Theology of the son of God
Jesus of the
son of God
Introduction
Jesus is the
second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. Jesus is the son of God as
well as God. Theology usually considered that Jesus has two aspects of nature
that the Son of God which is designate His divine nature and the Son of Man
that is His human nature. It very clear that how Jesus is the Son of God as he
asked St. Peter "Who
do you say I am?" When Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God,"[1] another
proof we find in St. John’s Gospel Jesus, the son of God "For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal
life."[2] Jesus is the Son of God
from eternity. As Christian doctrines acknowledge that we believe in one lord, God the father, Jesus
Christ is only the son of God eternally begotten of the father… through him all
things were made. God’s Son preexisted before
incarnation. He is co-eternal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit both
before Creation and after the End. “No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”[3]
Jesus came down and incarnated into human being and born by power of the Holy
spirit in the womb of Virgin Mary. He died as human
being. "In the New
Testament revelation and later in Christian theology, 'Son of God' came to have
a higher significance; Jesus is the Son of God because he is God and partakes
of the divine nature." [4]
1.
God
“In the old testament the word ‘God’
most often translates the Hebrew EI the general Semetic term for deity which is
probably derived from a root denoting power or strength. Although Israel’s
faith apparently emerged from a polytheistic environment as a strong henotheism
and evolved into a highly developed ethical monotheism, the frequently used
plural form should not be understood as a residue from an earlier period. The
form is the plural of majesty and sign of honor paid to the Deity”[5]
In the Old testament God is addressed “I am who am”.
In the New Testament the word “God” translates the Gk ‘theos’, also a general term for deity
and used in the Septuagint to translate ‘El’
and ‘Elohi’. Since much has been
written drawing sharp contrast between “the God of the OT and the God of the
NT,” it may be well to comment that in most respects there is a remarkable
consistency in the portrayal of God throughout the Bible. God is Abba Father in
the New Testament.
2.
Son of God
Son of God is a title applied uniquely to Jesus. 'Son of God' refers to Jesus as
the heavenly and eternal Son who is equal to God himself. In the New Testament
revelation and later in Christian theology, “Son of God' came to have a higher
significance; Jesus is the Son of God because he is God and partakes of the
divine nature.”[6]
"The phrase 'Son of God' (huios theou) it a title used of Jesus
to indicate that he is divine in nature, just as the title 'Son of Man,' among
other things, indicates that he is human”[7]
3. Son of God in the Old testament
Son of God was not invented for Jesus by the
Apostles but it was adopted from the ancient scripture, the Old Testament. Their
son- father metaphor was used in two particular ways. First the metaphor was
used to describe the relationship between the Jewish nation and the God. The
fact is, however, that there are a number of Old Testament verses that speak of
God's only begotten Son. As following examples, “In the wilderness, Yahweh your
God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until
you came to this place… know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son,
so Yahweh your God disciplines you.”[8]
“God’s great promise to David:
"I will set up thy seed after thee, . . . I will be his father, and he
shall be my son. . . . thy throne shall be established forever.”[9]
There are the two famous prophecied of
Isaiah about the son, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel (meaning 'God with us')"[10]
Again the son and the father is mentioned in Isaiah "For unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given: . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."[11]
Here the hints of son and father relationship is indicated. Where there is
father there is son. In the Jewish view point, the son inherits of his father.
There is a rhetorical question, "Who hath established all the ends of the
earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?" (Prov. 30/4). There is some idea also about the
son in the psalm "I will declare the decree: the Lord had said unto
me, you are my Son; this day have I begotten you."[12] "The LORD hath said unto me, Thou
art my Son"[13]
Then this marvelous Messianic psalm concludes with this exhortation: "Kiss
the Son, . . . Blessed are all they that put their trust in him"[14]
3.1 Jesus, Son
of God in the New Testament
Jesus is the son
of God in the New Testament. The word son man and son God are several times
used in the New Testament. Even he has many names in the new testament. He is
called Christ, Prophet, Savior, Lord, High priest, Servant of God and son of
David. “Jesus is the one who fits no formula. In order to express this unique
meaning one title, as distinct from all others, increasingly came to prevail in
the New Testament; apparently it proved to be the most appropriate and most
fruitful: Jesus, the Son of God. St. Paul can sum up his whole message in the formula:
‘the Gospel of God concerning his son.’ Rom. 1:3, 9; 2Con:1:19; Gal. 1: 16’’[15]
Son of God is
fulfilled fully in the New Testament and full of source of knowledge of Jesus
Christ. The synoptic Gospel present a very different Jesus that the one that
emerges in John. In General, the synoptic Jesus say very little about himself.
