Post #3 A Flyover Of The Incarnation: What events and works of the Son follow from His incarnation

Introduction:

    In the last two post of this series we've done a quick flyover of the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son of God. In the first post we considered His pre-incarnate existence, noting His eternal existence in the Trinity, His historic appearances in the Old Testament, and how He was expected by prophetic predictions pointing to His eventual incarnation. 

    We then proceeded to consideration of two doctrines that help us frame the cause and effect of the incarnation. We noted how the so-called "hypostatic union" details the union of the human nature to the Person or "hypostasis" of the Son, resulting in Him becoming man while ever remaining God. The hypostatic union involves the Son of God voluntarily become man for our sake, with the Holy Spirit mysteriously uniting the humanity supplied from Mary's virgin womb to the Person of the Son. 

    The effect or result is the virgin birth and beginning of the incarnate life of the Son of God. What I want to do in this post is highlight five personal works that the Son of God performed and will perform as a consequence of His permanent incarnation. Today we close out this short series by noting the events and works that follow from the Son of God's incarnation.

1. Supply perfect righteousness.

      As the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ came to provide perfect righteousness as the second Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 “So also it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.” The perfect righteousness provided by Jesus’ perfect humanity was needed so that at saving faith, we who contracted the first Adam’s original sin and unrighteousness could be declared by the Father to have the credit of Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

2. Suffer on the cross.

          Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”.

3 Swallow death by resurrection.

     1 Corinthians 15:54-57 “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The context of these verses traces the believer’s future resurrection to the resurrection of our Lord three days following His crucifixion.

4. Ascend to minister in heaven.

      Forty says following our Lord’s resurrection, He ascended into Heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. Mark 16:19 “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”  We know our Lord still retains His incarnated state, since as man for us He remains our mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Henceforth He prays for us and represents every Christian as their prophet who speaks through the Scriptures, their priests who intercedes for them, and their soon coming King.

E. Soon return to reign.

      One final truth concerning what follows from the incarnation of the Son of God, His physical bodily return to earth. Acts 1:11 “They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”  Titus 2:13 “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion:

     We could multiply many more passages, yet I want to spend the next few weeks detailing more what we explored in general terms this message regarding the Son of God’s incarnation. In this message we considered what I call three areas that summarizes the overall truth of the incarnation of the Son of God:

1. The Son’s pre-existence before His incarnation.                

2. The Son’s participation in His incarnation.                        

3. The Son’s personal works from His incarnation.    

I want to close with a marvelous statement produced several years ago by Ligonier Ministries entitled “The Word Made Flesh”. It captures everything I have attempted to preach here in this post. The link to the entire statement, including its affrimations and denials is found here: The Ligonier Statement on Christology

"We confess the mystery and wonder

of God made flesh

and rejoice in our great salvation

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With the Father and the Holy Spirit,

the Son created all things,

sustains all things,

and makes all things new.

Truly God,

He became truly man,

two natures in one person.

He was born of the Virgin Mary

and lived among us.

Crucified, dead, and buried,

He rose on the third day,

ascended to heaven,

and will come again

in glory and judgment.

For us,

He kept the Law,

atoned for sin,

and satisfied God’s wrath.

He took our filthy rags

and gave us

His righteous robe.

He is our Prophet, Priest, and King,

building His church,

interceding for us,

and reigning over all things.

Jesus Christ is Lord;

we praise His holy Name forever.

Amen."