Interviews: April 2007 Archives

I had the privilege of teaching a class on the book of Hebrews last semester. Two things struck me as I taught the class: first, the writer's unmatched concentrated focus on the doctrine of Christ's continuing incarnation and, second, the contemporary church's most unfortunate neglect of that doctrine. If the continuing incarnation of Jesus is a doctrine that you have not spent much time thinking about, let me encourage you to do two things. First, consider purchasing Gerrit Scott Dawson's book Jesus Ascended: The Meaning of Christ's Continuing Incarnation. It will take you to that neglected treasure chest, open it up, and begin showing you some of the immense wealth it contains. Second (you should probably do this first), read Justin Buzzard's interview with Gerrit about this subject. It's a must read. Here's an excerpt. Gerrit writes:

Losing the ascension cuts us off from the present work of Christ as our priest and intercessor. It cuts us off from the power of our hope—that one day our feeble bodies will be like his glorious body. It cuts us off from the downward pressure of the imminent return of Jesus—the same Jesus who ascended will return as judge and king. When I forget that, I can lose hope in the future or I can think that my actions have no ultimate consequences, or that what we do in this world or to this earth is not really important.