The Work of Christ

1
The Work of Christ

• Jesus Person and Work are distinguished only for
  heuristic purposes.
• We must combine the person and work
• 1. Wrong to emphasize one over the other.
• a. Jesus is what he does.
• b. His message brings who he is and what he
  does together.
• c. From this person arises a new ethic.
• 2. Jesus is representative humanity for us.

2
The Work of Christ

• The Death of Jesus in Scripture and the Churchs
  Reflection
• 1. Jesus death is the fulfillment of his divine
  being. In the cross, God is active.
• a. The goal or telos of Jesus life is his
  death.
• Gospel narratives centered on Jesus passion.
  It is the inner logic or necessity of his true
  being. Matthew 1621 Luke 922, 1725 both use
  dei

3
The Work of Christ

• The Death of Jesus
• 1. Jesus death fulfills his divine being.
• b. Jesus death is intertwined with the message
  he declared.
• Whereas Jesus is humble and faultless, he was
  judged guilty by others.
• We want an arrogant God who overcomes those we
  consider our enemies.

4
The Work of Christ

• The Death of Jesus
• 2. Jesus Death is a Willed Reality
• a. Cry of Dereliction Gods act also, the
  judgment of the Father on Sin. Mt. 2745-46
• b. As the Son, Jesus chose to die. Matthew
  2653-54 John 1017-18, 198-11
• c. Jesus paradoxically passive he doesnt
  commit suicide but undergoes punishment.

5
The Work of Christ

• The Death of Jesus
• 2. Jesus Death is a Willed Reality
• d. Jesus indicates his death is Gods will.
  Matthew 2639 ff.
• e. This is God willing to be God in this one
  way, the eternal resolve of God. Otherwise,
  Jesus is merely a model of suffering for what you
  believe. Acts 222-24

6
The Work of Christ

• The Death of Jesus
• 2. Jesus Death is a Willed Reality
• One must dare to say that the goodness of
  Christ appears greater, more divine, and truly in
  the image of the Father, when he humbles himself
  in obedience unto death the death of the Cross
  than had he clung onto his equality with the
  Father as an inalienable gift, and had refused to
  become a slave for the worlds salvation.
  (Origen)

7
The Work of Christ

• The Death of Jesus
• 3. Jesus death is a sacrifice for sin.
• a. Jesus dies for our sin. Galatians 313-14 2
  Corinthians 521 1 Peter 118-20, 318 Hebrews
  922, 104-10
• b. Jesus sacrifice is a finished, once-for-all
  act. Our response does not make it more
  effective, but only acknowledges Gods act.

8
The Work of Christ

• The Death of Jesus
• 4. Jesus death is Gods victory over sin.
• Jesus death means new life for us. 2
  Corinthians 514-15
• Revelation 55-14. In opening the seals, the
  Lamb brings to pass the events of Gods defeat of
  sin and all forces opposed to Him.
• The one who unravels the secret of history
  isthe immolated Lamb.

9
The Work of Christ

• Jesus Resurrection and Ascension
• 1. Jesus Resurrection in the Enlightenment
• 2 Primary missteps
• a. Apologetic Use of the Resurrection
• If we can prove God raised Jesus from the dead
  then Christianitys veracity is proved.
• Problem how do you prove historically the
  resurrection of Jesus?

10
The Work of Christ

• Jesus Resurrection and Ascension
• 1. Jesus Resurrection in the Enlightenment
• 2 Primary missteps
• b. Bultmann the resurrection only refers to
  the disciples belief, so it is not ostensively
  referential. The resurrection is thus primarily
  used to describe a faith response rather than an
  actual occurrence.
• Makes the resurrection about me.

11
The Work of Christ

• Jesus Resurrection and Ascension
• 2. The Theology of the Resurrection
• What does it tell us about God?
• a. The Resurrection concerns Jesus of Naza-reth
  who is confessed as the Christ.
• i. The one raised is he who died for our sins.
  Acts 223-26
• ii. The resurrection fulfills Jesus Being.

12
The Work of Christ

• Jesus Resurrection and Ascension
• 2. The Theology of the Resurrection
• iii. Jesus suffered the death of one cursed of
  God. The resurrection reveals.
• (1) the cross is Gods effective act
• (2) Jesus whole life is Gods revelation
• (3) Jesus is Lord as the crucified, resurrected,
  and exalted One.

13
The Work of Christ

• Jesus Resurrection and Ascension
• 2. The Theology of the Resurrection
• b. The Resurrection is Gods Act
• i. It is the revelation of Gods nature.
• ii. It is Gods Yes! fully actualized and
  finalized. cf. Romans 425
• iii. Reveals God is pro nobis. God does not
  vacillate, but is for us. 1 Corinthians 120

14
The Work of Christ

• Jesus Resurrection and Ascension
• 2. The Theology of the Resurrection
• c. The Resurrection bears meaning for us.
• i. Jesus resurrection involves Gods positive
  act of re-establishing us before God
• ii. Human nature is reconstituted and actually
  remade. 2 Cor. 515, 17 Eph. 13-21
• iii. Jesus resurrection is the basis for the
  newness of life now (raised with Christ). Romans
  64 John 1418-21, 25-27, 155-15

15
The Work of Christ

• The cross ceases to be an ideological weapon
  when it is recognized not only as mine but as a
  strangers and it is the stranger whom we meet
  on Easter morning. To stop with Good Friday is
  to see the crucified simply as reflecting back to
  me my own condition, and even to remember the
  cricified, in the superficial sense, can merely
  leave us with a martyr for our causeJesus is
  alive, he is there to be encountered again
• (Rowan Williams)