He much more concerned with the coming of God’s kingdom. But the synoptic
Gospel considering differs themselves. “Mark’s Gospel indentifies Jesus as ‘the
Son of God.’ Mark generally sees Jesus as the Messiah and Son of Man who must
suffer, probably based on the suffering servant of. Is. 52: 13-53: 12. Matthew
and Luke both present Jesus as Son of God from the time of his virginal
conception. Luke’s reflection on the mystery of Jesus extends back to the
events preceding his birth and includes what is known as the ‘infancy
narratives.’ The fourth Gospel begins by presenting Jesus as the incarnate Word
of God (Jn.1:14) and ends with Thomas’s Easter confession, “My lord and my God
(Jn.20:28)” Jesus proclaims himself as the Messiah and only begotten Son coming
from the father, existing before Abraham. He frequently speaks of himself using
the formula, “I am” (Jn.6:35; 8:28: 10:11, 14; 11: 25), used in the Old
Testament and rabbinic tradition for t he divine name of Yahweh”[16]
3.2 Jesus the Messiah-
son of God
On the Jesus
asked his disciple, “Who do men say that I am? They answered “John the Baptist”
and other say “Elijah” and others say “one of the prophets”. So he asked them,
“but you, yourselves, who do you say that I am?” Peter replied and said, “You
are the Messiah”. He commanded them that they should not talk to anyone about
him and began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer many
things. He will be rejected and killed by elders, the chief priest and the
scribes. He will rise again after three days. But Peter took him hold. Jesus
rebuked saying “get behind me, Satan, you are not thinking as God thinks, but
as men do” (Mk. 8:27-33; Lk. 9: 18-22). The most important title is Son of God
for Mark. Jesus is proclaimed Son of God in the opening sentence of the Gospel
at his Baptism, transfiguration, trial before the Sanhedrin, to the unclean
spirits who recognize him as the Holy one of God, the Son of God, Son of Most
high God. Just after his death, he also addresses God as ‘Abba’ or ‘Father’ and
refers to himself as ‘son.’
Matthew treats
the person of Jesus and acknowledge that he is both Son of David and Son of
Abraham, but Jesus is exalted Son of God. His origin is in God. Because, he is
conceived by the power of Holy Spirit. He will shepherd God’s people and he
also proves himself in confrontation with Satan. Jesus is not Son of God in the
manner of ancient kings, or even the just to Matthew. Jesus is also Son of Man
by explaining his ministry of teaching and healing. Jesus as Son moves towards
death and fulfillment in the resurrection. The title Son of God appears at his
conception, birth, infancy, baptism and temptation, public ministry, death,
resurrection and exaltation.
Peter expressed
his faith in the word saying, ‘you are the Messiah’. Matthew gives another
conception that is ‘you are the messiah, the Son of the living God.’ The demon
possessed man addressed him, ‘the holy one of God’. The demon possessed shouted
out saying, ‘you are the Son of God’. ‘He did not allow them to speak, because
they knew that he was the Messiah’. (Lk. 4:31-41). Jesus is the Messiah.
“Jesus
is called Messiah. Since Christ means “Messiah” or
“Anointed One.” The Old Testament predicts the Messiah, and the New Testament
reveals the Messiah to be Jesus of Nazareth. There
are several things that the Jewish people who anticipated the Messiah expected
Him to be, based on Old Testament prophecies. The Messiah would be a Hebrew man
born in Bethlehem of a virgin a prophet akin to Moses a priest in the order of
Melchizedek a king and the Son of David who suffered before entering His glory.
(Is. 53) Jesus met each of these messianic requirements.
Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Messiah in that He was a Hebrew of the tribe of Judah, and He was born in Bethlehem (Lk.2: 4-7) to a virgin. (Lk.1:26-27)[17]
Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Messiah in that He was a Hebrew of the tribe of Judah, and He was born in Bethlehem (Lk.2: 4-7) to a virgin. (Lk.1:26-27)[17]
4
Jesus’
relationship with God
Jesus
is the son of God as well as son of man. He has two natures that divine nature
and human nature. He is son-God and son-man. Son and father is very intimate
spiritual relationship. So Jesus fulfilled the plan of His Father as son. When Jesus was
baptized the voice came from heaven, “This
is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”[18]
This is very proofs in the Bible that He loved his Son and very pleased what
ministers he is going to do. He obeyed His Father. Jesus Addresses God as His
Father and Abba. This addressing Abba is a very close relationship. He also
showed the forgiving father in parable of prodigal son. Father is a merciful to
his repentance son. In this parable Jesus show the father and son’s
relationship in time of abandonment and in the present situation of sin. Even
when his disciple asked him to teach them how to pray, he addressed,’ our
father who art in heaven.’ His prayers are through father. The father is described as loving, caring,
merciful, and forgiving and silence. There are numbers of son and father
relationship in the Bibles as following, "I came forth from
the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going
to the Father." (Jh.16:28) “But so that the world may know that I love the
Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me Get up, let us go from
here.”(Jh.14:31) Son always does through His father. Therefore Jesus answered
and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do
nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for
whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner”.(
Jh.519) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God.” (Jn.1:1) "I and the Father are one." (Jn.10:30) "No
one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise
him up on the last day.( Jh. 6:44) "You heard that I said to you, 'I go
away, and I will come to you ' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because
I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. (Jn. 14: 28) Jesus
answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor
Me.” (Jn.8:49) “Even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay
down My life for the sheep.” (Jn. 10:15) "If you keep My commandments, you
will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide
in His love. (Jn. 15: 10) And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His
face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass
from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." Matt. (26:39)[19]
So finally it can be said that Jesus
loves us because, Father loves Him and the
Source of divine love is the Father Himself. As the Father
has loved me, so have I loved you. (John 15:9). So there is an intimate
relationship between father and Son in the Gospel we find.
As we can see from the Scriptures, particularly in Jesus is praying to God
"the Father" and relates to him as the Son in speaking about his
glory he had with the Father before the world was made. In The Old Testament in
the pre-incarnate Christ is called the Son. In the Son is before all
things. These verses demonstrate that there is a relationship between the
Father and the Son that has existed from before the foundation of the universe.
5
Son God from
Eternity
Jesus is from all eternity. Since all three persons are
equally and fully God they have existed from all eternity. The best evidence
from Scripture seems to be that Jesus was the eternal Son of God, always in a
subordinate role to the Father. However, this subordinate role says nothing
about His character for He is equal to the Father in substance.
“The doctrine of
the eternal sonship of Jesus is the teaching that the second person of
the word has always existed in
relationship to the Father by being the Son. This does not mean there is a
biological connection between the Father and the Son. Because God is spirit and
spirit does not have a body of flesh and bones. It is only the son who is
incarnate. Instead, eternal sonship is a term that deals with relationship.
Biblically, Jesus is the eternal Son of God. In The Bible it is Jesus who is
from eternity “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me,
‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You." (Ps. 2:7) "In these last
days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through
whom also He made the world." (Heb. 1:2). "Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever." (Heb. 13:8)”[20]
Finally, in the eternal command of
God where the Son would redeem his people, the redemptive plan had been
established before the universe was created. This made a need a relationship
between the Father who sent the Son to redeem his people. This would make a
necessary an eternal sonship of Christ in relationship to the Father. So, it is
obvious from Scripture that the doctrine of the eternal sonship of Jesus is a
biblically correct position.
6
The coming
of Christ
The coming of
Jesus Christ refers to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Parousia is
a Greek term means coming or arrival or presence. Jesus Christ expected to
second coming in judgment at the end of history. Parousia is the second coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. “In the time
of Jesus, may Jews were expecting with
the fervent hope the coming of a divinely commissioned savior, who would rescue
their nation from Roman domination and restore David’s kingdom in
Jerusalem. His coming was foretold in
the writings of their sacred Scripture, and was mentioned in contemporary
literature, and the hoped for Messiah was referred to under a variety of titles
of which “Son of God” was one. In this connection, “Son of God” was a title
given to the Messiah because he was thought to be in a uniquely close relation
with God as the divinely appointed king, but it did not necessarily imply that
he was in his nature divine, some Jew how ever expected him to be a supernatural
being. The Old Testament scriptures also
spoke about God’s servant who would save God’s people by suffering on their
behalf, and by bearing the burden of their sins ad failures.”[21]
In the New Testament told about second coming Jesus Christ. “Day of the Lord is the coming of the ‘Son of
Man.’ (Lk.17:22ff) or the ‘day of God’ (Pet. 3:12). The son of man coming in
his father’s Glory is found in Mt 16:27; 24:3; 27;37;39; 35:3ff; MK.4:38;
14:62; Lk.9:26;18:8;21:27; 1Jh.2:28. At times Paul uses “revelation” or
“unveiling” (1 Cor. 1: 7; 2Thess 1:7). Signs will precede the Parousia (Mt 24:29; Mk, 13:24; Lk, 21:25-27)”[22]
So the Catholic Christians believes that Jesus
Christ will come back. The time when Jesus will return is given many names: the
Day of the Lord, the Parousia, the end time, and the Second Coming
of Christ. Above mentioned Some Biblical source of coming of Jesus. “And then
they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels and gather (his) elect from the four
winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky (Mk 13:26-27).” “For the Son of Man will come with his angels
in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct
(Mt 16:27).” "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know
when the time will come. ... Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of
the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or
in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to
you, I say to all: 'Watch! (Mk 13:33, 35-37)”
7
Fulfillment of Jesus Christ
Jesus the son of
God fulfilled the plan of his father. The Bible tells us that long before the
world began, God had planned that the crucifixion of Jesus would be the method
and payment for sin. The only payment would reconcile sinners to a holy and
loving God. “He paid for you with the
precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose Him
for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, He
was sent to the earth for all to see. And He did this for you.
