Below is the entirety of my notes from reading The Root & Branch by Joseph A. Pipa Jr.

I took notes, so you don't have to.

I read the book, so you can get to action.

As much for myself, as it is for you.

From paper to tech - all for you.

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Quotes Throughout the Book to Keep Top of Mind:
• Notes:
• Chapter 1 - The Root and Branch of David:
• Chapter 2 - What’s in a Name?:
• Chapter 3 - The Irrepressible Glory:
• Chapter 4 - Man or Phantom?:
• Chapter 5 - The Virgin’s Son:
• Chapter 6 - Mysterious Union:
• Chapter 7 - Christ the Word:
• Chapter 8 - The Great High Priest:
• Chapter 9 - Behold the Lamb of God:
• Chapter 10 - The Great King:
• Chapter 11 - A Morality Play:
• Chapter 12 - The Coronation:
• Chapter 13 - The End!:

Quotes Throughout the Book to Keep Top of Mind:

• Pg. 8 - “What reason did I have to think that God would really accept me?” (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 8 - “Then the Holy Spirit caused me to remember the perfect righteousness that God had given me on the basis of Christ’s active obedience.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 8 - “But I remembered the testimony of the Bible - both the Old Testament and New Testament - about who Christ is and what he has done. At last my fears subsided.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 9 - “Their longing was not merely a pious [meaning devoutly religious] hope, but rather a conviction that the time was at hand for the coming of the Savior.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. unknown - “When God says to Satan, ‘He [the seed] shall bruise you [Satan] on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel’…. God is promising to provide a deliverer who will defeat Satan but in doing so will himself suffer.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. unknown - “’Angel’ = messenger.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 20 - “There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory.“ (Doctrine of the Trinity by Westminister Shorter Catechism)
• Pg. 23 - “As a person immerses himself / herself in his / her Bible, he develops a spiritual sixth sense.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. unknown - “When Jesus claims equal knowledge with the Father, he is claiming omniscience.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. unknown - “Jesus is no counterfeited copy, he is the all-knowing God.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 29 - “As Creator, Jesus rules and sustains all things.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 29 - “The one who gives birth to the child is its mother. The one who gives birth to the creation is God.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 31 - “Jesus claims the authority to both raise the dead on the last day, and exercise his rights as supreme and sovereign judge over them.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 31 - “To worship anyone but God was a sin worthy of death.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 34 - “Apart from belief and trust in the divine savior, there is no salvation.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 37 - “No man can see the essential Glory of God and live.“ (Exodus 33:20)
• Pg. 37 - “Just as we cannot look fully into the sun, so we cannot look at God.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 37 - “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the Spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.“ (1 John 4:2-3)
• Pg. 38 - “Incarnation = ‘in the flesh’.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 47 - “The great difficulty of the Christian faith is the incarnation.” (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 47 - “Incarnation = ‘virgin birth/virgin conception’.” (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 39 - “Without Jesus humanity we couldn’t be saved.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 39 - “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.“ (1 Timothy 1:5)
• Pg. 40 - “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.“ (Acts 17:31)
• Pg. 40 - “Men of Israel, listen, to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs.“ (Acts 2:22)
• Pg. 40 - “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.“ (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
• Pg. 40 - “The first Adam begot sin and death; the last Adam begot resurrection and life.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. unknown - “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s Grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to many!“ (Romans 5:15)
• Pg. unknown - “And there was no illusion or deception in this: the baby of the Son of God was a reality…… The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 41 - “However, the fall of Adam in no way erased the demand of the covenant - perfect obedience - or the penalty of the covenant - death to covenant breakers. If a person were to have life, if he were to be right with God, he would have to obey God perfectly. If he did not, he would have to pay the penalty for his disobedience: death. All are born under this twofold obligation.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 41 - “Apostles delighted in Jesus humanity because ‘he did for the elect race what Adam had failed to do: he obeyed the law perfectly, and on behalf of his people.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 41 - “As Boaz became kinsman to pay off Naomi and Ruth’s debts and restore inheritance, so Jesus had to be our kinsman.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 42 - “The Roman Catholic Church has a distant Jesus.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 42 - “We need no man or woman to pave our way to Jesus. He is a man eminently qualified to help us.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 42/43 - “As the Word made flesh, he both reveals the perfection of God’s attributes and personifies human holiness. He is what Adam would’ve become had he not sinned.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 50 - “Perfection in a human being does not rule out development. God’s infinite perfection is unchangeable, but growth and development are part of human nature.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 58 - “The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 63 - “In Christ, each nature retains its own properties unchanged.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 67 - “He shows and tells who God is and what God thinks. In other words, he is God’s prophet.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr. talking about Jesus)
• Pg. 77 - “We cannot come into God’s presence without a priest.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr. talking about Jesus)
• Pg. 77 - “Earthly priests are evidence of the need we all have for an intercessor, a mediator between us and God.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr. talking about Jesus)
• Pg. 83 - “But our high priest sat down because his work is finished. He sits down forever at the right hand of God on behalf of his people.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 87 - “As the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ fulfilled all the animal sacrifices.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 89 - “The substitute for a human being had to be himself a man. It was for this reason the Son of God became a man.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 89 - “We are in Christ by the covenant.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 93 - “Jesus Christ fulfilled the OT sacrifices by suffering the wrath of God in our place.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. unknown - “Messiah = ‘anointed one’.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. unknown - “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.“ (Matthew 4:17)
• Pg. unknown - “I have a testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.“ (John 5:36)
• Pg. 100 - “Christ had an authority over all things, physical and spirtual.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. unknown - “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples….“ (Matthew 28:18)
• Pg. 102 - “Christ converts enemies into sons and friends.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 103 - “How do we follow him? We follow him by obeying his Word.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 107 - “He taught the disciples that rather than arguing over who was greatest, they ought to be concerned about serving each other.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 108 - “As our Savior, he is prophet, priest, and king.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 109 - “His humiliation ‘consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 110 - “We need to appreciate the wonderful self-humiliation of Jesus Christ in becoming a man. The very act of birth was absolutely humbling.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 115 - “We are to forgive, for love covers a multitude of sins.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 118 - “Before he could mount up to the glory on high, he had to suffer as the Lamb for the redemption of his people.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 118 - “When God raised his Son from the dead he declared his victory over his enemies.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 125 - “His divine glory was veiled in his humiliation. In his exaltation, nothing new was added to him as the eternal Son of God.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 130 - “The Jews spoke of the ‘former age’ and the ‘the last age’ or ‘the last days.’ The former age was the time before the Messiah, the last days the age of the Messiah — the eta of the New Testament church.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)
• Pg. 136 - “We must be faithful and not negligent or lethargic in the responsibilities he has given to us.“ (Joseph A. Pipa Jr.)

