Leading Upward from Below

Just hanging out with lots of folk in Rome. Notice
the inscription to Agrippa. To declare "Jesus is Lord"
was a dangerous thing!

Scripture:

Romans 1:³ the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴ and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Observation:

These two verses may have made up an early church creed that helps to explain that Jesus is the Son of God. It is quite a profound declaration. The source of the good news may be in God, but the content of the good news is what we learn regarding the Son. Recognizing that his audience is both Jew and Gentile, this simple creed bears the marks of both. 

The good news for us all is about Jesus, the Son. To place him within the line of David is important, and note that he says “according to the flesh.” Right from the beginning Paul is laying out for us the formula of Christ’s nature, both human and divine. He is in the line of David, therefore, he is in line to be the promised Messiah. At the same time, his divine nature is revealed because he is declared to be the Son of God. This was the point that the scribes and Pharisees always struggled with — and wanted to declare Jesus to be a blasphemer. They did not want to accept his divinity, and now, Paul unashamedly declares that Jesus is the Son of God. 

Not only is Jesus the Son of God, but he is also infused with power. This power is the result of participation in the divine nature, for at the core of our Triune God we find holy love. This is the holiness of God, and according to the spirit of holiness, Christ was resurrected from the dead. The divine nature and accompanying divine power is revealed for all of humanity in Christ’s resurrection. This is the ushering in of a new era for both Christ and for humanity, for this is the season of resurrection. Through Christ’s resurrection the spirit of holiness is unleashed for all of humanity. 

As a result, Paul declares “Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is an early confession that “Jesus is Lord.” To declare this in Rome would become worthy of martyrdom for only the Emperor was to be called Lord. 

Application:

I have to confess that I always enjoy reading the words of John Chrysostom. This church leader from the 4th and 5th centuries is remembered as “the Golden Tongue” and his liturgies are still used in the Eastern churches today. Here’s what he had to say on this passage:

Paul is here hinting that there is also a generation of Christ according to the Spirit. Why then did he begin from the flesh, and not from the higher principle? First, it was because that was where Matthew, Luke and Mark started from too. Anyone who wants to lead men by hand to heaven must lead them upward from below. This was the way the actual dispensation [of grace] was ordered. First, they saw Christ as a man on earth, and then later they understood that he is God. His disciple therefore followed the same order in which Christ himself had framed his teaching. Thus the generation according to the flesh comes first, not because it was first in actual fact but because he was leading his hearers upward from one thing to the other (HOMILIES ON ROMANS 1).

I’m hung up on the one phrase: “Anyone who wants to lead men by hand to heaven must lead them upward from below.” As Paul lays out this simple early creed, he’s also revealing to us a pattern for the life of discipleship. Recently I had the opportunity to talk to some of our church leaders who are re-imagining ministry in the urban core. They noted that the entry point for people into the church is no longer an invitation to a Sunday school class, or to come and hear a preacher. There is no entry point from “above” — but the entry point must be from below. That means that we need to follow the example of Christ, who became like us, so that we could become like him. But what does that mean for our friends and neighbors? 

I’ve heard many folks tell me that they don’t know how to lead anyone to Christ. Usually it’s because they’re worried about what words to say. I think what Chrysostom is telling us is that the way to Christ is not through lofty words, but by shoulder to shoulder action. We have to get into the trenches and join in with life where people are living. Only by developing these kinds of relationships will we ever have the opportunity to point them toward the upward call. 

The great reminder is that we don’t do this work on our own, but through the power of the Spirit of Holiness. The deeper we go in our relationship with the Lord, the more we experience his Divine power. It is Divine power that lifts people up from where they are into the experience of knowing Christ. We are to serve as guides along the way, helping to lead others in the journey that we, ourselves, have experienced. 

In the midst of all that we are doing in service with the Lord, we are to declare that Jesus is our Lord. There is no other kingdom that ought to define our lives or demand authority. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah. Therefore, I can participate in the mission, leading upward from below. 

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes to see the needs of others around me and help me to know how to live shoulder to shoulder, while leading upward. Amen.