Colossians 1.17. In him all things hold together.
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The whole cosmos exists and functions because of his power
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and will. He sustains everything.
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Remember when Jesus said if the disciples were quiet, the stones
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would cry out? Luke 19.
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That's a subtle hint at his authority over creation itself.
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Wow, even creation itself is under his active rule.
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That's huge. It is.
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Second, His Kingdom is definitely present and active in
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the Church. Colossians.
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One point, as seen calls him Head of the Body, the Church.
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He's actively leading and guiding his people.
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The Church is the sphere where his authority is explicitly
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acknowledged and followed. And 3rd, maybe most personally
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for us, His kingship is exercise wherever believers submit to His
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lordship in their lives. His Kingdom was present in His
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disciples hearts then and it's present in ours now.
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When we follow him, it's a present reality.
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OK, so it's present now, but there's still that future
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dimension where his rule becomes, well, undeniable to
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everyone. Yes, precisely.
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His rule will become complete, total, and universally
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acknowledged at his second coming.
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He'll return then, not as a humble servant, but as the
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conquering Lord and Judge of all.
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His reign, which is real now but often hidden or contested, will
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become visible and absolute. Philippians 2 describes that
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moment powerfully. God exalted him so that at the
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name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue
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acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord.
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That's universal recognition, willing or forced.
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And again, this kingly role isn't separate from the others,
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is it? It connects back.
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Absolutely not Separate. His teaching.
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Prophetic role was often about his Kingdom, his death and
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resurrection. Priestly reconciling work were
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the basis for his exaltation to the throne.
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It's all one piece. Which leads us perfectly into
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that third function. Yeah, the priestly work, his
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role in reconciling God and humanity.
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Yes, the reconciling work and a major focus here is his ministry
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of intercession, praying for others.
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We see him doing this during his earthly life.
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He actively prayed for his disciples.
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The most famous example is that long prayer in John 17, his high
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priestly prayer, where he prays for their joy, protection from
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evil, their unity, and he specifically prayed for Peter.
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Remember that his faith wouldn't fail when Satan wanted to sift
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him like wheat. Luke 22 tells us that it shows
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his personal care. And that praying, that
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intercession, it didn't stop when he left Earth, it continues
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now from heaven. That's quite a comforting idea.
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It absolutely continues and yes, it is deeply comforting He
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carries on this intercession for all believers from his position
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with the Father. Romans 8 makes it crystal clear
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Christ Jesus who died, was raised and is at God's right
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hand is also interceding for us. And Hebrews 7.25 is even more
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explicit. He always lives to intercede for
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those who come to God through him.
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It's his ongoing current ministry.
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What exactly is he interceding about?
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How does his praying help us practically right now?
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Well, the sources break it down into a few key areas.
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First, it's justificatory. He's constantly presenting his
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own perfect righteousness to the Father on our behalf, ensuring
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our justified status remains secure.
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Second, it's ongoing advocacy. Since we still sin even after
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being justified, He pleads our case like a defense attorney
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based on his sacrifice. He's our advocate.
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And 3rd, it involves our sanctification and protection.
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He prays for us to grow in holiness, to become more like
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him, and he prays for our protection from temptation and
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the attacks of the Evil 1. So he's actively working for our
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standing before God, our defense when we fail, and our growth and
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safety. So he's constantly acting as
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that bridge between US and God. He is, and this naturally flows
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into his role as mediator. First Timothy 2.5 calls him the
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one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.
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He's uniquely qualified because he's both fully God and fully
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human, a perfected humanity united with his deity.
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Only he can stand in that gap and bring God and humanity
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together. And just to reiterate, this
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priestly work isn't isolated either.
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Connects to him revealing truth as prophet and ruling as king.
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Precisely. It's all one unified work.
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He intercedes for the people he taught and over whom he reigns.
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Each function supports the others.
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OK, we've got a good handle on the three functions.
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Now let's turn to those two main stages of his work, starting
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with the stage of humiliation. This involves a series of steps
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downward from his original glory.
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Yes, the humiliation. And the 1st and arguably the
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most staggering step is the incarnation itself.
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John 1.14. The Word became flesh and made
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His dwelling among us. Philippians 2 describes it
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beautifully. Though he was in very nature
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God, He made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant
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becoming human. Think about what he gave up
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Equality with God, The immediate, unfiltered presence
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of the Father and Spirit, The constant praise of angels.
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Heavenly splendor. He set all that aside to enter
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our world, our conditions. It's an almost incomprehensible
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descent. And he didn't exactly arrive in
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luxury, did he? Not at all.