Notes:

Chapter 1 - The Root and Branch of David:

• Simeon → God had revealed to him that he would not die before he saw the Messiah (Luke 2:26) - as were others (Luke 2:38)
• joined by Anna in this

• The Person of the Messiah:
• 2 titles to describe him =
1. [Isaiah 11:1] “the shoot and Branch of Jesse”
2. [Revelation 22:16] “The Root of David”
• This may seem contradictory, yet it is further validation that Jesus is both God and Man

The promise is made more specific as the line goes on —

• Messiah
• David
• Judah
• Jacob
• Isaac
• Abraham
• Shem
• Seth
• Adam + Eve

THE BRANCH

• “Branch of Jesse” → meaning descendant of David

• unrighteous line is from Cain (offspring of a serpent)
• righteous line is Seth (offspring of a woman)

Genesis 3:15 - DEEP POINT

• ** “When God says to Satan, ‘He [the seed] shall bruise you [Satan] on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel’…. God is promising to provide a deliverer who will defeat Satan but in doing so will himself suffer.”

• Deathbed words of Jacob
• Rule of God shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes (Gen 49:8-10)
• Shiloh = “prince of peace”
• Jacob → Judah → David → Messiah
• Solomon, through whom God created a dynasty for David
• Solomon, Shiloh, built a house for the Lord, HOWEVER, the true Shiloh, the Messiah, would establish a true, living house of the Lord God

THE ROOT

• Jesus is from the line of David after him, BUT also His Creator —

This stumped the Jews (i.e. Matthew 22:41-46)

Psalm 110:1 too
• Adonai (Lord) Elohim Jireh; Jehovah Lord of Lords King of Kings Host of Hosts Immanuel Yahweh Lord Anointed Savior Jesus of Nazareth

• “angel” - messenger
• Part of the God head
• What is the relationship between the Angel of the Lord and the Messiah?
• Malachi 3:1 !

Ch. 1 Review Questions (pg. 15)

