What We Believe About Jesus Christ

From Gospel Translations

The Incarnate Son of God

The Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith, Part 6

6.1 We believe that in the fullness of time,^[1] God sent forth His eternal Son as Jesus the Messiah,^[2] conceived by the Holy Spirit,^[3] born of the virgin Mary.^[4] We believe that, when the eternal Son became flesh,^[5] He took on a fully human nature,^[6] so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one Person, without confusion or mixture. Thus the Person, Jesus Christ, was and is truly God^[7] and truly man,^[8]yet one Christ and the only Mediator between God and man.^[9]

6.2 We believe that Jesus Christ lived without sin, though He endured the common infirmities and temptations of human life.^[10] He preached and taught with truth and authority unparalleled in human history.^[11] He worked miracles, demonstrating His divine right and power over all creation: dispatching demons,^[12]healing the sick,^[13]raising the dead,^[14] stilling the storm,^[15] walking on water,^[16] multiplying loaves,^[17]and foreknowing what would befall Him and His disciples,^[18] including the betrayal of Judas^[19] and the denial, restoration, and eventual martyrdom of Peter.^[20]

6.3 We believe that His life was governed by His Father’s providence with a view to fulfilling all Old Testament prophecies concerning the One who was to come,^[21] such as the Seed of the woman,^[22] the Prophet like Moses,^[23] the Priest after the order of Melchizedek,^[24] the Son of David,^[25] and the Suffering Servant.^[26]

6.4 We believe that Jesus Christ suffered voluntarily^[27]in fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan,^[28] that He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,^[29] that He died,^[30] was buried^[31] and on the third day rose from the dead^[32] to vindicate the saving work of His life and death^[33] and to take His place as the invincible, everlasting Lord of glory.^[34] During forty days after His resurrection, He gave many compelling evidences of His bodily resurrection^[35] and then ascended bodily into heaven,^[36] where He is seated at the right hand of the Father,^[37] interceding for His people^[38] on the basis of His all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, and reigning until He puts all His enemies under His feet.^[39]

[1] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4).

[2] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

[3] And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:34-35).

[4] Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us) (Matthew 1:23; see also Luke 1:34-35).

[5] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

[6 ]Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14).

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17).

[7] See note 16.

[8] Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8; see notes 74 and 75).

[9] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

[10] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

[11] The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man” (John 7:46)!

And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him” (Mark 1:27).

And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances” (Matthew 22:16).

[12] “He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him” (Mark 1:27).

[13] And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people (Matthew 4:23).

[14] And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matthew 11:4-6).

[15] And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39).

[16] And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea (Matthew 14:25).

[17] Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over (Matthew 14:19-20).

[18] I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he (John 13:19).

[19] “But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him) (John 6:64).

Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me (John 13:21).

Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot (John 13:26).

You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified (Matthew 26:2).

[When he had given the morsel to Judas] Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly” (John 13:27).

[20]“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me” (Luke 22:31-34).

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me” (John 21:18-19).

[21] And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory” (Luke 24:25-26)?

[22] I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15). The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you (Romans 16:20).

[23] I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him (Deuteronomy 18:18).

[He has sent] the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people” (Acts 3:20-23).

[24] The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4).

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you;” as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:5-6).

[25] Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:7).

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David” (Matthew 22:42).

[26] Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted… He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 52:13, 53:3-6).

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

[27] “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:18).

[28] This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men (Acts 2:23).

[29] For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place (Acts 4:27-28).

[30] When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30).

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3).

[31] So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid (John 19:40-41).

He was buried (1 Corinthians 15:4).

[32] He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:4).

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay (Matthew 28:6).

[33] [He] who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification... (Romans 4:25).

[34] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

[God] has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:31).

[35] To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

[36] And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).

[37] But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God (Luke 22:69).

Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing (Acts 2:33).

God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:31).

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1).

[38] Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us (Romans 8:34).

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession (Hebrews 4:14).

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1).

[39] For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet (1 Corinthians 15:25).

And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet” (Hebrews 1:13)?