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He deliberately came in the form of a servant, born to a humble
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family in a small town, Bethlehem, born in a stable,
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laid in a Manger. An animal feeding through these
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circumstances powerfully symbolize the lowliness he
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chose. And consider this He, the divine
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law giver, placed himself under the law.
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He fulfilled every requirement, circumcision, temple
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purification rights. Luke chapter 2 mentions these.
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Galatians 4 explains why this was crucial.
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By subjecting himself to the law, he could redeem those under
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the law. He fulfilled it in our place.
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Now, a point that often causes confusion, what about his divine
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attributes during this time? Did he stop being God or just
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not use his powers? That's a really important
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question, and there have been different views, but the
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understanding our sources favor, and which seems most consistent,
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is that Jesus voluntarily chose not to independently exercise
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his divine attributes during his earthly life.
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This doesn't mean he stopped being God or lost his
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attributes, omniscience, omnipotence, etcetera.
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He retained them, but he chose to use them only in dependence
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on the Father and in perfect harmony with his genuine human
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nature. This explains how he could
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perform miracles, know people's thoughts, yet also genuinely
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pray, show dependence, and even say he didn't know the timing of
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his own return. As Mark 13 records, that
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voluntary limitation was itself a profound act of humiliation.
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So he truly experienced everything about being human
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without any divine safety. Exactly.
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He felt fatigue, weariness, physical pain, hunger.
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He experienced the deep emotional anguish of betrayal,
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denial, abandonment, disappointment, distress.
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He knew it all first hand, authentically, as one of us.
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His humanity was absolutely real.
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All of it. The incarnation, the humble
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life, the suffering, it all led to the lowest point of his
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humiliation, his death. Yes, His death was the
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culmination. He who is the life the Creator
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submitted to death the penalty for sin, even though he himself
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was sinless. And it wasn't just any death.
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It was crucifixion, A horribly cruel, slow, agonizing public
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execution reserved by the Romans for the worst criminals and
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rebels. It was designed for maximum pain
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and shame. And the specific circumstances
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around it just amplified that shame, didn't they?
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Immensely public mockery from the crowds, abuse from religious
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leaders, tortured by soldiers, and significantly, during the
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crucifixion, His very identity and mission were attacked.
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His prophetic role? Prophecy.
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Who hit you? His kingship.
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The sarcastic sign, King of the Jews.
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The taunts. Save yourself if you're the
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king. His priestly saving power.
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He saved others, let him save himself.
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The cross seemed designed to refute everything he claimed to
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be. It looked like utter failure.
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From any human viewpoint, it must have seemed like total
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crushing defeat. Completely.
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It looked like sin and evil had won, like his mission was over,
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failed. His followers scattered in fear
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and confusion, His voice silenced.
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That appearance of absolute defeat was a core part of his
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humiliation. Now there's one element
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connected to this humiliation stage that often than sparks
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discussion, and our sources address it, the idea of Christ's
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descent into Hades. Can you unpack the debate around
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that? Right, The descent into Hades.
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This is definitely a point where there's been significant
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theological discussion and frankly, disagreement.
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You find it mentioned in later versions of the Apostles Creed.
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It wasn't in the very earliest forms, maybe appearing around
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8390. The idea was often built by
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connecting several Bible verses, Psalm 16.0, Ephesians 4.810,
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First Timothy 3.16, first Peter 3.1819, and First Peter 4.46.
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Some even saw it as the final step of humiliation and the
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first step of exaltation, like a victory proclamation.
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Why is it controversial? What are the main issues
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theologians raise? The main issue is that when you
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examine those biblical passages closely, many theologians
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conclude that none of them clearly and unambiguously teach
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a literal journey by Christ to a place called Hades after his
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death and before his resurrection.
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Some objections, like Rudolf Boltman's involve the idea of an
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outdated 3 tiered universe picture, but more fundamentally,
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the source texts themselves are seen by many as.
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Well, ambiguous or better interpreted in other ways.
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Could you walk us through some of those interpretation
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challenges like Psalm 16.10? Sure, Psalm 16.10 says you will
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not abandon my soul to Sheol or let your holy one see
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corruption. While some read Sheol as Hades,
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both Peter and Paul in Acts quote this works primarily as
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God's promise that Jesus wouldn't be abandoned to death
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itself and that his body wouldn't decay in the grave.
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Sheol often just means the state of being dead or the grave, not
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necessarily a specific underworld location.