1. What does it mean that the Messiah was the branch of Jesse?
1. Isaiah 11:1; Revelation 22:16; Jeremiah 23:5; Romans 1:3; Matthew 1:1; and more
2. Jesse was King David’s Father. Thus and as Isaiah 11:1 talks about, the shoot was the opportunity for the Branch from and of David to be born from and “bear fruit from the old root.”
2. Trace the Messiah’s family tree as it is revealed in the Old Testament.
1. Use these for guidance here - Genesis 4:25; Genesis 16:7-14; Judges 13:1-23; Malachi 3:1; Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7
2. Adam/Eve → Cain/Abel → Enoch → Irad → Mehujael → Methusael → Lamecly → Seth → Enoch → Renan → Mahalalel → Jared → Noah → Shem → Ham + Japeth too → ancestors of Eber → Araphaxad → Shelah → Eber → Peleg → Ren → Serug → Nahor → Terah → Abram → Nahor + Haran too → Ishmael → Isaac → Jacob → Judah → Jesse → David → Messiah from this line
3. Adam + Eve… Cain+ Abel… Seth - 1st branch… Shem - 2nd branch… Ham’s sin → God cursed Canaan and blessed Shem - Shem to be father of Messianic people; Messiah (Jesus) to come from Shemites… Abraham - 3rd branch… Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - descendant of Shem… Judah - 4th branch (tribe of Judah will be the ruling family)… David - 5th branch
3. What does it mean that the Messiah was the Root of David?
1. [see answer to question #1 for more too]
2. The Messiah being the Root of David means that he was Lord over all ancestors leading to Jacob and beyond him - See the following for more detail too =
1. Genesis 16:7-14 Judges 13:1-23 Malachi 3:1 Psalm 110:1 Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 9:6-7
4. Demonstrate that the Angel of the Lord is God…..
1. The “Angel” in this context means the “messenger”. The message of this specific message is God. But the messengers in this dialogue are John the Baptist for Jesus from the “messenger of the covenant”. As goes and shows in Malachi 3:1, “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me…”; “Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple….” The messengers in this case are John the Baptist and Jesus. John the Baptist and Malachi prepared the way for Jesus.
5. Give some Old Testament passages that prove the deity of the Messiah.
1. [see further notes in the “ROOT” section below for the names of the Lord in showing his deity. Find text with those words to back such claims and answer this question!]
6. According to the Old Testament, when was the Messiah to come?
1. As pg. 12 goes, “The next major subdivision of the family tree is revealed in the deathbed words of Jacob, in Egypt. He predicts that the rule of God shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes (Genesis 49:8-10). Shiloh means “the prince of peace” and is a title of the Messiah. The tribe of Judah is to be the descending/ruling family and the Messiah would descend from it.”

Ch. 1 Discussion Questions (pg. 16)

1. What is your reaction to discovering that the Old Testament says so much about the Savior?
1. It’s absolutely incredible, and to know such truths to know Jesus more…. wow!
2. Were any of the OT prophecies that were covered in the lesson not fulfilled in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ?
1. No. God keeps all his promises.
3. Using the lesson material, prepare a presentation that would seek to prove to a Jew that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah
4. How important is the OT to Christians?
1. Without it, there is no history to show the falling and falling short of man. Without it, there is no Word to show the ancestoral line leading to the Messiah. Without it, this book wouldn’t exist.

Chapter 2 - What’s in a Name?:

• Arius (319 A.D) = taught that the Son of God could not be coeternal with the Father, BUT…
• Athanasius (325 A.D) = adopted a creed for the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

• 4 Trademarks of the Bible for God
1. Divine Names + Titles
2. Divine Attributes
3. Divine Works
4. Divine Worship

• NT (New Testament) Direct Evidence
1. Divine Names + Titles
1. God
1. Jesus educating the Jews again (John 10:34-35)
1. Names are important to God, which is why even Jesus gave Simeon the name “Peter” for “rock”
2. See above notes for some of God’s many titles
3. Jesus Christ <> God
4. John 1:1, John is describing JC (John 1:14) as with God and was God
1. Was and is God
2. Plurality of the Godhead
5. ** “There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory.” (doctrine of the Trinity by Westminister Shorter Catechism) **
6. OT (Old Testament) revelation of the Angel of the Lord
1. (One from the Lord who is the Lord) (pg. 20)
2. (One alongside God who is God) (pg. 20)
1. mystery solved by the NT revelation of the person of Jesus Christ
7. Romans 9:5 - Jesus Christ is God over all
8. Titus 2:13
2. Lord
1. Exodus 3:14
1. God to Mosees
2. “I Am Who I Am”
3. “Lord” → “Jehovah”, “Yahweh”
2. John 20:28
1. Thomas - “my Lord and my God”
3. Greek word “Lord” = “Kurios”
1. used in the Septuagint and translated to Jehovah
4. Title “Lord” is given to Jesus Christ - Phil 2:6-11
3. Son of God
1. John 3:16 - Jesus as the unique Son of God
2. Same w/ Romans 8:3 and Galatians 4:4
• NT (New Testament) Indirect Evidence
• ** “As a person immerses himself/herself in his/her Bible, he/she develops a spiritual sixth sense.” ** (pg. 23)
• Hebrews 1:10-12 <> Psalms 102:25-27
• Romans 14:11 + Phil 2:10 <> Isaiah 45:21
• John 12:41
• Isaiah prophesied on the Jews hard hearts <> Isaiah 6:10

Ch. 2 Review Questions (pg. 25)

