Christology, Part 2: Jesus, the Agent of God → A More Beautiful Life Collective

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S2E25 – Christology, Part 2: Jesus, The Agent of God – A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast

Today, we are looking at the similarities and differences between Jesus and Yahweh, God the Father. We will look at how the nature of God and Jesus are different as described in the Bible. Then, we will look at the way Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father as his highly authorized agent. Because Jesus is an agent of God, he is able to the mouth, hands, and feet of God on Earth. This principle of agency will help you to understand the whole Bible better. Read more on the blog: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/jesus-as-an-agent-of-god/ Get a PDF copy of 'Jesus: The Agent of God" here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.kit.com/26fc45cd99 Get a PDF copy of the Christian Creeds here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.kit.com/d080819cc1 Get the Doctrine and Theology Cheat Sheet Here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.ck.page/bd897d28d0 Get a list of the names of God here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.ck.page/43d2d5cf6b Get a copy of our personal statement of faith creation guide here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/we-believe-your-personal-statement-of-faith-workbook-pdf-download/ Get “Building Our Foundations: 11 Week Study” here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/building-our-foundations-11-week-systematic-theology-book-bible-study/ Visit our Shop to get a copy of any of the resources mentioned in this episode: I’m your host, Cayce Fletcher, and you can learn a little bit more about me here. While you’re here, would you consider leaving a comment, rating, or review? You can find our podcast, A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. Subscribe to the blog for access to our latest content and some freebies. Want to support A More Beautiful Life Collective in the creation of podcasts, posts, and other resources? You can make a one-time, monthly, or yearly donation here. I love creating and sharing resources with you. You can find all of our resources at A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop. Keep creating a life you love, and cultivating your heart for God.

Hey everyone, and welcome to S2E25 of A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast. This week on the podcast, we are diving back into our Systematic Theology series. We’ll have a post every other week for the next couple of months as we talk about the remainder of our core doctrines.

So far on the podcast, we’ve talked about Theology Proper, Bibliology, Angelology, Theological Anthropology, Hamartiology, and Christology. This week, we are doing part 2 of our study on Christology.

Remember, if you would like a study that goes through all of these doctrines in greater depth check out our Building Our Foundations Study Guide. For each doctrine, you will get 5 days of study that helps you formulate your own statement of faith. You can also get our We Believe: Personal Statement of Faith Workbook and more resources at the shop.

In our last post in this series, we looked at the doctrine of Christ, or Christology. We focused on how Jesus fulfills the role of prophet, priest, and king perfectly. And, we thought deeply about what this means for us. These three roles encapsulate the work that Jesus does for us as believers and followers.

But, the study of Christology doesn’t just stop there. In addition to looking at the work of Christ, we also have to look at the nature of Christ. What is he like? How is he similar or different from us? How is he similar or different from God the Father?

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Is Jesus Yahweh?

In our first post in this series, we looked specifically at Theology Proper or the study of God. In this podcast, I explained one crucial starting point for learning more about who God is: We need to know his name. God is referred to by many names in the Old Testament, referencing how he interacts with his people. However, one name is supreme and is the name God chose for himself. This name is Yahweh.

As we move forward to the New Testament, the name Yahweh is not mentioned. Yahweh – a Hebrew tetragrammaton – is translated into the Greek New Testament as the Greek word Theos (“God”) and the Greek word Kyrios (“Lord”). However, the New Testament does often refer to the God of the Old Testament as the Father. Jesus also refers to the God of the Old Testament as the Father throughout the gospels.

So, is Jesus Yahweh? Well, no. Yahweh is God the Father, the God of the Old Testament. Jesus is his highly exalted son. Jesus is the agent of God. Philippians 2:9-11 explains, “9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus’ name being exalted and glorified brings glory to the Father. This is seen in Revelation 4 and 5 when Jesus is worshipped by the elders and the angels because he was the ransom that brought the people to God.

Not everyone agrees with me on this point. Some believe that Yahweh refers to the Trinitarian Godhead, not just God the Father (who I guess is nameless in this viewpoint). Instead of being an agent of God, they believe Jesus is God. You can read more about the different sides of the debate below:

As I mentioned in our post on Theology Proper, we should desire to know who God is as we pursue a deeper relationship with him. One way we can know both God the Father and Jesus better is through understanding their similarities and differences.

Differences between Yahweh, God the Father, and Jesus, the Son of God

In C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books, Aslan represented Jesus, the lion who was sacrificed as a lamb to answer to the deep magic established at the beginning of the world. Aslan represented the Emporer from across the sea who we never see in the stories (but to whose country they return in the last book). In the story, Aslan is separated from but representative of God – and is a mostly accurate representation of the relationship between Jesus and God. Aslan is the equivalent agent of God.

