Of the Son of God

 

Of the Son of God

Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions

Scripture Text: John 20:30-31

Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions

Today’s Scripture Jigsaw 

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From the Confessions: The Chief Articles of Faith in the Augsburg Confession

Article III: Of the Son of God.

Also they teach that the Word, that is, the Son of God, did assume the human nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, so that there are two natures, the divine and the human, inseparably enjoined in one Person, one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, that He might reconcile the Father unto us, and be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.

He also descended into hell, and truly rose again the third day; afterward He ascended into heaven that He might sit on the right hand of the Father, and forever reign and have dominion over all creatures, and sanctify them that believe in Him, by sending the Holy Ghost into their hearts, to rule, comfort, and quicken them, and to defend them against the devil and the power of sin.

The same Christ shall openly come again to judge the quick and the dead, etc., according to the Apostles' Creed.

Pulling It Together

Here we see treated many of the details about the second Person of the Trinity that we covered in our devotions on the three ecumenical creeds. To be as certain as they could be that the Church in Rome understood that the Lutherans were orthodox, they continued to confess key doctrines at Augsburg. So far, there are none where they would disagree. There is nothing about the Son here but what is common among orthodox churches.

By the powerful conception of the Spirit, the Son took human form in the womb of the virgin. While taking human form, the Son maintained his divinity and as such, we say that the Son now has a dual nature. These are indivisible, one person with a dual nature or hypostasis, a shared existence. This God-man suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried. In doing so, he righted our relationship to God. He accomplished this by reconciling both our inherent, original sin, as well as all our subsequent sins.

After doing this great work of redemption, Jesus descended into hell. In rising from the dead, it should be noted that Jesus is no longer in hell either. He has conquered for us, not only sin and death but also hell itself. After this, he ascended to heaven where he took his rightful place with the Father, reigning over all of creation. From this position of authority, Christ also separates himself in holiness all those who believe. He does this by sending his own Holy Spirit into the lives of believers to bring new life, peace, governance, and protection against the power of sin and the devil.

As though this was not enough, the work of Christ does not end with these great accomplishments. He is returning to this world. When he does, he will do so openly, in the sight of all. No one will miss his great appearance when he will judge in righteousness both those alive and all who ever lived. All of this is concisely confessed in the Apostles' Creed.

Prayer: Lord, help me stand still before your presence, leading a life of quiet confidence in your grace, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen

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