The Christ of God.
The Reverend John Bombaro, a missionary of the Missouri Synod is the Assistant Director of Theological Education at the Luther Academy, Riga, Latvia, has written an article entitled Christ-centered’ Isn’t Good Enough.
To openly challenge the employment of such terms as “Christ-centered:” as in Christ-centered preaching”, “Christ-centered worship”, “Christ-centered teaching”, “Christ-centered ministry”, as well as “gospel centered” by saying these terms are not good enough voices a concern of mine.
In many ways these are the buzzwords used to impress and when asked to defend will be met with a plethora of answers. The point is that Jesus isn’t someone we promote; that’s not good enough. In fact, when we do so, we get in the way. True we are at liberty to speak of Jesus but as a result Christianity then becomes a smorgasbord theology from the bottom up, no matter how “Bible –centered” preaching, teaching, and worship we may so attest to.
Dr. Bombaro says there is a better way which has been known to the church. “It was championed by the likes of Saint Paul in Ephesus, Leo the Great at Chalcedon, St Anselm in Canterbury, and Martin Luther in Heidelberg and needs to be reasserted.”
Bombaro quotes Luke 24:25-27
He said to them, “How foolish you are,
and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them
what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
He again quotes from Luke 24:44-47
He said to them,
“This is what I told you while I was still with you:
Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me
in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Then he opened their minds so they could understand
the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written:
The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the
third day,and repentance for the forgiveness of sins
will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem.
Bombaro is telling us that Jesus is not saying that He is the center of the Scripture, thus the “center” of theology or preaching or worship. Jesus is rather saying that He as the Christ of God, the very Word of God incarnate, determines our interpretation of Scripture. The Christ of God determines redemption and preaching and sacraments and thus the ministry of the holy liturgy.
This means that the Christ of God determines theology and each and every branch of theology and liturgical expression, along with Christian living. Individuals do not determine this, the Christ of God does. With this is mind every aspect of creation, the fall, the promises of redemption, the role of the Prophets, the role of Israel, and Kings culminate in the Christ of God—the Son of God, the Son of Mary.
The Scriptures clarify this by saying You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. John 5:39
Even our confession of faith in “the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church is the activity of the Christ of God. It is only Jesus the Son that can justify, sanctify and glorify the Holy Christian church on earth in communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
It is through this Christology that the doctrine of the sacraments are effective. This was never decided by Augustine, Aquinas, Zwingli, Calvin or Luther. The Christ of God brings the Holy Spirit and fellowship with the Father as a gift that we receive in Holy Baptism along with Word and Sacrament through Himself.
