“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” -2 Corinthians 8:9
This was the sermon text for the Christmas Eve service my family and I attended last night. The pastor suggested that this verse is perhaps the most succinct summary of the purpose of the incarnation in the whole Bible. It emphasizes especially the grace of the Son’s condescension in becoming human: the pre-existent one becomes poor by taking our frail humanity into personal union with himself so that through his poverty we might be lavished with the riches of redemption.
This text also includes Christ’s full appellation: “our Lord Jesus Christ.” Sometimes Paul abbreviates this formula (the Lord, Christ, Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ, etc.), but here we have the full title. And in this title, we have an entire Christology summarized in just a few words.
Lord: His Divinity
The Greek word kurios (Lord) was a divine title for Hellenistic Jews of the first century like Paul. Indeed, it was the word used to translate the divine name, YHWH, in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The word could sometimes be used simply as an honorific for one’s superior (lord or master). But the New Testament usage makes clear that it has divine connotations when applied to Jesus. The title is also applied to the Father and in a few instances to the Spirit as well. New Testament scholar Kavin Rowe speaks of a “kyriotic unity” and a “triplicity in the life of God” that are implied by this threefold application of the divine name “Lord.” The New Testament, no less than the Old, teaches that there is and can only be one living and true God. And yet, this one Lord exists eternally (note that Christ “became” poor, implying his pre-existence) as three distinct persons in everlasting relations of origin and love. The person whose birth we celebrate this day is none other than God himself: the eternal Son of the eternal Father in the unity of the eternal Spirit. Indeed, the church fathers often spoke of two births of this one Son: his eternal nativity from the Father without a mother, and his nativity in time from a mother without an earthly father.
Jesus: His Humanity
Mary and Joseph didn’t have a book of baby names from which to chose the name for this remarkable child. His name was chosen for them by a word from the Lord through the angel Gabriel: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). The name Jesus (Joshua) means “the Lord is salvation,” and it was a fairly common name for Hebrew boys at the time. So, this name highlights Christ’s humanity, but it also indicates that he is something more than merely human: he is the unique embodiment of the Lord’s salvation in human flesh. The very same Son, who eternally exists with the Father and the Spirit, is the one who became poor, who became incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There may be two births (his eternal generation from the Father and his earthly generation from Mary), but there are not two Sons. There is only one person in the incarnation. But this one person, who is necessarily and eternally divine, also became human in the fullness of time. To quote the church fathers once again: without ceasing to be what he was, he became what he was not. Without leaving heaven, he came down to earth. Without divesting himself of his divinity, he clothed himself in humanity. He was and is fully and truly human. On earth, he was born, he grew and developed, he suffered, died, and rose again. In heaven, even now, he intercedes for us as our Great High Priest, and from there he will return in his resurrected, glorified humanity to judge the living and the dead. Because he is truly human, Christ can serve as a representative and substitute for fallen humans like us. God knows what it is to weep, to bleed, to suffer, and to die. Therefore, he is more than able to help us in our weakness (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15).
Christ: His Office
Christ is not Jesus’ last name; it is his title and office. “Christ” or “Messiah” means “the anointed one.” It is a term pregnant with Old Testament hope and anticipation. There were three offices in ancient Israel that were marked out by the anointing of oil: priests, kings, and (on at least some occasions) prophets. Christian theologians have thus spoken about Christ’s threefold office (munus triplex). As prophet, he not only teaches us the will of God but is the decisive embodiment of divine revelation: the Word and Wisdom of God made flesh. As priest, he makes atonement for our sins through the sacrifice of himself and through his ongoing priestly intercession for us. As king, he subdues our rebellion, lovingly rules over us, and defeats all of our spiritual enemies. In short, as the Christ, Jesus is the Revealer, the Redeemer, and the Ruler.
One Final Qualifier
I have yet to comment on the first qualifier in this full title for Jesus from 2 Corinthians 8:9: “our.” It is first person plural and possessive. The Lord Jesus Christ belongs to the church that he founded and for which he died. He is “our Lord Jesus Christ.” He is the King over his kingdom. He is the Elder Brother in his global family. But implied in that first person plural are many first person singulars. So, the question for us this Christmas Day, this Feast of the Nativity, is simply this: Is he my Lord Jesus Christ? Is this God-Man Messiah mine? Will my heart prepare him room this and every day?