Exhortation

Doctrine matters, and no doctrines matter more than the doctrines concerning Jesus Christ. We can test every other doctrinal concern this way: What does it say about Jesus?

One of the earliest heresies was “docetism,” which comes from the Greek verb for “seem.” Docetists believed that Jesus was not truly and fully human, but only came in the appearance of man. He is God, but his humanity evaporates in a “cloud of divinity” (Braaten). Modern docetists think that Jesus embodies an eternal idea, and since the idea is universal it can never be expressed in a particular life or a particular man.

This cannot do, first, because it is contrary to the New Testament. Jesus is the Word who has become flesh. John goes out of His way in his first epistle to emphasize that the Word became visible, audible, tangible humanity. Hebrews says that God has spoken His Son, His word-made-flesh.

This cannot do, second, because a seeming man cannot save man. A seeming flesh means a seeming cross, seeming blood, seeming suffering, seeming death, a seeming resurrection. If Jesus has died and rose only in appearance, our salvation is only an appearance. We are still in our sins, and are of all men most to be pitied.

To be saved is to be united with God in covenant, and we sinners are united with God because He first united Himself with us. God becomes man to be man differently, to offer the obedience we should offer and to suffer the penalty of sin for us. To be man differently for the sake of man, He must genuinely become man, in reality and not in appearance (Barth).

Advent is a season of preparation, which includes repentance. During this Advent season, examine yourself and repent not only of your sinful actions but your false beliefs, and especially your false beliefs about Jesus.