10.30am Holy Communion
Introduction
- Nicea would not have happened without Constantine who was keen to have a united church to support a united empire. (Politics intruding) Extraordinary feat to get 318 bishops together in one place to thrash out a definitive statement which has essentially lasted for 1700 years.
- It took 50 years to reach a consensus – so patience in difference is important.
- Because Council of Nicea was in response to Arian view that Jesus was not God, this “Article 2 part 2” is central to the creed.
- You can see that just by the weight of words.God the Father 18, God the Son – 48+ 86 =134, God the Holy Spirit and “extras” 69.
- At this point it turns to the human race – incarnation – BUT it is still God’s story. We have tended to look at incarnation from our human perspective, rather than God’s.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
- For us in an important concept. God is “On our side”; “has our backs”. In His ministry Jesus is constantly alongside the marginalised; the outcast; the stranger.
- It’s a Universal message for everybody not just the nation of Israel.Who for us human beings is a good translation (we are used to saying “for us men”.) Note it is for our salvation.
- Purpose is salvation – the clue is in the name (Jesus means “The Lord saves”). Salvation is not by our own efforts, it is by God’s grace.
- John 3: 13 declares “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven.” Heaven characteristically in the bible is the source of light and life to the earth.
- St Augustine says “He is said to have come to us, not from place to place through space but by appearing to mortals in mortal flesh. He came to a place where he was already.”
- Came down from heaven is the overflowing fountain of God’s relationship and love in Trinity seeking to share that love in an abundant way.
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man.
- Incarnation (and reincarnation) is a word more widely used over the centuries. But when creed written it was meant to apply only to Jesus
- Incarnation is God’s choice.
- The concept of being both God the Son and a human being is difficult to get our minds round.“he remained what he was and took up what he was not.” _ Gregory Naziensen. Phillipians 2:7 (“but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness.”)The extent to which God shares our humanity – in all its physicality, frustrations and vulnerability is amazing. He becomes flesh (sarx in Greek subject to death and decay.), meat, quite literally a meal for a carnivore.
- The Holy Spirit is the life giver (see later in the creed) and as this is God the creator giving life to all (and everything) the Holy Spirit is the one who gives life to the Son. This is the central moment in God’s creation activity.
- The work of incarnation is not done by God alone. It has human participation from the beginning. There is an old story that the whole of creation held its breath before Mary replied to the heavenly messenger,She accepts in humility even humiliation (the word handmaid translates as slave girl). Sharing Christ’s humiliation. “Humility is the recognition that we do not know it all.” Mary’s “fiat” latin translation of “let it be “is the same as God in creation “fiat lux” – let there be light.
- Creed is saying as clearly as it can that because Jesus is begotten of the father and born of the virgin Mary and because he has these 2 births he is both truly human and truly God.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
- This firmly places Jesus in a point and place in history.
- Crucifixion was common but brutal.But the cross does not destroy Jesus divine nature.which remains immortal even as he dies – thus defeating death.
- Creed only touches briefly on the cross.- but it is for us; even pilate is doing the will of God.And the reason Jesus embraced such cruelty was “for our sake’. It’s humbling.”Greater love has no man than
- this, that he should lay down his life for his friends.” And we are His friends. “Here is love vast as the ocean, loving kindness as the flood, when the prince of life……shed for me his precious blood.”
He suffered death and was buried
- The pain of grief is then the price of love, and the fear of death is with each of us. “Father if it be your will let this cup pass from me…… “sweating blood”
- God who cannot suffer (God is active – suffering is passive), in His human form chooses to be passive (hence the description – passion) and to suffer.
- and was buried like any other dead man – “for you are dust and to dust you shall return.” – suffering even the curse of Adam.
- But “as in Adam all shall die so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
- He is a man without sin who makes the perfect offering.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
This isn’t just about Jesus’s resurrection; it’s about God creating a new hope of eternal life for all mankind.What God has done in Christ is to reverse our corruptibility clothing all our mortal weakness with the glorious power of everlasting life.
“nor did his flesh see corruption” Acts 2:31 Peter’s Pentecost sermon. Quite literally his body did not have time to decompose, before Jesus had risen body and soul and mind and spirit.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
- Christ still bears the scars – as all Ascension and Christ the King icons show.But he has transfigured them and offers the same hope of transformation for us.
- The heaven to which he ascends is a place beyond all places. Solomon in his great prayer of dedication of the temple says “the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee” It’s the invisible dimension in which God is most intensely present.
- Seated at the right hand of the Father – see Ps 110 “The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”See Hebrews 1:3 “after making purification for sins he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.”
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
- Jesus second coming is not called a descent because he comes in glory
- Judgement can be scary, (fascinating) but we cannot put it aside. Clearly articulated in scripture. Encouraging that God will ultimately control the end of all things.
- The longing for judgement in scripture is a longing for justice, liberation and renewal.
and his kingdom will have no end.
- Mary learns at Jesus conception that this child’s kingdom will have no end. “He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32-33)
- We pray “Thy kingdom come”.
Questions for reflection and discussion.
Q. What does the incarnation say about who God is? The nature and character of God?
Q. Does who we see in Jesus of Nazareth match with our picture of how we see God?
Q How does Jesus’s suffering and death affect your view of death ?
Q What difference does the resurrection make for you?
Q What does God’s justice look like for you? Where in the world would you like to see God’s justice “breaking out”?
Q Which parts of this article of the creed do you find difficult to understand.?
Q What do you find most amazing about Jesus’s life and death?