| JESUS, THE CHRIST
OF GOD
Section
2 - He is the Son of God
He is the Christ of God
He
is The Son of God
This Jesus, the Word Who
became flesh, He is the Son of God for God
Himself says,
Heb.1:5
…"My Son art Thou! I, today, have begotten
Thee"? And again,
"I shall be to Him for
a Father And He shall be to Me for a Son"?
Jn.1:14
…we gaze at His glory, a glory as of an only-begotten from the Father,
Jn.3:18
he who is not believing has been judged already,
for he has not believed
in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
When Mary was found pregnant
by holy spirit (Mt.1:18), a messenger (from the Greek aggelos, a(n)ggelos,
literally MESSENGER and usually transliterated 'angel') from God
announced to Joseph that
Mt.1:21
Now she shall be bringing forth a Son,
and you shall be calling
His name Jesus,…
Mt.1:25 …she
brought forth a Son, and he calls His name Jesus.
God presents this One, this
Jesus, to us as ‘My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I delight.’ (Mt.3:16;
17:5; Lk.9:35; 2Pet.1:17). In so many places (Lk.1:35; Jn.1:34; 11:27;
Act.9:20-22 to name just a few), Scripture declares that He isthe
Son of God! Scripture insists that whoever believes that Jesus is the Son
of God accepts the testimony of God and is in accord with Him…
1Jn.4:15
Whoever should be avowing that Jesus is the Son of God,
God is remaining in him,
and he in God.
1Jn.5:10
…he who is not believing God has made Him a liar,
for he has not believed
in the testimony which God has testified concerning His Son.
The truth that Jesus is the
Son of God, then, becomes the watershed for faith. It divides believers
of God from unbelievers. Faith is not confined to a belief IN God, in the
fact that there IS a God (even the demons believe that God is one - Jas.2:19),
but also in believing God, trusting in what He says and reveals! Faith
that Jesus is exactly this, the Son of God, is critical. If we are
believing God, then, whatever God says must be true in spite of seeming
contradictions from other sources (Rom.3:4)!
All other religions, excluding
Buddhism, which is really only a philosophy, have their concepts of God,
too. They believe that there is a God, or that there are gods. But, how
are we, or they, to identify the true God? In Scripture, God distinguishes
Himself from all other supposed gods by His unique relationship as
2Cor.1:3 the
God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ
[ see also 2Cor.11:31;
Rom.15:6; Eph.1:3; Col.1:3; 1Pet.1:3 ]
These other faiths, however,
do not recognise or accept Jesus as God’s Son - thereby rejecting
God’s
testimony on this truth! Yet they claim that they worship the true God!
Even the Jews, who are God’s chosen people, to this day find this an insurmountable
obstacle to their faith (Jn.10:36).
Orthodox Christianity has,
of course, confused this essential truth with something else for which
it daringly declares that 'Scripture does not give us a fully formulated
doctrine'. But it audaciously claims that it has been given the duty and
responsibility to 'construct' and to 'formulate' the doctrine for 'its
rule of faith'! It took nearly three hundred years to devise a statement
that is still not fully agreed upon by those involved with the dogma. But,
never mind the hiccups, they still claim it to be 'the distinctive and
all-comprehensive doctrine of the Christian faith' and 'gathers up into
the seam of a single grand generalisation, with respect to the being and
activity of God, all the major aspects of Christian truth'!
Was the 'formulation' of
this 'essential doctrine' so difficult that God was unable to find
the words to express it in Scripture? Or was it not important enough? And
God (Whom men cannot know unless He reveals Himself to them), found it
necessary to leave it to (infallible?) mortal men to construct an acceptable
formula about Him? Acceptable to whom?
Scripture asserts in very
simple terms, and expects us to accept fully and without reservation, that
Jesus Christ is God's Son, no more, no less!
Jn.20:31
...these are written that you should be believing that Jesus is
the Christ,
the Son of God,
and that, believing, you may have life eonian in His name.
Heb.1:1,2 By
many portions and many modes, of old,
God, speaking to the fathers
in the prophets,
in the last of these days
speaks to us in a Son,
Whom He appoints enjoyer
of the allotment of all,
through Whom He also makes
the eons;
Nowhere in Scripture can we
find the term ‘God the Son’! The doctrine based on this faulty term is
spurious and is an affront to God’s revelation and a rejection of God’s
Own testimony! No doubt the majority of Christians nowadays believe it
to be a ‘standard’ doctrine, a yardstick to test for authentic faith. But,
when something is wrong, even if everybody believes it to be right, the
fact remains that it is wrong! Conversely, when something is right, even
if nobody believes it to be right, the fact does not change - it remains
right! Where truth is concerned, numbers do not count. Truth does not conform
to popular belief. There are, for example, vastly many more people who
do not believe that Jesus is the only ‘Way’ to God than the number who
do. The fact does not change according to popular poll. Jesus IS the ONLY
Way!
