The Career of the Logos (original) (raw)

The Story of Israel's God taking on human flesh, humbling himself to the point of death for the sake of our redemption, and then rising again to exalted glory is the very center of Christianity. It is also a Story deeply personal to every follower of Jesus Christ defining the manner and purpose of the Christian life. The more deeply we understand the different phases of this incarnation Story, the more deeply we will understand its call and empowerment for our lives. This essay will sketch the four-phased " career " of the Logos who took on human flesh: Phase One—immortal pre-existence as a person of the Triune Godhead; Phase Two—mortal existence as the God-man Jesus of Nazareth; Phase Three—resurrection immortality of Jesus Christ; and Phase Four—exalted God-man ascended to the right hand of the Father. A second section will consider the implications of the incarnation Story for the life and faith of every believer of Jesus Christ. This section will offer insights from the Career of the Logos for a sharper picture of the Christian's own transformation through suffering and a full humanity that is defined by the Trinity's love and the empowerment of the Spirit in our life and work. Christian theologian and missionary, Lesslie Newbigin, once noted the importance of a Master Story for one's life saying, " The way we understand human life depends on what conception we have of the human story. " 1 He suggests further that whether we realize it or not we are deeply defined by what story our life is a part.2 Our " Master Story " informs all we do answering for us why we are here, what we should pursue and reject, what is " good " or not, where we came from and where we are going. For the follower of Jesus Christ, of course, it is the Scripture that tells our Story, but more specifically, the Story Scripture tells is about Jesus Christ.3 Paul himself says that it is the incarnation of the God of Israel that framed the Master Story for his own life. In his letter to the Philippian church, the Story of his God coming to earth and " taking the form of a bond servant, " humbling himself to the point of death on a cross, and then again returning to exalted status defined his own life (Phil. 2:5 – 11). 4 In this Story Paul found his own identity, mission, calling, and ethics, his understanding of Christ and God Himself, and even the course of world history. In this essay I will examine briefly the four phases of the Incarnation's Master Story and the implications they bring for the Christian life. For as it was with Paul, this Story defines all of God's people, and as we shall see, awareness of its movements will provide a frame for our own reading of Scripture and life as followers of Jesus Christ. The Incarnation Story moves in four parts: 1) Pre-existence of the Logos, or Son; 2) Taking on mortal human flesh; 3) resurrection to immortality; and finally 4) ascension to an exalted state. Of course, the entire New Testament traces this Master Story in its account of how Israel's God fulfilled the New Covenant in the person of Jesus Christ.5 But it is all too easy to confuse the phases and miss a true humanity that is the model for our own. Questions of application quickly dot the horizon.