Jesus: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord? (Incarnation and Christology)

Feb 6, 2025

The discussion dives deep into Christology, exploring how modern culture perceives Jesus as either a liar, lunatic, or Lord. The significance of the virgin birth is emphasized, linking it to Jesus's dual nature as fully God and fully man. The speakers clarify the essentials of Christ's roles as prophet, priest, and king, highlighting historical creeds' importance in understanding His identity. They also tackle theological errors like Arianism and Docetism, ensuring a well-rounded exploration of Jesus's profound nature.

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Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 2min

Exploring the Trilemma of Jesus: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord

02:09 • 4min

Jesus in Modern Culture

06:29 • 14min

Understanding Virgin Birth and Christology

20:59 • 6min

The Dual Nature of Christ

27:01 • 15min

Exploring the Roles of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King

42:26 • 5min

Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley discuss a core doctrine of the Christian faith; Christology.

Questions Covered in This Episode:

What is the common approach to Jesus in our cultural moment?
Where should someone start if they want to dive deep into the question of who is Jesus?
What about when Colossians 1 calls him the “firstborn?”
What are the essentials of Christology?
What are the implications of leaning into one of the natures of Jesus?
In the creeds (Athanasian, Apostles, Nicene, Chalcedon) they focus on clarifying who, what, and how Christ is. Why this intense focus so early on?
How does Christ perfectly fulfill the three offices of prophet, priest, and king?

Helpful Definitions:

Logos: The word.
Σκηνόω: Skénoó: To dwell, to tabernacle, to pitch a tent.
Arianism: The false view that Jesus, the Son of God, is the first created being.
Πρωτότοκος: Prototokos: First-born, eldest.
Communication of Attributes: We communicate from the two natures; the divine nature and the human nature to the one person Jesus Christ. Anything you can say about God you can say about Jesus, anything you can say about humanity, except sin, you can say about Jesus.
Docetism: The false belief that Jesus’s humanity was a figment or presentation, not a true human nature.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

John 1, Genesis 1, Hebrews 1, Colossians 1, Philippians 2
Deep Discipleship
“Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis
Joe Rogan Experience #2252 - Wesley Huff
“Remaking the World” by Andrew Wilson
Creeds:

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The Family Discipleship Podcast | Tiny Theologians

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.