2/16/15

What Does it Mean to Say Jesus is the "Son of God"? by Brad Bromling, D.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=272


What Does it Mean to Say Jesus is the "Son of God"?

by Brad Bromling, D.Min.


Q.
What does it mean to say that Jesus is the “Son of God”?

A.

The New Testament employs a variety of terms in its effort to define the personal identity of Jesus. Strictly speaking, His name simply is Jesus (meaning “Yahweh is salvation”). Recognition of His messiah-ship quickly led His followers to call Him Christ (christos is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word Messiah), Christ Jesus, and the more common Jesus Christ. In addition, He also is called:
  • Lord—an Old Testament designation for God, as well as a term of respect like “Sir”;
  • Son of Man—the designation Jesus most often applied to Himself that can indicate “a human,” or point to a mysterious heavenly figure (Daniel 7:13);
  • Son of David—an indicator of messianic lineage; and
  • I AM”—an apparent echo of the unutterable divine name (Exodus 3:14).
All of these titles make exalted claims for the Man from Galilee. For many Christians, though, Son of God is the most familiar term used to identify Jesus. This is understandable in light of passages like 1 John 4:15: “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God,” and John 20:30-31: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” There is power in the confession that Jesus is the “Son of God,” but what does it mean?
The earliest Christians were Jews who were familiar with at least two distinct applications of the term “son of God.” In the first place, the term had a general application to all Israelites. When their ancestors were held in Egyptian bondage, Moses was sent to Pharaoh with these words: “Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me” (Exodus 4:22-23; see also Hosea 11:1). Through the years, Yahweh loved, protected, comforted, and chastened Israel, just as a loving parent would nurture and discipline children (Malachi 2:10; Isaiah 66:13; et al.).
The second usage was more specific. Historically, the term had a royal connotation for many nations of the Ancient Near East. It was commonplace for Egyptian, Babylonian, Canaanite, and Roman rulers to be called “son of God” (Fossum, 1992, pp. 128-137). These kings even were deified and surrounded by legends about their miraculous births—often including stories of gods copulating with humans (Sanders, 1993, pp. 243-245). This royal connotation also was known in Israel, although they did not deify their kings (O’Collins, 1995, p. 117).
When the New Testament writers referred to Jesus as “Son of God,” they sometimes employed the term in ways that echoed these two common uses. After those who threatened the life of the child Jesus died, Joseph was given instructions in a dream to return from Egypt to his homeland. When Matthew reported this event, he said it fulfilled Hosea 11:1: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son” (see Matthew 2:15). In other words, Jesus was God’s Son as an Israelite, and in a real sense, the True Israelite.
In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ ministry began with a pronouncement from heaven: “This is my beloved Son...” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11). The same is heard at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). In the Gospel of John, the baptizer testified that Jesus “ranks ahead of ” him, and by virtue of the Spirit’s descending upon Jesus, he testified that Jesus is the “Son of God” (John 1:30, NRSV). These references are reminiscent of the decree of royal sonship (Psalm 2:6-7; see also Luke 1:32-33). When the Jewish leaders put Jesus on trial, they asked: “Are you the Son of God, then?” Satisfied with His answer, they told Pilate Jesus was claiming to be “a king” (Luke 22:70; 23:2). As Jesus died on the cross, the only accusation assigned to Him was, “This is the king of the Jews” (Luke 23:38). According to Paul and the writer of Hebrews, this regal distinction was especially manifest after Jesus was raised from the dead (Acts 13:33; Romans 1:4; Hebrews 1:5).
While Jesus’ identity certainly included these then-prevailing ideas of sonship, it is obvious they do not exhaust the significance of the term for Him. Over and again, Jesus referred to God as His Father (Matthew 7:21; 10:32; 11:27, et al.). Since the Jews also saw themselves as sons and daughters of God, this should not have bothered them. But it did bother them, precisely because they perceived Jesus to be making a unique—and seemingly blasphemous—claim of sonship.
This uniqueness reached its zenith when Jesus addressed God as “Abba, Father” in prayer (Mark 14:36). “Abba” was the word a Jewish child used to refer to his or her “original person of reference” (i.e., mother or father). This bespoke an “unheard-of closeness” between Jesus and God (Moltmann, 1993, p. 142). Jesus demonstrated this closeness throughout His life. And it was in this intimacy that Jesus’ sonship is best defined. Gerald O’Collins has observed:
[Jesus] not only spoke like “the Son” but he also acted like “the Son” in knowing and revealing truth about God, in changing the divine law, in forgiving sins, in being the one through whom others could become children of God, and in acting with total obedience as the agent of God’s final kingdom (1995, p. 126).
To see through the eyes of faith that Jesus is the Son of God is to see that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself ” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Finally, in the Gospel of John, Jesus referred to Himself as the “Son” Who was “sent” from the Father (John 3:16-17; 5:23; 6:40; 10:36). Clearly, this is a special claim. On one of those occasions, Jesus based His authority to heal on the Sabbath on the fact that His Father was working. This infuriated some of the Jews. John explained: “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18).
In summary, to identify Jesus as the Son of God is to acknowledge His genealogical connection to Israel, His right to the throne of David, and His unparalleled nearness to God. To confess that Jesus is the Son of God is to declare as true Jesus’ claim: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