Starting with the debate that led to the formation of the Christian creeds, the nature of Jesus has been scrutinized. The debate centers around the dichotomy between a high Christology and a low Christology. A high Christology focuses on the divinity of Christ, attempting to make Jesus into God. A low Christology emphasizes the humanity of Christ found in the pages of scripture. The creeds attempted to create a coherent philosophy of deity and humanity. But, the fallout of the creeds is the muddling of our understanding of God and his relationship with Christ. The Bible is clear. The Father is the One God, creator of all things. Jesus is his highly exalted son to whom he gave all authority on heaven and earth. Jesus is the agent of God.

In modern Christianity though, people are increasingly collapsing Jesus and Yahweh, God the Father, into one person. This is done explicitly in Oneness Pentecostal churches but is often seen in mainstream evangelical denominations as well. There are very real differences in the work and nature of God the Father and Jesus, the Son of God.

In our post on Theology Proper, we looked at the incommunicable attributes of god. These are attributes that God – and God alone – can have. Here are some of the incommunicable Characteristics of Yahweh, God the Father:

Sovereign
Infinite
Eternal, Immortal
Immanent (existing in the created world, not far off)
Transcendent
Self-existent (Aseity)
Creator
Immutable
Omniscient
Omnipresent
Omnipotent
Impeccable
Immaterial (Some would disagree with this trait)

So, what attributes, if any, does Jesus share with God? Knowing this will help us to understand the nature of Christ better. Here are a few differences between God the Father and Jesus: (Check out the full list from Biblical Unitarian here. You can also read another explanation of the similarities and differences between Jesus and God from Bible Study Tools here.)

God is all-knowing and wise, but Jesus grew in knowledge and wisdom (Luke 2:52).
God knows everything (omniscient), but some things were hidden from Jesus (Mark 13:32).
God has always been perfect, but Jesus had to suffer to achieve perfection (Heb 2:10).
God cannot be tempted, but Jesus was tempted (James 1:13, Heb. 4:15).
God is all-powerful (omnipotent), but Jesus needed to be strengthened (Luke 22:43-44).
God is immortal, but Jesus died.
God is our Father (we are adopted and called children of God), but Jesus is our brother (Rom. 8:15, Heb. 2:10-11).
God is spirit (immaterial), but Jesus was flesh and bone even after the resurrection.
God is not a man, but Jesus is a man (Numb. 23:19, John 8:40).
God has his will, but Jesus’ will defers from God (Luke 22:39-42).

This list is a snapshot of the way that Jesus differs from Yahweh, God the Father.

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Jesus, the Representative Agent of God

So, what is the relationship between God and Jesus? We know that Jesus is his only begotten (John 3:16) and beloved (Mark 1:11) Son. In Matthew 16:13-17, Jesus asks his disciples the question, “Who do you say that I am?” In verse 16, Simon Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.”

One of the key ways we can see the difference between God the Father and Jesus is in the question of authority.

Recently, I’ve been reading through the gospels as part of my Bible Reading Plan. One repeated theme in the gospels is the question of Jesus’ authority. He is described repeatedly as having authority (unlike the teachers of the law and scribes). Where does this authority come from?

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah (or Christ). The Messiah is the king who would rule over the world with justice and righteousness. Another way to think of the Messiah is as an agent of God.

I’ve said before that the Bible is a story about God and his relationship with his people. One way that he interacts with his people is through covenants. A crucial part of the covenant is that it is often instituted and administered through the use of an agent of God.

The Old Testament is full of examples of people who were an agent of God. The Offices of prophet, priest, and king (all of which Jesus held) were examples of agents of God. This is called the Jewish principle of agency. An agent of God was given authority to accomplish God’s will in the world. They were sent by God to be his mouthpiece and his hands and feet.

What is an agent of God?

An agent is a person who represents someone else. The agent would be seen as identical to the sender in the eyes of the people.
The agent had full powers to represent the sender in legal situations, so much so that ownership was transferred from the agent to the sender even if the agent was the one who was purchasing property, etc.
The sender was always greater than the one who was sent (aka the agent).
The agent obeys the will of the sender. They have to put aside their own will to accomplish the will of the one they are representing.
When the mission is complete, the agent returns to the sender.
An agent has the authority to commission other agents.

Jesus is the agent of God the Father. He received his authority from the Father to accomplish God’s work. How does Jesus fulfill the requirements of an agent?