We should treat Scripture
with solemnity and respect because it is God’s word; because God deigns
to speak to us; because God is revealing to us His thoughts and motives,
His designs and His operations. We need to realise and appreciate what
an honour and privilege it is to be singled out for this revelation!
We should, therefore, handle
Scripture reverently and professionally, very carefully distinguishing
the intended meaning and scope of any passage, correctly separating what
is directed to us from what is to serve as background material (2Tim.4:15),
and holding on to a pattern of sound words (2Tim.1:3). And, when it emphasises
the truth, through many repetitions, that Jesus is the Son of God, God's
Son, let us not contort and pervert it to mean something else!
Mt.16:15-17
He is saying to them, "Now you, who are you saying that I am?"
Now answering, Simon Peter
said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Now, answering, Jesus said
to him, "Happy are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood does
not reveal it to you,
but My Father Who is in
the heavens.
Jesus, the Son of God’s love
(Col.1:13), is ‘the apple of God’s eye’, so to speak, for He says, in effect,
‘That’s My Boy!’ (cf. Mt.12:18 and Lk.2:43 where the Greek ‘pais’
for ‘boy’ is used instead of ‘huios’ for ‘son’. The apostles, too,
use this term in reference to Christ in their petitions to God (Act.3:13,26;
4:27,30).
* There are many words in
the Greek to distinguish the various stages of development of a human,
ranging from infancy to adulthood.
brephos = babe (Lk.2:16)
teknon = child (Lk.1:7) pais = boy/girl
(Mt.12:18)
thugatêr =
daughter (Mt.14:6) huios = son (Mt.4:3)
nêpios = minor
(1Cor.13:1) teleion = mature
(Col.1:28)
anêr = man,
husband (1Cor.11:3) gunê
= woman, wife (1Cor.11:9)
He
is the Christ of God
As mentioned earlier, the
title 'Christ' is given to one who is anointed to be king,
or priest, or prophet. Though each of these is an office that Jesus fills,
He is the Anointed of God for an even wider range of privileges and responsibilities.
Isaiah prophesied concerning
of this ‘Anointed’ One.
Isa.11:2
And the spirit of Yahweh shall rest on Him:
A spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a spirit of counsel and
mastery,
a spirit of knowledge and
the fear of Yahweh.
Isa.61:1,2 The
spirit of My Lord Yahweh is on Me,
because Yahweh anoints Me
to bear tidings to the humble.
He sends Me to bind up the
broken hearted,
to herald to captives, liberty,
and, to the blind, the unclosing of the eyes,
and, to the bound, to take
the jubilee,
to herald an acceptable
year for Yahweh,…
At the beginning of His ministry,
when He read from the scroll on the sabbath in the synagogue of Nazareth,
this is the very passage He chose.
Lk.4:18,19
"The spirit of the Lord is on Me,
On account of which He anoints
Me to bring the evangel to the poor.
He has commissioned Me to
heal the crushed heart,
To herald to captives a
pardon, And to the blind the receiving of sight;
To dispatch the oppressed
with a pardon,
To herald an acceptable
year of the Lord..."
And when John the baptist needed
confirmation from Jesus that He was the Messiah, He said,
Lk.7:22
…Go, report to John what you perceived and hear:
that the blind are receiving
sight,
the lame are walking, lepers
are being cleansed, and the deaf are hearing,
the dead are being roused,
and to the poor the evangel is being brought.
John the baptist did not perform
miracles (Jn.10:41). But, the ministry of Jesus is filled with such signs,
though only a chosen few have been recorded (Jn.20:30,31; 21:25).
Act.10:38
as God anoints Him with holy spirit and power, Who passed through
as a benefactor and healer
of all those who are tyrannized over by the Adversary,
for God was with Him.
Through the Logos the world,
and everything in it, has come into being. But, when this Word became flesh
and came into the world, He was neither recognised nor accepted for Who
He was.
Jn.1:10
In the world He was, and the world came into being through Him,
and the world knew Him not.
Even among the chosen people
of God, He was unacceptable. He came as a Jew of the tribe of Judah, a
descendent of Abraham through the line of King David (Mt.1:16; Lk,1:22,23;
Rev.5:5; 22:16; 2Tim.2:8).
Rom.3:1,2
What, then, is the prerogative of the Jew,
or what the benefit of circumcision?
Much in every manner.
For first, indeed, that
they were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Rom.9:4,5
who are Israelites, whose is the sonship and the glory and the covenants
and the legislation and
the divine service and the promises;
whose are the fathers, and
out of whom is the Christ according to the flesh,…
But, His people - they were
expecting a world ruler; and here He was, only a lowly carpenter’s son
(Mt.13:55). They were looking for a regal firebrand to deliver them from
the Roman yoke. But here was somebody who showed no political leanings,
and no spirit for the nation’s independence. He did not even look the part
- He was unattractive and lacked a commanding physical stature. (This description
contradicts all those portrayals and images, of a beautiful long-haired
'Jesus', so loved and honoured by most Christians - and which they bring
to mind when praying to God. The fact that such an act is an abomination
to God is either conveniently ignored or vehemently denied. To them, it
is idolatry only when pagans do it!)
