L4: The Deity of Christ
2. Jesus does God’s exclusive work
The Bible is clear: the LORD alone is the Creator and the Redeemer, and, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus does God’s exclusive work. The Word Made Flesh: The Ligonier Statement on Christology states these biblical truths well: “With the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Son created all things, sustains all things, and makes all things new.” Indeed, after reading OT texts that identify and worship the LORD as the Creator and Redeemer, NT texts like Colossians 1:15-20 ought to stop our hearts and drop our jaws in awe and worship of Jesus.
Consider how Psalm 104 opens our eyes to the glory and wonder of Christ declared in Colossians 1:15-20:
(1) Read Psalm 104; (2) Read Colossians 1:15-20; (3) Highlight similarities (red = creating work; blue = sustaining work; yellow = redeeming work)
How does reading Psalm 104 clarify for you what Paul is saying about Jesus in Colossians 1:15-20?
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Psalm 104 worships the LORD as the One who created all things, sustains all things, and will one day make all things new. Colossians 1:15-20 worships the Lord Jesus for these same works. How does seeing NT texts in light of this OT background help us answer the question: "Who is Jesus?"
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Sadly, so many Christians have a background virus in their understanding of the gospel here. It's not easy to spot, but it eats away at all their confidence in Christ. It's this: the sneaking suspicion that while Jesus is a savior, he's not really the Creator of all. So they sing of his love on a Sunday - and there it is true - but walking home through the streets, past the people and the places where Real Life goes on, they don't feel it is Christ's world. As if the universe is a neutral place. As if Christianity is just something we have smeared on top of Real Life. Jesus is reduced to being little more than a comforting nibble of spiritual chocolate, an imaginary friend who "saves souls" but not much else.
The Bible knows of no such piffling and laughable Christlet. "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (Jn 1:3). As such, it is farcical to imagine that he, the Creator, the one above and before all things, should be about no more than "saving souls." The Lord of the cosmos will have a cosmic purpose: to renew his entire world, destroying evil from it forever.
(Michael Reeves, Rejoicing in Christ, 24)
Just consider how the Gospels describe Jesus doing the work that Yahweh alone does. John recounts how Jesus opened the eyes of a man born blind. Matthew ends with Jesus wielding all authority in heaven and earth. Luke tells how the Lord Jesus brings salvation to the house of Zacchaeus with his coming. Mark begins his gospel by identifying Jesus with the LORD, who came as Isaiah foretold to redeem his people.
Along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus does God's exclusive work as God the Son.
Jesus came to redeem, judge, and rule as God himself.
Stephen J. Wellum, God the Son Incarnate, 198.
Indeed, Jesus and his apostles loved quoting from the Psalm that perhaps best captures the divine identity of Israel's Messiah: Psalm 110. Consider how Psalm 110 describes Israel's Messiah sharing in the LORD's exclusive work. (1) Read Psalm 110 several times; (2) Highlight the LORD’s actions in YELLOW; (3) Highlight the Messiah’s (David’s Lord) actions in BLUE.
Psalm 110 shows up in many places in the NT. Note at least three places the NT uses Psalm 110 (https://biblehub.com/crossref/psalms/110-1.htm).
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How does Psalm 110 testify to the divine identity of Israel's Messiah?
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Give at least three examples of other biblical texts that describe Jesus doing God's exclusive work.
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