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We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, |
Evidence for the
“man” Jesus is overwhelming. That he was God’s Son can be inferred from other
parts of the creed. |
That
Jesus lived in Judea under Roman rule is unquestioned by serious scholars;
quite apart from the evidence of the Bible, there are secular records and
accounts – Christianity caused such a stir, the Roman emperors commissioned
reports into its origins. The secular historian Josephus is just one who gives
mention to Jesus – his “antiquities of the Jews” was an account of the history
of the Jewish people, written for a Roman audience so they could understand the
people they had conquered; it mentions Jesus as a preacher, miracle worker, and
his death and resurrection .. he memorably includes the phrase “if it be lawful
to call him a man”, strongly indicating the claims of divinity.
The
creed here calls Jesus “Christ”; this is not a sort of surname, but a word
meaning “Anointed One” – Christos is
the Greek word for the Hebrew Messiah.
His
(God’s) only son … here is a reference to uniqueness (of origin, of mission,
and of status). His relationship with God can be seen in His conception,
teaching, mission, death, resurrection and ascension.
He
is our Lord … in modern Britain “lord” is applied to someone who has served
their time in politics, the civil service, or some other sphere of activity,
and marked out for membership of the second chamber of Parliament; we can almost
certainly agree that some such deserve their honour, and that some hardly do
so! In New Testament times it was very different – a lord had the power to kill
you at his whim; his word was your law, and you served him “or else”. Jesus is
our Lord by right, by virtue of what He has done, and by God’s decree; however,
we serve Him not from terror, but from love.
Why
is this important?
·
The
origin and lordship of Jesus is the heart of our faith.
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