(1 Peter 1:19-20)” Jesus
is full image of God. He was obedient to his father. He does everything through
his father. Dying on the cross he fully fulfilled his Father’s plan. Jesus said, “To do the will my father is my
food.” (Jn.4:34). Jesus fulfilled his Father’s will shedding blood on the
cross.
8
Personal reflection
Those who have the catholic faith Jesus is the
Son of God without doubt. Jesus has two natures human and divine. Events who
are not Christian they acknowledge this two nature reading the Gospel. Because
there are such miraculous events in Gospel no one did ever. It is only Jesus
who did. Jesus shared his divine nature becoming man. He came to the earth from
His Father. Therefore Jesus’ relationship with God is Father-Son relationship
and a deep compassionate relationship. As I reflected that Jesus’ had all
qualities to be son of God such as obedience, love, trust holiness, perfection,
and mercy and so on. After all Jesus fulfilled the will of God, becoming human
and going through suffering, death and resurrection for salvation of human
kind. I think that Jesus is Son of God and because of His sonship I relate with
God in the name of Jesus Christ. He
showed the way how to relate with God. I feel that Jesus is the loving and
compassionate heart of God through Jesus. In the church Jesus is presented as
Son of God to give us eternal salvation. The church is His body and he cannot
abandon his body. We are strongly related with the Son of God. Jesus as human
feels us, understands us and gives us life. I hope Jesus Christ that he will
give me eternal life.
Conclusion:
It can be said that the existence of the Son of
God is from God. We have seen in the testament Scriptures where the idea of Son
of God is present as well as in Judaism and Hellenism. In the New Testament, at
the fullness of time the concept Son of God is clearer. Though some misunderstanding
arose in the church but the church fathers defended and proclaimed with loud
voice that Jesus is the Son of God. I also personally believe Jesus is the son
of God.
Bibliography
1.
Brown, David: Jesus and God in the Christian scriptures. London 1967.
2.
KASPER, Walter; Jesus the Christ. New York. 1977.
3.
Harper’s Bible Dictionary: s.v. “Son” by James L. Crenshaw, Bangalore,
2002.
4.
Harper’s Bible Dictionary: s.v. “God”. by Thomas R.W. Longstaff.
Banglore, 2002.
5.
The New Dictionary: s.v. “Parousian”. By Zachary Hayes, Banglore, 2002.
6.
LADD, Eldon George: “A Theology of the New Testamen”, 160.
7.
Elwell, Walter: Theological Dictionary of the Bible, 411.
8.
“https:gotquestions.org/is-Jesus-theMessiah”
9.
New
Catholoc Encyclopedia: s.v “Son of God” by V Taylor, V.13, pp. 310-315, New York.
[1] Matthew 16:15-16
[2] John 3:16
[3] John 1:18
[5] Harper’s Bible
Dictionary, s.v “God” by Thomas R.W. Logstaff, Bangalore, Theological
Publications, 2002, pp.350-51.
[8] Deut1:31; 8:5
[9] Is.7:14
[10] 2 Isaiah
7:14 Samuel
[11] Isaiah 9:6
[12] Psalm 2:7
[13] Ps. 2:7
[14] Ps. 2:12
[15] Walter Kasper, Jesus the Christ, New York,
Paulist Press, 1977, p. 163.
[16] Thomas p.
Rausch, Who is Jesus? An Introduction to Christology, Quezon City, Claretian
Publications, 2005, pp. 3-4.
[17] https://gotquestions.org/is-Jesus-the-Messiah
[18] Mt. 3:16
[19] The Holy Bible, The New Revised Standard
version, Catholic Edition, Theological Publications in India, New Dilhi.
[20] What is the eternal sonship of
Jesus? Is it biblical? By Matt
slick, https: carm.org
[21] David Brown, Jesus and God in the Christian
Scripture, London, p 68.
[22] The New Dictionary of Theology, s.v.
“Parousia” bt Zachary Hayes, p.743.
posted by Johnastine @ 23:18
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