The Son of God
Jesus Christ is God. He is one with the Father, and is the
partaker of the Father’s own nature and being.
This is one of the deepest and most precious truths for nourishing
the inner life of the believer.
Andrew Murray wrote, “Christ is God: The soul worships
Him as the Almighty One, able to do a divine work in the power of divine omnipotence. Christ
is God: even as God works in all nature from within, and in secret, so the soul trusts
Christ as the everywhere present and the Indwelling One, doing His saving working in the
hidden depths of its being. Christ is God: in Him we come into living contact with
the person and life of God Himself . . . Christ is God.” (The Holiest of
All, p. 55-56).
The uniqueness of Jesus Christ as God's Son is fully taught
throughout the New Testament (John 1:14;
3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9; Hebrews 1:1-2). Christ is eternal and He is God (John 1:1; Romans
9:5; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8). He existed before He was born because He existed from all
eternity past (John 1:1-2; Phil. 2:6).
Jesus Himself both explicitly (Mark 12:1-12; 13:32; Matthew 11:25-27)
and implicitly (John 20:17) taught His unique relationship with the Father as God's Son.
He was recognized as the unique Son of God by demons (Mark 5:7), Satan (Matt 4:3, 6), and
most importantly by His Father at His baptism and transfiguration (Mark 1:11; 9:7).
Jesus acted as one who possessed a unique authority over the temple
by cleansing it (Mark 11:15-19, 27-33; John 2:13-21), over demons and Satan by His
exorcisms, over disease by His healing people, over the Sabbath regulations by His actions
on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28), over death by His raising the dead and at times even over
the Law by His teachings (Matt 5:21-48; Mark 7:18-19).
Jesus exercised the divine prerogatives of forgiving sins (Mark
2:5-10; Luke 7:36-50), claiming that a person’s eternal destiny is determined by his
relationship to Him (Jn. 14:6; Matt 10:32-33; 11:6; cf. Acts 4:12), and claiming that He
would ultimately judge the world (Matt 9:28; John 5:22-29; Acts 10:42).
Jesus maintained that He was greater than all who have preceded Him,
including Abraham (John 8:53-58), Jacob (John 4:12-15) and Moses (Matt 5:21-48).
In the New Testament Jesus is accorded such divine attributes as
being the Creator (John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Heb 1:2) and possessing
eternal pre-existence (John 1:1-2; 1 John 1:1; Col 1:17). He is specifically referred to
as God in numerous passages (John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Titus 2:13; Heb 1:8; cf. also Romans
9:5; 1 John 5:20).
The title Son of God is used for Jesus in passages written by
Jewish-Christians whose Scriptures begin with, "In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1; cf. John 1:1-3).
The full human nature of Christ is clearly taught throughout the New
Testament in passages that equally state Jesus' uniqueness and deity. Jesus was conceived
of a virgin (Luke 1:26-38). Therefore, the incarnation of the Son of God (John 1:14)
involves experiencing a human birth (Galatians 4:4), being circumcised on the eighth day
(Luke 2:21), possessing a true human nature (Heb 2:14), being tempted in all points like
we (Heb 2:18; 4:15), experiencing sorrow and agony (John 11:35; Mark 14:34-42; Heb 5:7),
hungering (Matt 4:2; Mark 11:12) and thirsting (John 19:28), becoming weary (John 4:6),
possessing flesh and blood (Luke 24:39; John 19:34) and learning obedience (Heb 5:8).
Christ in dying on the cross completely satisfied all of God’s
just demands for judgment on human sin (Rom. 3:25-26). He is the one mediator between God
and man (1 Timothy 2:5; Rom 5:15; Heb 9:15). Because of His sinless life (Heb. 4:15; 2
Corinthians 5:21), He could bear the penalty of sin that all humanity deserves (Romans
5:6-8; 1 Peter 2:23-24).
All of the righteous demands of God for judgment against our sins
have been completely satisfied. By grace Jesus became a curse for those under the curse
(Gal 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24), and satisfied the righteousness of God (Rom 3:24-26). Thus, by
offering Himself once for all time (Rom. 6:10; 1 Pet 3:18; Heb 9:28; 10:12-14), He brought
about for sinful humanity expiation of sin and propitiation from the divine wrath (Rom
3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). God has been completely propitiated by the blood of the Son of
God, and man has been reconciled to God. The enmity has been removed and God can be just
and the justifier of the believing sinner (Rom. 3:21-28).
We are justified by putting our faith in Christ alone (Rom 3:24;
8:33), experience peace with God (Rom 5:1), reconciliation (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 5:18-19),
forgiveness (Matt 26:28; Rom 4:7-8), adoption as sons (Rom 8:15-16; Gal 4:4-5), are born
again (1 Pet 1:23; John 3:1-8), die to sin (Rom 6:1-2; Col 3:3), are raised in newness of
life (Rom 6:4; 7:6; 2 Cor 5:17) and have eternal life (John 3:16, 36; Rom 6:22).
Moreover, there awaits for His followers the resurrection of the body
(John 11:25-26; 1 Cor. 15:20-24, 50-58; 1 Peter 3:22; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 20:5-6), a joyous reunion with Christians who
died (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), will be in the presence of God for all eternity (Rev.
22:1ff), being no longer able to sin and participating with the Son of God in the judgment
(1 Cor 6:2).
Let us worship our great God (John 20:28; Acts 7:59-60; Heb. 1:6). He
is from everlasting to everlasting.
Murray wrote, “My Redeemer is God! In this faith let me
worship Him. My Redeemer is God! Let my whole heart be opened to Him, to receive,
as a flower does the light of the sun, His secret, mighty, divine working in me. My
Redeemer is God! Let me trust this omnipotent Lord to work out in me His very promise,
and to set up His throne of righteousness in my soul in a power that is above all we ask
or think. My Redeemer is God! Let me wait for Him, let me count upon Him, to reveal
Himself in love that passes knowledge. Blessed be the name of God forever and ever. My
Redeemer is God! (p. 58).
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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