1. What are the 4 trademarks that distinguish the true God from false God’s?
1. Names + Titles
2. Attributes
3. Work
4. Worship
5. Judgement
2. What 3 divine names do NT writers give to Jesus?
1. God, Lord, Son of God
3. What 2 things does John teach in John 1:1 about Jesus Christ and the Godhead?
1. That: Jesus, being the Word,
1. was and is God
2. shows the plurality of the Godhead
4. List some of the NT references that apply the name of God to Jesus Christ
1. John 1:1, 14
2. Romans 9:5
3. Titus 2:13
4. John 3:16
5. Romans 8:3
6. Galatians 4:4
7. Phil 2:6-11
5. Where did the title Lord originate?
1. Exodus 3:14 with Moses?
2. John 20:28 with Thomas?
6. List some of the NT passages that give the title Lord to Jesus Christ
1. (see question and answer to #4)
7. List some of the indirect references to the deity of Jesus Christ
1. Hebrews 10, 12 <> Psalms 102:25-27
2. Romans 14:11 <> Phil 2:10 <> Isaiah 45:21

Ch. 2 Discussion Questions (pg. 26)

1. Why is it important that a person believe in the full deity of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior?
1. Just believing in Jesus as Savior is not good enough. Just believing in Him as Lord does the same. But knowing Jesus as both Lord and Savior is exactly “the root and branch” and shows full diety-ness over everything.”
2. What do you think the Nicene Creed means when it says that the Lord Jesus Christ is “the Son of God, begotten of the Father as only begotten, that is from the essence of the Father”?
1. He [Jesus Christ] is begotten of God the Father, but only from the essence of the Father.
1. Begotten definitions =
1. Bring a child into existence by the process of reproduction
2. Give rise to; bring about
2. Essence definition =
1. a property or group of properities of something without which it would not exist or be what it is
2. ** God can’t come to earth in His fullness, thus Jesus as Lord (and Savior) comes as 100% God and 100% man, but and making it, only in essence **
3. Do a role play between a Christian and a Jehovah’s witness, using John 1:1 and indirect references to prove the deity of Jesus Christ.
4. The Larger Catechism, Q/A 109, says that the 2nd commandment forbids “the making of any representation of God, of all or of any of the 3 persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any king of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever. “Should we then use pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ in educational materials”?
1. It could be done for visual teaching, yet should not [the image itself] be idolized upon. So, actually, no. To answer the question, no.

Chapter 3 - The Irrepressible Glory:

• 4 Trademarks of the Bible for God (continued)
2. Divine Attributes
1. eternity
2. immutability
3. omniscience

• Eternity
• “Only God has no beginning and no end.”
• John 1:1 = “In the beginning….”
• Isaiah 44:6
• Immutability
• Unchangeableness
• Hebrews 1:11-12 Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever
• Omniscience
• Psalms 139
• God knows everything - our hearts and what we will always do
• 1 Kings 8:39
• “When Jesus claims equal knowledge with the Father, he is claiming omniscience.” (pg. 29)
• “Jesus is no counterfeited copy, he is the all-knowing God.” (pg. 29)

• pg. 30, paragraph 4, is key! **

Chapter 4 - Man or Phantom?:

• Polycard - disciple of Apostle John
• Story of John leaving public baths at Ephesus when he heard the false teacher, Cerintus, entered
• How could God show himself to man on earth?? We would die such a thing occured.
• “No man can see the essential Glory of God and live.” (pg. 37) (Exodus 33:20)
• “Just as we cannot look fully into the sun, so we cannot look at God.” (pg. 37)
• pg. 37 is fire (pun intended!)
• Isaiah 9:16
• Mighty God
• Everlasting Father
• Prince of Peace
• Wonderful Counselor

• “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every Spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the Spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” (1 John 4:2, 3)

• Incarnation = “in the flesh”
• used to summarize the great truth that God became man

• “without Jesus humanity we couldn’t be saved.” (pg. 39)

• “the man Jesus Christ”
• “for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:5) → Apostle Paul
• “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all man by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31) → Apostle Paul
• “Man of Israel, listen, to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs.” (Acts 2:22) → Apostle Peter

• First, Adam - Adam; last Adam - Christ
• “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

• “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s Grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to many!” (Romans 5:15)

• “However, the fall of Adam in no way erased the demand of the covenant — perfect obedience — or the penalty of the covenant — death to covenant breakers. If a person were to have life, if he were to be right with God, he would have to obey God perfectly. If he did not, he would have to pay the penalty for his disobedience: death. All are born under this twofold obligation.” (pg. 41)

• Apostles delighted in Jesus humanity because “he did for the elect race what Adam had failed to do: he obeyed the law perfectly, and on behalf of his people.” (pg. 41)
• As Boaz became kinsman to pay off Naomi and Ruth’s debts and restore inheritance, “so Jesus had to be our kinsman.”

