THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
The All-inclusive Christ
Message Seven—A Panoramic View of Christ in the New Testament
Scriptures Reading: Matt. 1:1; Rev. 22:21; Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 1:3-4
I. The first name and the last name in the New Testament is Jesus, proving that Jesus Christ is the subject and content of the New Testament—Matt. 1:1; Rev. 22:21: (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
A. The Bible is a book of life, and this life is a living person, the wonderful and all-inclusive Christ. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
B. The Old Testament gives a portrait, in types and prophecies, of this wonderful person as the Coming One; now, in the New Testament, this wonderful person has come. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
II. Christ, as the wonderful center of the entire Bible, is all-inclusive, having many aspects; the New Testament at its beginning presents four biographies to portray the four main aspects of this all-inclusive Christ: (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
A. The Gospel of Matthew testifies that He is the King, the Christ of God prophesied in the Old Testament, who brings the kingdom of the heavens to the earth. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
B. The Gospel of Mark tells us that He is the Servant of God, laboring for God faithfully; Mark’s account is most simple, for a servant does not warrant a detailed record. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
C. The Gospel of Luke presents a full picture of Him as the only proper and normal man who ever lived on this earth; as such a man, He is the Savior of mankind. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
D. The Gospel of John unveils Him as the Son of God, the very God Himself, who is life to God’s people. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
III. The four faces of the living creatures in Ezekiel 1:10 also portray the life of Christ as depicted in the four Gospels: (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
A. Matthew shows Christ as a lion, the King of God’s kingdom; we need to be one with Christ to have the face of a lion, indicating that in relation to sin, the world, and Satan we are bold, strong, victorious, and reigning—Rev. 5:5; Rom. 5:17. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
B. Mark portrays Him as an ox, the Servant of God; we need to be one with Christ to have the face of an ox, indicating that we are willing to bear the burden, to labor, and even to sacrifice ourselves—1 Cor. 15:10, 58; Acts 20:24; Phil. 2:30. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
C. Luke depicts Him as a man, the Man-Savior; we need to be one with Christ to have the face of a man, indicating that we live in a proper humanity, the humanity of Jesus—cf. Eph. 4:20-21. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
D. John shows Him as an eagle, the very God; we need to be one with Christ to have the face of an eagle, indicating that we are transcendent, buoyant, and powerful in the life of God—6:15; Phil. 4:12-13. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
IV. The New Testament portrays the person of Christ in the following aspects: (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
A. In the Gospels is the Christ who lived on the earth and died on the cross for the accomplishment of redemption. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
B. In the Acts is the resurrected and ascended Christ propagated and ministered to men. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
C. In Romans is the Christ who is our righteousness for justification and our life for sanctification, transformation, conformation, glorification, and building up. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
D. In Galatians is the Christ who enables us to live a life that is versus the law, religion, tradition, and forms. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
E. In Philippians is the Christ who is lived out of His members. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
F. In Ephesians and Colossians is the Christ who is the life, the content, and the Head of the Body, the church. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
G. In 1 and 2 Corinthians is the Christ who is everything in the practical church life. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
H. In 1 and 2 Thessalonians is the Christ who is our holiness for His coming back. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
I. In 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus is the Christ who is God’s economy, enabling us to know how to conduct ourselves in the house of God. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
J. In Hebrews is the present Christ, who is now in the heavens as our Minister and our High Priest, ministering to us the heavenly life, grace, authority, and power and sustaining us to live a heavenly life on earth; He is the Christ now, the Christ today, and the Christ on the throne in the heavens, who is our daily salvation and moment-by-moment supply—8:2; 4:14-15; 7:26. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
K. In the Epistles of Peter is the Christ who enables us to take God’s governmental dealings administered through sufferings. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
L. In the Epistles of John is the Christ who is the life and fellowship of the children of God in God’s family. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
M. In Revelation is the Christ who is walking among the churches in this age, ruling over the world in the kingdom in the coming age, and expressing God in full glory in the new heaven and new earth for eternity. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
V. The apostles’ teaching is the unique teaching of God’s New Testament economy concerning the full ministry of Christ in three stages—Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 1:3-4: (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
A. In the first stage of incarnation in the four Gospels—Matt. 14:19, 23; John 1:14; 10:30; Rom. 3:24-25: (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
1. To bring the infinite God into the finite man. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
2. To unite, mingle, and incorporate the Triune God with the tripartite man. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
3. To express in His humanity the bountiful God in His rich attributes through His aromatic virtues. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
4. To accomplish His all-inclusive judicial redemption. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
B. In the second stage of inclusion in the Epistles—1 Cor. 15:45b; Phil. 1:19; Acts 13:33; 2:28: (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
1. To be begotten as God’s firstborn Son. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
2. To become the life-giving Spirit. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
3. To regenerate the believers for His Body. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
C. In the third stage of intensification in Revelation—Rev. 1:4; 4:5; 5:6; 2:7, 17; 19:7-9; 21:2: (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
1. To intensify His organic salvation. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
2. To produce the overcomers. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)
3. To consummate the New Jerusalem. (2013 ICSC, msg. 1)