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OK, what about Ephesians 4 mentioning lower earthly
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regions? Ephesians 4.9 asks what does he
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ascended mean, except that he also descended to the lower
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earthly regions. Our sources argue that lower
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earthly regions most naturally refers simply to the earth
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itself. It contrasts his coming down
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from heaven in the incarnation with his later ascending back to
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heaven. So the descent is his
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incarnation onto Earth, not a trip somewhere beneath it.
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And First Timothy 3.16 seen by angels.
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Yes, that verse lists several witnesses to Christ's identity
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seen by angels as one. The idea that this refers to
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fallen angels in Hell seeing him isn't the standard
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interpretation. It's usually understood as good
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angels witnessing his incarnation in ministry,
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confirming his divine mission. That leaves first Peter 3.18 to
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19, often called the trickiest 1.
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It really is the most debated. Christ was put to death in the
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body, but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He
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went and preached to the spirits in prison.
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What does that mean? There have been many theories
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preaching released to Old Testament Saints, Limbus patrum
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proclaiming judgment to fallen spirits, offering a second
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chance. But our sources highlight
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problems with these. For instance, the word preached
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Caruso nearly always means proclaiming the gospel, good
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news, not judgement. Strong alternative readings
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exist. 1 is that Christ through the Spirit preached through Noah
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to the disobedient people before the flood, those spirits now in
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prison due to their disobedience.
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This would be part of his pre Incarnate work.
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Another is that he preached by the Spirit to people imprisoned
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by sin during his earthly ministry.
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The text doesn't force a post death timing for this preaching.
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And last one, first Peter 4.6 Gospel preached even to those
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who are now dead. Right, First, Peter 4.6 mentions
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this. Our sources say this doesn't
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imply preaching to people after they died offering a second
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chance, nor that Christ himself did it in Hades.
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It's better seen as referring to the Gospel having been preached
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to people during their lives who have since died, or perhaps to
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those who were spiritually dead when they heard it.
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So the conclusion from our sources is pretty clear.
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There isn't enough solid biblical ground to firmly
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establish a literal descent into Hades as a required Christian
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doctrine. The verses used are often
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ambiguous or interpreted differently within their
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context. It's a good reminder to base
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doctrine firmly on clear scriptural teaching.
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That's a very helpful clarification on the complex
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point. So the humiliation stage
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culminates in his death, setting the stage for the powerful
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reversal, the exaltation stage. This is his triumph, his
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restoration to glory, even perhaps beyond his previous
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glory. Exactly.
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The begins dramatically with the resurrection.
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This is the first decisive step upward.
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By rising from the dead, Christ completely overcame death, the
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ultimate weapon of sin and evil. Death couldn't hold him.
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This demonstrates the totality of His victory.
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As one theologian, Samuel Rayne, put it, the resurrection isn't
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just an event. It's the start of the last days,
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ushering in a new era of Christ's powerful presence.
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What evidence do we have for this given then?
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As you said, no one actually saw the moment he rose.
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That's key. While no one saw the instant it
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happened, the evidence is substantial.
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First, the empty tomb. His enemies wanted to disprove
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the resurrection. Producing the body would have
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ended it, but they never could. Second, the appearances.
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Numerous credible witnesses, individuals, groups, men, women,
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over a period of time, testified they saw, spoke with, even ate
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with the risen Jesus. These weren't hallucinations.
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They were varied in concrete experiences.
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And maybe the most powerful evidence is the transformation
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of the disciples. They went from terrified and
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hiding to bold, unstoppable preachers of the resurrection,
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willing to die for that truth. Something dramatic must have
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happened to 'cause that change the resurrection is the best
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explanation. What about his resurrection
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body? It seems a bit mysterious he
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could eat had wounds. Yet Paul talks about a spiritual
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body and says flesh and blood can't inherit the Kingdom.
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How does that work? That's a perceptive point about
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the nature of his body. Theologians often understand
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this as a 2 step process for Jesus.
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First, the resurrection itself, where his body was glorified but
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still physical enough to eat, be touched, and bare wounds
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recognizable yet clearly changed, like appearing in
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locked rooms. Then our sources suggest a more
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complete transformation occurred at his ascension, when his body
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fully became the spiritual body Paul describes in First
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Corinthians 15, adapted perfectly for the heavenly
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realm. But the core point is the
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meaning of the resurrection. It was his fundamental victory
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over sin and death, freeing him from the curse he bore for us.
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So after the resurrection comes the Ascension, and then taking a
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seat this session at the Father's right hand.