• Paul exalts in the humanity of the Savior, “who gave himself as a ransom for all men.” (1 Timothy 2:6)
• Hebrews 2:14, 15
• “The Roman Catholic Church has a distant Jesus.” (pg. 42)
• “We need no man or woman to pave our way to Jesus. He is a man eminently qualified to help us.” (pg. 42)
• ** Hebrews 2:17, 18; 4:15 summarizes it perfectly **

• “As the Word made flesh, he both reveals the perfection of God’s attributes and personifies human holiness. He is what Adam would’ve become had he not sinned.” (pg. 42/43)
• ** 1 Peter 2:21-23 **
• “Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
• ** Phil 4:13; Hebrews 12:2 **

Ch. 4 Review Questions (pg. 44)

1. What does the doctrine of incarnation teach?
1. Incarnation means “in the flesh” and is used to summarize the great truth that God became man.
2. Why was Jesus humanity important to the Apostles?
1. — pg. 41 too — He did what Adam couldn’t and walked in perfect obedience
2. Because without Jesus humanity, we can’t be saved. It proves the main point in what they’re and also points to judgement day
3. Why does Paul refer to Jesus as the last Adam?
1. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
2. Because He is. As all die because of Adam, all can live in Christ. No one can walk a perfect life new - like an “Adam/Garden of Eden before the fall-esk.” Only Christ.
4. What did Jesus fulfill as the last Adam?
1. “He obeyed the law perfectly and on behalf of his people.”
5. What other benefits derived from his humanity?
1. Conquering death experiencing temptation of all kind

Ch. 4 Discussion Questions (pg. 45)

1. Covenant theology teaches that God has always related to his people by a covenant. Discuss how Jesus related to the first Covenant with Adam and what he did for us in that capacity.
2. Compare Leviticus 25:23-25 and Ruth 4:1-17 and discuss how Boaz’s transaction is a picture of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Many of us have not given much thought to the humanity of Jesus. Discuss some practical solutions in which the reality of Jesus’ humanity would be very helpful.
1. His humanity helps us see our weakness and relate to Him to depend on Him for strength.
4. The children’s Christmas hym, “Away in the Manger”, says of baby Jesus, “No crying he makes.” If Jesus were really a man, he would have cried as a baby when he was hungry or needed his diaper changed?
1. He doesn’t complain.

Chapter 5 - The Virgin’s Son:

• Lord, not Savior → incarnation is not digestible
• Savior, not Lord → resurrection is not digestible

• “the great difficulty of the Christian faith is the incarnation.”
• ^ I also think the resurrection is hard for some to believe to
• Incarnation = accomplished through the virgin birth / virgin conception

• The angels message to Mary =
1. Mary is to have a son
2. This son is to be conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit without a human father
3. The one born of Mary was to be a Son of God

The Extent of Jesus Human Nature

1. A True Body
• Jesus Christ went “through the process of growth and development” just like we all do
• Jesus being tired = John 4:6, 7; John 19:28
• Suffered the greatest human frailty = death
• John 19:30
• Mark 15:44, 45
2. A Reasonable Soul
• He willingly died for sinners, yet literally died because he had to
• Human = Matthew 26:38; Luke 2:40, 52
• ** Perfect and eternal are different **
• “Perfection in a human being does not rule out development (different today than at 5 years old). God’s infinite perfection is unchangeable, but growth and development are part of human nature.”
• HOWEVER, it must be said that Jesus was sinless and born without original sin
• Jesus did not sin, nor could He, yet he was aware of all these things
• ** “Jesus developed in His capacity to obey.”
• Shown in Hebrews 5:8-9

Necessity of the Virgin Birth

1. Fulfillment of OT prophecy
• Messianic prophecy because Messiah was to be born of a virgin
2. Necessary so Messiah could be the Son of God and Son of David at the same time
• legally is the heir to the throne → through Joseph [Book of Matthew]
• physically is the heir to the throne and descendant of David through his mother, Virgin Mary
3. Necessity for the Savior to be sinless

Ch. 5 Review Questions (pg. 54)

