1 John 4:2-3a
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. (ESV)
The Hypostatic Union
a. A Theological term that describes the union of two natures, divine and human, in the single person of Jesus Christ.
b. Foundational to Christian theology.
c. Rooted in Scripture.
Definition:
Two natures: Divine and human.
One person: The Son of God. The son of Mary.
Scriptural Basis:
a. Fully God:
John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Colossians 2:9 – “For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”
Hebrews 1:3 – “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.”
b. Fully Man:
John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Philippians 2:7-8 – “But emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Hebrews 2:17 – “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect.”
Key Principles:
a. Without Confusion or Change.
b. Without Division or Separation
Practical Implications:
a. Salvation
b. Intercession
c. Worship – The union of the divine and human in Christ demands our worship, as Jesus is the God-man, worthy of all honor and glory.
1. The Context of the Verse
a. The Test of True Doctrine.
b. Relevance Today.
2. The Confession of the Verse
Jesus Christ has come in the Flesh.
2.1 Jesus: His Humanity.
a. Born of a woman: Galatians 4:4.
b. A true human life.
Jesus experienced:
(i) Hunger: Matthew 4:2 – “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.”
(ii) Fatigue: John 4:6 – “Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as He was from His journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.”
(iii) Sorrow: John 11:35 – “Jesus wept.”
(iv) Death: Luke 23:46 – “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!’ And having said this He breathed His last.”
He was fully human in every way, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
2.2 Christ: His Deity
The title “Christ” affirms that Jesus is the promised Messiah, fully divine. He is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and “the radiance of the glory of God” (Hebrews 1:3).
2.3 Has Come in the Flesh: The Incarnation
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
3. The Source of this Confession
The Spirit of God
3.1 The Role of the Holy Spirit
John 16:14.
1 Corinthians 12:3.
3.2 True vs. False Spirits
1 John 4:3.
As believers, we must be vigilant and test every teaching against the Word of God (Acts 17:11).
4. The Implications of the Incarnation for Us
4.1 Redemption Through the Incarnation
Hebrews 2:14-15.
4.2 God’s Nearness and Empathy
Isaiah 53:4.
Hebrews 4:15-16.
4.3 The Call to Worship and Proclamation
Conclusion
The incarnation is the heart of Christmas: God became man to redeem sinners and bring us into fellowship with Him. As John reminds us, the confession that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” is a mark of true faith and the work of the Holy Spirit.