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Let's talk about the ascension first.
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Right. The ascension is the next major
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step. This involved Jesus visibly
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leaving the conditions of earth and returning to his place of
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glory and authority with the Father.
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He predicted this himself several times in John's Gospel.
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Luke describes it vividly in his gospel and in Acts, and Paul and
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Hebrews refer to it often. It's vital to see it not just as
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going up physically, like heaven is just up there.
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It was more a change of state, a transition into a different
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dimension of reality. Completing that bodily
25:39
transformation started at the resurrection.
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What's the real significance of him ascending?
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Why was that necessary? It's hugely significant.
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By ascending, he left behind earthly limitations, pain,
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suffering, hostility, unbelief. He entered into the immediate
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presence of the Father and the unending praise of heaven.
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Philippians 2 says God highly exalted him at this point,
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giving him the name above all names.
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It suggested. A new stanza was added to
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heavenly praise. Because he had now personally
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conquered death. He ascended and remains the God
26:10
man. It's a continuing incarnation,
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but now with a perfected humanity perfectly suited for
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his role as mediator. He remains the God man, our
26:17
mediator. Exactly.
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Still fully God, still truly human, but in a glorified state.
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That's why I First Timothy 2, who calls him the one Mediator,
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the Man Christ Jesus. He bridges heaven and earth.
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And there were specific reasons he needed to depart,
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particularly concerning the Holy Spirits arrival.
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Yes, very critical reasons, He told the disciples he was going
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to prepare a place for them. John 14 But maybe even more
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immediately crucial, his departure was necessary for the
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Holy Spirit to come in a new way.
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John 16.7 Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come.
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Why? Because the Spirit could then
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indwell believers internally working within them in a way
26:54
Jesus external presence couldn't.
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This internal access empowers believers for greater works John
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14.12 and ensures the Triune God's presence with us always.
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Matthew 28 point. One OK, so he ascends and then
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he takes his seat, the session of the Father's right hand.
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What does that position signify? Is he just resting?
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Definitely not resting that position.
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The right hand is the place of supreme honor, authority, and
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active rule. Think of ancient courts.
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Jesus himself spoke of the Son of Man sitting at the right hand
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of the mighty. 1 Matthew 26.64. Acts 2 confirms he's exalted
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them there. From that position, he's
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actively reigning and as we discussed earlier, continually
27:31
interceding for believers. Hebrews 7.25.
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It's a position of active power and advocacy.
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And the final piece of his exultation, the ultimate
27:39
demonstration of his victory, is still future, his second coming.
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That's right, the final act. We don't know when, but
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scripture is clear. He will return, and when he
27:47
does, his victory will be complete and undeniable to all.
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He'll return not in humility, but as the conquering Lord and
27:53
the Judge of everyone. His reign, currently real but
27:56
contested, will become total and visible.
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He will return in glory. Matthew 25.31, a stunning
28:02
contrast to His first coming. And then Philippians 2 says
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every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ
28:08
is Lord. Universal acknowledgement of His
28:10
rightful rule. What an incredible scope we've
28:12
covered today. From his deepest humiliation,
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emptying, himself, suffering, dying, all the way to his
28:18
glorious exaltation, rising, ascending, reigning, and tying
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it all together with his ongoing work as prophet, priest, and
28:25
king. It really shows how perfectly
28:28
suited he was for everything God planned.
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It truly does paint a complete picture.
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His humiliation wasn't an end in itself, It was the necessary
28:36
path to his exaltation. His death laid the foundation
28:39
for his resurrection and reign, and he's not finished.
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He's actively ruling from heaven, interceding for his
28:45
people, and revealing God's truth through the Spirit.
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It's a dynamic, ongoing reality. So as we wrap up, here's
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something to really ponder. Given everything we've discussed
28:53
about Christ's complete work, His journey from humiliation to
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exaltation, his continuous roles as our revealer, ruler, and
29:00
reconciler, what does this current ongoing activity truly
29:03
mean for you in your daily life? Yeah, how I might really
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acknowledging his present reign, his active intercession right
29:10
now, reshape how you view your circumstances, your struggles,
29:14
your hopes. He's not just a figure from
29:16
history, He's the living, reigning Lord.
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How does that truth change things for you today?
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That's definitely a truth worth carrying with you.
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Thank you so much for joining us for this deep drive on Reformed
29:25
thinking. We hope considering these things
29:27
help shape your understanding of God's amazing plan in Christ.
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We look forward to having you with us again soon for another
29:33
deep dive.