Jesus represents the Father. – “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” ~ John 14:1
Jesus bought his people with his blood. He transferred ownership to the Father. – “Christ bought us with His blood and made us free from the Law. In that way, the Law could not punish us. Christ did this by carrying the load and by being punished instead of us.” ~ Galatians 3:13; “Because you [the Lamb] were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” ~ Rev. 5:9
Jesus is willfully subordinate to the Father. “For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. ~ 1 Cor. 15: 27-28
Jesus put aside his own will to do the will of the Father. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” ~ Luke 22:42
Jesus returned to the Father when his mission was completed (aka the ascension). “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” ~ John 16:28
Jesus commissions the church to be his agents in the world. ’18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:18-20

You can read a very comprehensive article about agency here. You can also watch this series of videos on YouTube.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~ Phil. 2:4-11

How is Jesus in the form of God? As the perfect agent of God, he had all authority from God. He was a representative of God to the people. But, he didn’t try to use this authority to gain the world (as he could have in the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4). Instead, he became a servant of all to save the world.

Other Resources about the principle of Agency:

Jesus, an agent of God in the image of God

Keeping the principle of Agency in mind, we can turn to the ways that God and Jesus are described similarly in scripture. The differences between God and Jesus are in their nature. But, the similarities between God and Jesus are found in the metaphors used to describe them.

This is because each of the metaphors we find in scripture describes the way that God relates to the world and mankind. Now that Jesus is an agent of God, Jesus takes on the role described in these metaphors.

Similar Metaphors of God and Jesus:

I AM – Yahweh in the OT: Exodus 3:14–15; Isaiah 48:12. Jesus in the NT: John 8:58
The Shepherd – Yahweh in the OT: Psalm 23:1. Jesus in the NT: John 10:11
The Light – Yahweh in the OT: Psalm 27:1. Jesus in the NT: John 8:12
The Rock – Yahweh in the OT: Psalm 18:2. Jesus in the NT: Matthew 7:24
Ruler of all – Yahweh in the OT: Psalm 103:19. Jesus in the NT: Matthew 28:18
Judge of all nations – Yahweh in the OT: Joel 3:12. Jesus in the NT: John 5:22
The Bridegroom – Yahweh in the OT: Isaiah 62:5; Hosea 2:16. Jesus in the NT: Matthew 25:1
Word never passes away – Yahweh in the OT: Isaiah 40:8. Jesus in the NT: Mark 13:31
The Sower – Yahweh in the OT: Jeremiah 31:27; Ezekiel 36:9. Jesus in the NT: Matthew 13:3–9
First and the Last – Yahweh in the OT: Isaiah 48:12. Jesus in the NT: Revelation 1:17–18

These metaphors don’t mean that God the Father and Jesus are the same person. Instead, they just show similarities in the way that God works in the Old Testament and the way Jesus works now with the church in this present age. If anything, it shows the continuity of God the Father. Too often, people assume that God completely switched gears between the Old Testament and the New Testament. This is simply not true. God works in a similar way. However, in the New Testament, he chose to work through Jesus as an agent of God.

In the Bible Study Finding I Am by Lysa TerKeurst (which is a study I highly recommend!), Lysa walks through the seven ‘I am’ statements of Jesus. In the study, she explains how these I am statements make the work of God concrete in the world. Jesus is making the immaterial material as he brings the kingdom to earth. For example, God is our provider, yet it can be difficult to trust in his provision. Jesus gives us the reassurance that he is ‘the bread of life.’ In this way, he satisfies are spiritual hunger and our need to daily provision.

The Seven ‘I am’ statements of Jesus:

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).
“I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:7-9).
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep […] I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:11, 14).
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
“I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser […] I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5).

Jesus embodies the work of God on earth. Each of these metaphors helps to show how that work is done. (Several of these metaphors describe the way that Jesus functions as the mediator between humanity and the Father.) They show how Jesus is an agent of God.

Related: Should we pray to Jesus?

My Personal Statement of Faith: Christology, Part 2

Jesus is the subordinate, obedient agent of God the Father. Because of his obedience, he is now highly exalted, seated at the right hand of the Father. He is given all authority on Earth and Heaven. As the Father’s agent, he represented the Father perfectly.

Now you try – Questions about Christology:

How is Jesus similar to and different from the Father?
How is Jesus a perfect representative of the Father?
How do the metaphors God and Jesus use to describe themselves help you understand their work in our lives?

John 8:31-32 says, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

When we understand our theology, we better understand our faith. I pray this episode has gotten you to think more deeply about the nature of God and his son.

We are all called to be agents of God as we are sent into the mission field. How are you representing him today?

If you would like to dive deeper in your study of theology, get our 11-week study guide called “Building Your Foundations.” You can also get our Personal Statement of Faith Workbook to walk you through the process of creating your own personal statement of faith.

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Until next time, keep creating a life you love and cultivating your heart for God.

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