REFERENCES

Fossum, Jarl (1992), “Son of God,” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday).
Moltmann, Jürgen (1993), The Way of Jesus Christ (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress).
O’Collins, Gerald (1995), Christology (New York: Oxford University Press).
Sanders, E.P. (1993), The Historical Figure of Jesus (New York: Penguin).

From Mark Copeland... "BAPTISM" Conclusion To This Section


                              "BAPTISM"

                      Conclusion To This Section

When all men's arguments fall, the Bible's teaching on this subject
is still the same.  Ac 2:38 still teaches baptism is for the
remission of sins:

                 38  Then Peter said unto them,
                 Repent, and be baptized every one of
                 you in the name of Jesus Christ for
                 the remission of sins, and ye shall
                 receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Ac 22:16 still teaches baptism washes away sins:

                 16  And now why tarriest thou?
                 arise, and be baptized, and wash away
                 thy sins, calling on the name of the
                 Lord.

Mk 16:16 still teaches:

                 16  He that believeth and is
                 baptized shall be saved; but he that
                 believeth not shall be damned.

1Co 12:13 still teaches that baptism puts us into the body of Christ:

                 13  For by one Spirit are we all
                 baptized into one body, whether [we
                 be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be]
                 bond or free; and have been all made
                 to drink into one Spirit.

Ga 3:27 still teaches baptism puts us into Christ:

                 27  For as many of you as have been
                 baptized into Christ have put on
                 Christ.

Ro 6:3-4 still teaches baptism puts us into the death of Christ:

                 3  Know ye not, that so many of us
                 as were baptized into Jesus Christ
                 were baptized into his death?
                 4  Therefore we are buried with him
                 by baptism into death: that like as
                 Christ was raised up from the dead by
                 the glory of the Father, even so we
                 also should walk in newness of life.

Col 2:12-13 still teaches that through baptism we obtain the newness of life:

                 12  Buried with him in baptism,
                 wherein also ye are risen with [him]
                 through the faith of the operation of
                 God, who hath raised him from the
                 dead.
                 13  And you, being dead in your
                 sins and the uncircumcision of your
                 flesh, hath he quickened together
                 with him, having forgiven you all
                 trespasses;

1Pe 3:21 still teaches that baptism saves us:

                 21  The like figure whereunto
                 [even] baptism doth also now save us
                 (not the putting away of the filth of
                 the flesh, but the answer of a good
                 conscience toward God,) by the
                 resurrection of Jesus Christ:

The first time the gospel was preached, "They then that received his
word were baptized," (Ac 2:41).  People today who receive the gospel
do the same thing.  Friend, if you believe in Jesus Christ, and have
repented, i.e., determined that you will live according to His teaching,
won't you confess His name before men and be baptized for the reasons HE
said while you have opportunity?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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From Gary... Just a "yes", thank you!!!

This picture has me a bit confused. It is labeled as a reflection of a rainbow, but frankly, the colors look too intense (saturated) to be a reflection.  It looks like a rainbow and that is probably what counts. Perhaps there is someone out there that can definitively tell me, if so, please do. I don't like vacillating on things. Aren't you glad that God doesn't keeping changing HIS mind toward you...

2 Corinthians, Chapter 1 (WEB)
  18 But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”  19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”  20 For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us. 

A rainbow is a sign of a promise and God keeps his promises; AMEN!!!