In the eyes of His own people,
He lacked the 'necessary' charisma and leadership that their Messiah should
radiate. Even Bar-Abbas, a convicted murderer, was more acceptable to their
thinking!
Isa.53:2,3
And He is coming up as a layer-plant before Him,
and as a root sprout from
earth that is arid.
No shape has He nor
honor
when we shall see Him,
and no appearance
nor loveliness that we will covet Him.
Despised is He, and
shunned
by men,
a man of pains and
knowing
illness.
And, as One concealing His
face
from us, despised is He,
and we judge Him of no
account.
Jn.5:43
I have come in the name of My Father, and you are not getting Me.
If another should be coming
in his own name, him you will get.
Lk.23:18 Yet
they cried out, all as one multitude, saying,
"Away with this one! Yet
release for us Bar-Abbas"
[Bar-Abbas means
son
of Father, as ' Simon Bar-Jonah' is Simon son of Jonah NIV]
No, they decided, there
was no way He could be their long-awaited Messiah. As a nation, they rejected
Him outright! Except for a few! These chosen few were given the privilege
of recognising Him and of becoming His trusting followers.
Jn.1:11-13
To His own He came, and those who are His own accepted Him not.
Yet whoever obtained Him,
to them He gives the right
to become children of God,
to those who are believing
in His name,
who were begotten, not of
bloods, neither of the will of the flesh,
neither of the will of a
man, but of God.
Jn.1:40-42
Now Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who hear
from John and follow Him.
This one first is finding
his own brother, Simon, and is saying to him,
"We have found the Messiah!"
(which is, being construed, "Christ").
And he led him to Jesus….
Mt.16:15-17
He is saying to them, "Now you, who are you saying that I am?"
Now answering, Simon Peter
said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Now, answering, Jesus said
to him, "Happy are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood does
not reveal it to you, but My Father Who is in the heavens.
1Jn.5:1
Everyone who is believing that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God.
And everyone who is loving
Him Who begets is loving him also who is begotten by Him.
It is interesting to note, here,
that though it is not given to humanity, in general, to recognise and accept
Jesus as the Son of God and as God’s Christ, the spirit world of demons
is quite cognisant of the facts.
Mk.1:34
And He cures many who have an illness, those with various diseases;
and many demons He cast
out. And He did not let the demons speak,
for they were aware
that He is the Christ.
Lk.4:41
Now demons also came out from many, clamoring and saying that
"You are the Christ, the
Son of God!"
And, rebuking them, He did
not let them speak,
for they had perceived
that
He is the Christ.
Through Moses, God had foretold
the coming of this One Who would speak for Him to His chosen people, Israel.
Deut.18:18,19
A Prophet shall I raise up to them from among their brothers, ...
I will put My words in His
mouth, and He will speak to them all that I shall instruct Him. Yet it
will come to be that the man who should not hearken to My words that the
Prophet shall speak in My name, I Myself shall require his blood from him.
(see also Act.2:22,23)
Moses had the privilege of having
the law given through him to Israel on Mt.Sinai, but to Jesus was reserved
the greater honour of revealing the higher principles from which the law
hangs (Mt.22:37-40; Gal.5:14). The law, being derived from these, does
not cover as much ground as these principles do. Under the law, ‘loving
your neighbour’ is exemplified by not encroaching into his freedom and
property, in an environment of reciprocation (an eye for an eye, tooth
for tooth - Mt.5:38), and is mostly couched in somewhat negative terms
(for example, Ex.19:13-17). The principle of love, according to Jesus,
extends far beyond this - even to the acceptance of personal loss and sacrifice
(see Mt.5:39-48; also 1Cor.6:5-7; Gal.6:2).
Jn.1:17
For the law through Moses was given;
grace and truth came through
Jesus Christ.
Moses revealed God’s laws and
regulations the people of Israel were to live by. Jesus not only revealed
the underlying truth and principles of God’s working, He reveals God as
He is!
Jn.17:3
Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God,
and Him Whom Thou dost commission,
Jesus Christ.
April 2001
Back to:
....Main
menu of articles
....Section
1 - Introduction
......................The
Image and The Firstborn
Proceed to:
....Section
3 - The
Way Jesus is God
....Section
4 - Christ
Came to Minister to the Lost Sheep of Israel
......................Christ
Came to Confirm the Patriarchal Promises
....Section
5 - Christ
Came to Save All Mankind
......................Christ
Came to Annul the Works of the Adversary
....Section
6 - Scriptural
Evaluation
......................Conclusion
|
