Transcript Cary Christian School

Cary Christian School
The Incarnation: Luke 1-2
What does Luke 2:52
Mean?
 Linked to Luke 1:80, 2:41 and Samuel
 The provoking features are:
 Grew
 Wisdom
 Years (stature)
 Possible meanings are:
 Normal statement of a child getting older
 Specific words that mean exactly what they say
Some important issues
 Jesus and John the Baptizer spoken of here (See 1:80
and 2:40/2:52
 The words translations are not exactly the same
 1:80 – John “grew” and “became strong”
 2:40 – The toddler Jesus was “filled with” or “full of
wisdom”, as He grew and became strong
 2:52 – the young man Jesus that had been teaching in
His Father’s house, amazing the Rabbi’s, “increased”
(?) in wisdom and grew in years and favor . . .
 The Analogy of Faith
Some common
interpretations
 Jesus was just like any other boy
 Jesus was just a regular boy until His ministry at 30
 Jesus grew progressively into His calling
 Jesus, as a child, did not know that He was the
Messiah
 Well . . .
The Flow of Chapters 1-2
 The Prophecy of John the Baptizer (Luke 1:5-25)
 The Prophecy of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38)
 The Recognition of Elizabeth and John (Luke 1:39-45)
 The Celebration of Mary (Luke 1:46-56)
 Zacharias’ Prophecy (Luke 1:67-79)
 John Grows (Luke 1:80)
 Jesus, the Christ is Born (Luke 2:1-20)
 Jesus is Presented at the Temple (Luke 2:21-38)
 Jesus in Jerusalem in the Temple at His Father
Business (Luke 2:41-51)
Hmmm . . . It seems that
everyone else knew . . .
And then there is that moment at
the Temple
Luke 2:52 - This Phrase
talks of the humanity of
Jesus . . . The fast that He
was Real Human, but
clearly not like any other
human . . .
Cary Christian School
The Incarnation: Philippians 2
Notations about
Philippians 2:1-11
 The Context is Humility
 The verb “kenao” is the focus in the Christological
section
 The question is what does it mean




Romans 4:14
1 Cor. 1:17
1 Cor. 9:15
2 Cor. 9:3
 How does that meaning work within the context?
How does it flow?
 Had an attitude of Humility
 Christ was (pre[existed]) in the “Form” of God
 Did not hang on to that “form” at all costs (“with white
knuckles”)
 Emptied Himself
 Now too the “form’ of a bond-servant
 Made in the likeness of men
 Had the appearance of a man
 Showed humility by obedience
 Obedience led to death
 The Death was on a Cross
How does it flow? (cont.)
 God exalted Him
 Made His name reside over all others
 All will worship Him at His name
 The name is “Lord”
What did He
empty Himself of?
The Incarnation: Philippians 2
Options
 Deity
 Communicable + Incommunicable Attributes
 Only Incommunicable Attributes
 Communicable or Incommunicable Attributes via
self-limitation
 Certain Attributes
 Glory
Some Samples
 "Christ had a human soul, to which the Logos imparted
his divinity, little by little until he became completely
divine" (Dorner). 
 Christ "laid aside his deity which was then restored at
the ascension" (Gess and Beecher). 
 He "abandoned certain prerogatives of the divine mode
of existence in order to assume the human," e.g.,
omniscience" (Gore). 
 "He surrendered the external, physical attributes of
omniscience, though retaining the attributes of love and
truth (A. M. Fairbairn). This was also held by Thomasius,
Deilitzsch, and H. Crosby. 
Some Samples
 "Christ "lived a double life from two, noncommunicating life centers. As God, he continued
his Trinitarian and providential existence, and as
man he was united with a human nature. He did
not know consciously anything of his divine,
Trinitarian existence" (Martensen). Wha!?!
 "He disguised his deity and attributes, not by giving
them up, but by limiting them to a time-form
appropriate to a human mode of existence ... His
attributes could only be expressed in relation to the
(human) time and space that his human form could
experience" (Ebrard). 
Some Samples
 "He gave up the use of the attributes
(cf. Carson, FD&FPJ, 35).
 ""He gave up the independent exercise
of the divine attributes (Strong, ST,
703).
 ""He limited himself to the voluntary
non-use of the attributes (Walvoord).”
Did the Son really
relinquish use of the
attributes during the
Incarnation?
What about another
option?
A Problem: The Text 
Attributes Exercised
Scriptures
 Creator
 Matt. 14:15-21
 Sovereignty
 Matt. 2:2, 27:11
 Judgment
 Luke 7:36-50
 Omnipotence
 John 4:46-54
 Omnipresence
 John 1:44-51
 Omniscience
 Matt. 9:1-8
A Problem: The Text 
Attributes Exercised
Scriptures
 Immutability
 John 8:56-59; Mark 9:2-8
 Eternity
 John 8:56-59
 Goodness
 John 10
 Mercy
 Matt. 9:36, John 8:1-11
 Love
 John 10:11-17, 15:13; 1 John
3:16
 Freedom
 John 10:18
A Problem: The Text 
Attributes Exercised
Scriptures
 Self-Existence
 John 8:56-59
 Triunity
 John 14:7-15, 17:21
 Righteousness
 Matt.3:15, Luke 7:36-50
 Truth
 John 14:6
So . . . What did
He empty
Himself of?!?
John 17 – The
High Priestly
Prayer
4
“I glorified You
on the earth, having
accomplished the
work which You have
given Me to do.
5
“Now,
Father, glorify Me
together with
Yourself, with the
glory which I had
with You before the
world was.
“. . . glorify Me
together with Yourself,
with the glory which I
had with You before the
world was.”
What did He
empty Himself
of?
Glory
What about the
Transfiguration?
 See John 1:14 & 1 Timothy 3:16
 Certainly “a” glory, but one that was
shrouded in flesh
 Think again on Exodus 33:17-23
 20
But He said, “You cannot see My
face, for no man can see Me and live!”
What did He
empty Himself
of?
Glory
Cary Christian School
The Incarnation: Philippians 2