The Exalted Christ: Still Speaking, Interceding, and Reigning

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We are done this morning with our midterm examination in the combined class of the undergraduate/graduate programs in Theology 2/Systematic Theology 2. The examination covered all the topics that we discussed and that the students reported. I just selected a representative question from the following topics:

• The Origin and the Constitutional Nature of Man

• Man as the Image of God

• Understanding Covenant Theology from the Perspective of Biblical Anthropology

• The Person of Christ

• The Humiliation of Christ

• The Exaltation of Christ, and

• Modern Christology/Historical Jesus

I came up with the following questionnaire:

• In studying the doctrine of man, what distinctions do you see between general anthropology and theological anthropology?

• How is the creation of man in God’s image understood historically? How does the Reformed Church understand this teaching? Compare it with the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church.

• What are the three elements in biblical covenants? Briefly explain each element both in the covenant of works and in the covenant of grace.

• How do metaphysical and epistemological presuppositions influence Christological studies, both in classic Protestantism and modern-critical scholarship?

• Provide your personal critique of the quest for the historical Jesus.

• Evaluate this paragraph:

The doctrine of the two natures in one person transcends human reason. It is the expression of a supersensible reality, and of an incomprehensible mystery, which has no analogy in the life of man as we know it, and finds no support in human reason, and therefore can only be accepted by faith on the authority of the Word of God (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p. 354).

• Summarize in your own words the five different interpretations of the statement, “He descended into hell.”

• Explain the significance of Christ’s session at the right hand of God in relation to His threefold offices as Prophet, Priest, and King.

• Briefly explain the value of studying Christology.

• Briefly explain how Philippians 2:6-11 provides us a biblical, soul-enriching, and God-honoring paradigm for Christology.

Questions 4 to 6 are the most difficult. The remaining numbers are easy, provided that the students are familiar with the relevant files and reading materials. It took them more or less two hours to complete the test.

Among the seven topics above, I find the implications of the exaltation of Christ, especially His session, very comforting. There are four stages in the exaltation of Christ:

• resurrection

• ascension

• session, and

• physical return

The reason why I find Christ's session very inspiring is because of the idea that the fact that He is now sitting at the right hand of God does not mean that He is now passive and does nothing. In fact, Christ's mediatorial work remains active even now. This means that Christ's offices as prophet, priest, and king remain relevant to the life and mission of the church at the moment. The question now is, how does Jesus execute these offices that are relevant to the current existence of the church?

I will just limit my reference to an old theology textbook written by Louis Berkhof.

The role of the Holy Spirit is very important to understand the execution of Christ's prophetic office in the current dispensation. The third person of the Trinity does this through the inspiration of the Bible, through the preaching of the ministers of the word, "in the guidance of the Church, making it the foundation and pillar of the truth; and in making the truth effective in the hearts and lives of believers" (p. 353).

How about as a priest? How does Christ execute this office? When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished," it did not mean that his priestly work ended. Instead, he was referring to the termination of his suffering. At present, he remains our priest by presenting to the Father his completed sacrifice as the basis for the pardoning grace of God. Moreover, he still applies "his sacrificial work and making it effective in the justification and sanctification" of repentant sinners (ibid.).

Finally, the execution of his office as a king. Christ does this by protecting his church from all hostile ideologies and forces. Even the forces of nature and all the forces of heaven are under the rule of Christ. No power in existence can eradicate the presence of the church in human history, for she is protected by the one who said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18). Lastly, church government, or church polity, plays a significant role in the exercise of Christ's kingly office here on earth. Ruling and teaching elders, as well as deacons, are God-ordained officers and his appointed means to exercise Christ's kingly rule in the church.

Grace and peace!