Theology

Become a Christlike Apologist by Looking at Jesus

Author Amy K. Hall Published on 10/05/2017

I was moved by this passage from a Jonathan Edwards sermon marveling at how Christ condescended to love and serve us despite His infinite power:

Christ is the Creator and great Possessor of heaven and earth. He is sovereign Lord of all. He rules over the whole universe, and doth whatsoever pleaseth him. His knowledge is without bound. His wisdom is perfect, and what none can circumvent. His power is infinite, and none can resist Him. His riches are immense and inexhaustible. His majesty is infinitely awful.

And yet he is one of infinite condescension. None are so low or inferior, but Christ’s condescension is sufficient to take a gracious notice of them. He condescends not only to the angels, humbling himself to behold the things that are done in heaven, but he also condescends to such poor creatures as men; and that not only so as to take notice of princes and great men, but of those that are of meanest rank and degree, “the poor of the world,” James 2:5. Such as are commonly despised by their fellow creatures, Christ does not despise.... Yea, which is more, his condescension is sufficient to take a gracious notice of the most unworthy, sinful creatures, those that have no good deservings, and those that have infinite ill deservings....

His condescension is great enough to become their friend, to become their companion, to unite their souls to him in spiritual marriage. It is enough to take their nature upon him, to become one of them, that he may be one with them. Yea, it is great enough to abase himself yet lower for them, even to expose himself to shame and spitting; yea, to yield up himself to an ignominious death for them. And what act of condescension can be conceived of greater? Yet such an act as this, has his condescension yielded to, for those that are so low and mean, despicable and unworthy!

As we learn apologetics and theology, it’s easy to start looking down on others—criticizing sermons, feeling contemptuous toward non-believers, becoming impatient with fellow Christians who aren’t as knowledgeable, avoiding those we think to be “beneath” us, etc. But we see in Jesus, the very sovereign Lord of the universe, an unexpected and entirely different image of who we’re supposed to be as His followers and representatives, and it’s so beautiful, I can’t look away.

Second Corinthians 3:18 says we’re changed when we look at Christ as Edwards does above: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” May we all learn to humbly love and serve others with our apologetics knowledge by looking at Him!