1. What 3 things do we learn from the angel’s announcement to Mary?
1. Mary is to have a son
2. This son is to be conceived by the power of the HS (Holy Spirit) without a human father
3. The one born of Mary was to be the son of God
1. Docetism
1. Greek = “to seem”; “to appear”
2. They believed matter was evil and Spirit was good
2. Review what the Bible says about Jesus’ physical characteristics.
1. Yes.
3. Review what the Bible says about Jesus’ spiritual emotional characteristics.
1. Yes.
4. What does the doctrine of the impeccability of Christ teach?
1. Jesus is 100% man and God
5. How can Jesus be tempted as we are, if he was incapable of sinning?
1. “He is what Adam would’ve become had he not sinned.”
2. Just because Jesus is incapable of sinning while he was on earth, doesn’t mean he couldn’t be tempted. His being 100% man, and yes 100% God, makes the case for that.
3. “The first Adam begot sin and death; the last Adam begot resurrection and life.” (pg. 40)
6. Give 3 reasons why the virgin conception is important and necessary.
1. Fulfillment of OT prophecy
2. Son of God + Son of David dualy
3. For the Savior to be sinless / born without sin too

Ch. 5 Discussion Questions (pg. 55)

1. Do you agree with Packer’s assessment of the incarnation? Why is this so staggering?
1. “And there was no illusion or deception in this: the baby of the Son of God was a reality…. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets.”
2. Do you think a person can be a Christian and not accept the virgin birth?
1. No. Impossible.

Chapter 6 - Mysterious Union:

• Appendix B - pg. 140
• derived from the meeting of 600 bishops at the coast of the Bosporus at the city of Chalcedon in AD 51 — largest church council yet to be assembled
• Council of Chalcedon met to address the issues grown from the Arian controversy
• Arian controversy —
• derived that Jesus was the same in substance, equal in power and glory with the Father
• this issue was of course directly settled @ the Council of Nicea
• ** The early church was like Republicans and Democrats; existing but not able to work together; the council of Chalcedon helped mend that and explain the mysterious union (pg. 58)
• ** “The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ”

• 2 distinct persons
• Godhead (divine)
• manhood (human)
• Jesus is one person with one personality, yet has 2 natures
• God is 1 person =
1. Father, Son, + Holy Spirit
• Matthew 3:16, 17
• Queen Elizabeth ex =
• She is a queen, mother, and wife
• “As queen she doesn’t speak to the mother or as wife to the queen.”
• Same with Jesus Christ (pg. 60)
2. “Queen Elizabeth”, “Jesus Christ” our Lord
• (one name + title)
3. “God who purchased the church with his blood” (Paul on Jesus Christ)
• (divine attributes + actions)

• water, liquid, ice <> human nature, divine nature

• Hersies with those against the Mysterious Union =
• Appolinarianism
• Nestorianism
• Eutychianism
• Monothelilism

• “In Christ, each nature retains its own properties unchanged.” (pg. 63)
• “Inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion.” → He is not 1/3 man; 2/3 divine
• 100% man
• 100% God
• Jesus spoke in human ways because He experienced that (”I am hungry”) and divine ways because He is that (”I forgive your sins”)

Ch. 6 Review Questions (pg. 66)

1. What two great truth’s about the Lord Jesus Christ are taught in the Shorter Catechism Q/A 21?
1. Our savior is Lord (Jehovah) and man fully (Jesus)
1. Good Friday = Atonement
2. Easter = Resurrection
3. Christmas = Incarnation
2. What do we mean when we say that Jesus Christ is one person?
1. That He is, in fully man form, although still Jehovah and fully Lord in this context too, 1 person with one personality, yet has 2 natures; Jesus is a “person” alongside the other two, God the Father and the Holy Spirit, to then make one Being together
3. Give the reason to why we believe that the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is one person.
1. God man is 1 person
1. Father, Son, HS as distinct = Matthew 3:16-17
2. One name + one title
3. Jesus spoke in human ways because He experienced that and divine ways because He is that
4. What does it mean that Jesus had two natures?
1. Same answer as the one given for #3 (above)
5. What does the Westminister Confession of Faith, 8:2 tell us about the union of the two natures and the one person?
1. Mediator
2. Hypostatical or personal union
1. Pg. 64 + 65
6. List and describe the errors in the early church over the union of the natures in the one person
1. ** Arian controversy = believed JC was not equal to the Father **
2. ** Christ’s deity understanding ** (Docetists)
3. ** Apollinarianism **
4. ** Nestorianism **
5. ** Eutychianism **
6. ** Monothelitism **
7. What do we call this doctrine? Why is it important to insist on this doctrine?
1. The Chalcedonian Formula → because it is true!

Ch. 6 Discussion Questions (pg. 66)

1. The Church developed the orthodox doctrine of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ as it had to deal with error. What do you think?
1. Great idea.
2. What is the role of the church in understanding the Bible? How important is a knowledge of church history to a 20th century Christian?
1. It’s critical - as to see where we went astray in the past and to avoid that at all costs, as to not repent such errors.
3. Many cults offer divinity to those who accept their teaching. On the basis of the perfect work of Jesus Christ the God-man, what is the Christian’s hope in eternity?
1. Jesus Christ.
2. Eternal salvation through Him.

Chapter 7 - Christ the Word:

• Jesus of Nazareth
• Became man
• Spokesman for God
• “He shows and tells who God is and what God thinks. In other words, he is God’s prophet.”

• 3 Offices that Adam failed at =
1. Prophet (Deut 18:15)
2. Priest
3. King

• ** Prophetic Attributes = **
1. {Primary} “Prophet” → “to speak forth” / “to set forth”
2. {Secondary} Prediction

• 3 Aspects of this Office
1. Called by God
2. Spoke by God’s authority
3. Identified by the accuracy of His message

Ch. 7 Review Questions

1. What were the chief functions of the OT prophet?
1. See the section above titled “3 Aspects of this Office”
2. How did the preincarnate Christ exercise the office of prophet?
1. pg. 69
3. How did Jesus Christ perform the office of the prophet during his ministry on the earth?
1. By being the incarnate prophet (pg. 71)
4. How was Christ’s office of prophet fulfilled in the writing of the NT?
1. John 14:26
2. Through His disciples by the power of the Holy Spirit
5. How does the Lord Jesus Christ exercise His office of prophet today?
1. “By continuing to exercise His prophetic function in opening our minds to understand and remember his words.”
2. Through Scripture!
6. What is to be our response to Jesus Christ as prophet who speaks to us through the Bible?
1. TO LISTEN UP!
2. Hearing the Word in reading + preaching.

Ch. 7 Discussion Questions

1. Are Jesus’ words in the Gospel’s more authoritative than Paul’s letters? Defend your answer.
1. In a sense, yes → It’s Jesus and through Him, all derives.
2. In a sense, no [it’s the wrong question to ask] → all of the Bible is from Jesus “I AM”.
2. What wrong impression may one derive from red-letter editions of the NT?
1. They may prioritize one area over another, whereas all of Scripture is the word of God.
3. Why is preaching so important? How then should we listen to preaching?
1. When it is Biblical and Jesus focused, it is the life substance that keeps us going. We should attentively listen and with pen + paper in hand
4. If Jesus is the final revelation, how should we regard claims today of continuing revelation?
1. We should focus on Jesus and Scripture and not what people say.

Chapter 8 - The Great High Priest:

• Since man has been fallen, God had instituted sacrifices.
• “We cannot come into God’s presence without a priest.” (pg. 77)
• “Earthly priests are evidence of the need we all have for an intercessor, a mediator between us and God.” (pg. 77)

• Highest priest on earth:
• Melchizedek, King of Salem } meaning King of righteousness or peace King of city-state of Jerusalem

• Jethro (Moses father-in-law)
• Priest of Midian

• At Mt. Sinai, God established the Levitcal priesthood for the OT church in Exodus 28:1, Numbers 18:1-17

High Priest Qualifications:

• To be a man called by God
• To make sacrifices for the people
• To be a direct descendant of Aaron

2 Qualifications to be a Priest in the Order of Melchizedek:

1. Must be appointed by God directly
2. A priest in the order of Melchizedek must be a single individual, not one of a line of people

2 Important Tasks for a Priest =

1. To pray for his people
• He prayed for himself (Hebrews 5:7)
• He became one with us in order to help us through our weakness (Hebrews 4:15)
2. To offer sacrifices for their sins

• ** Hebrews 9:11-14 **

• (Jesus) He sat down when he came into priesthood
• “But our high priest sat down because his work is finished. He sits down forever at the right hand of God on behalf of his people.” (pg. 83)

Jesus - The True Intercessor

• His intercessory prayer is =
1. Judicial prayer
2. Sanctifying prayer
3. Mediatoral prayer

Ch. 8 Review Questions

1. Why does every person need a priest?
1. We need an intercessor, a mediator between us and God.
2. From what tribe did the priesthood come in the OT church?
1. Levitical (Levi) tribe, in which the establishment of priesthood came forth was for other priests, whereas the priesthood of the Messiah came from the tribe of Judah.
1. “the order of Melchizedek preceded the order of Aaron”.
3. How could the Messiah, who was to be free from the tribe of Judah, fulfill the role of priest?
1. The Incarnation / Virgin Birth.
2. Melchizedek was a “priest extraordinary” in that he was without father and mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life (this is what’s given to us in Scriptures).
4. Who was Melchizedek, and how was Christ a priest in the order of Melchizedek?
1. He was the highest priest on earth; at one point he was King of Salem, the city state of Jerusalem
5. What 2 priestly functions did Christ perform while on earth?
1. Praying for his people
2. To offer sacrifices for their sins
6. What is Christ doing now as our great high priest?
1. Seated at the right hand of God, interceding on our behalf

Ch. 8 Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Abel’s offering was accepted and Cain’s wasn’t?
1. Because, God decides all things
2. One of the great Reformed distinctive is the priesthood of believers. Discuss how the priesthood of Christ makes each of his people a high priest?
1. Because in Him, we are co-heirs and also reborn in Him. Since all originates from Jesus, in that way, for those who believe in Him, all is made new and a high priest.
3. How does a knowledge of Christ’s work as priest affect our praying and worshiping?
1. It points all of our prayer and worship to Him.

Chapter 9 - Behold the Lamb of God:

(might be one of the best chapters ever!)

• John announced, “Behold the Lamb of God who is to take away the sin of the world.”

• “As the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ fulfilled all the animal sacrifices.” (pg. 87)

• ** Hebrews 9:11-14 **
• Christ the =
1. Vicarious sacrifice
2. Sinless sacrifice
3. Propitiatory sacrifice

• Psalm 110 = David’s Messianic son would be a priest “in the order of Melchizedek”

• “vicarious” → “substitute”

• Leviticus 1:4 Isaiah 53:4-10 2 Corinthians 5:21

• “the substitute for a human being had to be a himself a man.”
• “It was for this reason the Son of God became a man.” (pg. 89)

• “in him”

• “we are in Christ by the covenant”
• “by conversion”

• active obedience → sinless portion
• passive obedience → propitiatory portion

• “the sacrificial victim could have no deformities; it had to be without blemish.”

• ** 1 Peter 1:19 Matthew 3:15 (Jesus fulfilling the law!) **

• The Holy Spirit working on behalf of Jesus for us all from Jesus, in that way, for those who believe in Him, all is made new and a high priest.

• ** Pg. 92 !!! **

• OT Offerings {offering} =
1. burnt
2. guilt
3. peace
4. sin
5. thank

• “Jesus Christ fulfilled the OT sacrifices by suffering the wrath of God in our place.” (pg. 93)

• ** Revelation 5:9 Romans 11:6 (by Grace) **

Ch. 9 Review Questions

1. What 3 aspects of OT sacrifices are pictures of Christ’s atoning work?
1. Vicarious
2. Sinless
3. Propitiatory
2. How is Christ a vicarious sacrifice?
1. “vicarious → substitute”
2. Also, the sub-form human being had to be himself a man
3. What aspect of Christ’s obedience teaches that he is sinless?
1. Active obedience.
4. What is meant by our union with Christ?
1. We are “in him” and “we are in Christ by the covenant” through this atonement and conversion of Jesus unto those who believe in Him.
5. What is meant by Christ’s passive obedience in his work as our sacrifice?
1. His “propitiatory” sacrifice, in that he willingly died and was looked at as a sinner and crucified even though he is the perfect person
6. For whom did Christ die? Give Biblical evidence to prove that Jesus Christ died for the sins of his elect people.
1. Romans 3:25; Romans 11:6; Revelations 5:9.

Ch. 9 Discussion Questions

1. What comfort is the active obedience of Jesus Christ to the Christian facing death?
1. We are right in Christ.
2. What does the concept of union with Christ teach us about election and relation of election to Christ’s atoning work?
1. Christ came for His elect, not just all. His Father’s, the believers Father’s, Grace decides
3. Why is it important to understand that Christ died for his people and not for all men?
1. “And he died only for those the Father eternally chose in him.” (pg. 94)
2. Grace! Justice! Judgement!
4. Does the doctrine of particular redemption hinder aggressive evangelism?
1. Defend your answer.

Chapter 10 - The Great King:

• ** Messiah = “anointed one”

• Zecerariah prophesied of the messianic king coming to Jerusalem mounted on the foal of a donkey. Jesus did that

• The Devil is a usurper

• “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

• “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.” (John 5:36)

• Jesus miracles proved his divinity and messianicness

• “Christ had an authority over all things, physical and spiritual.” (pg. 100)

• Christ’s miracles are marvelous, but raising the dead is astoundingly high on that list.

• “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples….” (Matthew 28:18)

1a) Subdues people to himself. Saving the last — gathering the elect.

• ** “Christ converts enemies into sons and friends.” (pg. 102) (i.e. Saul)

1b) Subduing individuals to Himself happens through His Holy Spirit

2) Christ rules and defends us

Reviews, questions, and discussion questions, are all contained within the physical book of The Root & Branch.

Chapter 11 - A Morality Play:

Notes, reviews, questions, and discussion questions, are all contained within the physical book of The Root & Branch.

Chapter 12 - The Coronation:

Notes, reviews, questions, and discussion questions, are all contained within the physical book of The Root & Branch.

Chapter 13 - The End!:

Notes, reviews, questions, and discussion questions, are all contained within the physical book of The Root & Branch.

If you are seeking out book recommendations, I got you covered. Follow me on Goodreads to see all of my past reads, current reads, and books I'm interested in reading next:

© Anthony Dap III | Dream BIG & Co. LLC 2024