Is Jesus Really the Son of God?
Is Jesus really the Son of God? All Christian belief is based on
the fact that He is. But, if a non-believer were to question you
on this fact, indeed to challenge you on it, could you respond
in an intelligent manner? How do you know that Jesus is the Son
of God? It is true that we must have faith that Jesus is God's
Son. However, in Acts 1:3 we see that Jesus presented Himself to
His apostles after He was resurrected and demonstrated that He
was alive "by many infallible proofs." The New Testament is full
of examples of these proofs. Let's take a look a what the Bible
has to say in regards to the deity of Jesus.
As we look closely at the life and ministry of Jesus we can
learn much about what attributes He had that demonstrate that He
is God's Son. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with
God." (John 1:1,2) John clearly states at the start of his
gospel that Jesus was with God the Father in the beginning. When
God was in the process of creating the heavens and earth, all
the plants and animals, and man, Jesus was with Him. One of the
attributes of God is that He is eternally existent. In other
words, having no beginning and no ending. In this passage we see
that Jesus also has this attribute of being eternally existent.
It is further demonstrated in this passage: "And now, O Father,
glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had
with You before the world was." (John 17:5) Jesus said of
Himself that He was with the Father before the creation.
We also know that God the Father is without sin. So in order for
Jesus to be truly God's Son, He too must be without sin. "For we
do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without
sin." (Hebrews 5:14) Jesus, during His earthly life and
ministry, was tempted with the same temptations which we are.
Yet He did not give in to the temptations. He did not allow
Himself to sin. I have heard people speak on this subject and
marvel that He was able to do this. I personally don't feel that
the fact that Jesus was able to resist the temptations is
something to marvel about. After all, He is God. To Him, the
option to sin was simply not an option at all. There are many
things about Jesus in which we should stand in awe. But if we
believe that He is the Son of God, then we should not be
surprised when He acts like the Son of God!
For Jesus to be the Son of God, we would indeed expect Him to be
without sin. We would also expect Him to have authority. Jesus
tells us of His authority: "Then Jesus came and spoke to them,
saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth.'" (Matthew 28:18) God has given His Son the authority to
redeem the world for the sin which is so prevalent. By His
freely giving Himself to die on the cross, He exercised that
authority. By His resurrection we know that He also has the
power to enforce that authority over the devil.
We see examples of His authority in other ways also. "'But that
you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive
sins' - He said to the paralytic, 'I say to you, arise, take up
your bed, and go your way to your house.'" (Mark 2:10,11) The
NIV renders the word "power" as authority. So we see that Jesus
demonstrated His authority by forgiving the paralytic of his
sins. The authority to forgive sin is reserved for God, and He
gave His Son this authority as well.
Jesus demonstrated His authority by calming the seas, casting
out demons, turning water into wine, and raising the dead. He is
still demonstrating His authority even today. Have you ever seen
a person give himself or herself to Christ and truly marvel at
the change that happened to them? I have. I have seen men, who
could not complete a sentence without using the Lord's name as a
curse or interject other profane words, become a Christian and
completely change their vocabulary. I have seen others, who were
just right down mean, accept Christ and become a kind and gentle
person. And I have seen still others, who appeared as though
they thought the whole world was against them, become a
Christian and turn into a happy vibrant individual. This is just
another way that we can know that Jesus is the Son of God.
The Bible tells us of some of the work that Jesus does, and we
see that He is the Son of God through this work. "God, who at
various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the
fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by
His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom
also He made the worlds;" (Hebrews 1:1,2) This passage tells us
that it was through Jesus that God "made the worlds." Jesus was
there when creation was going on and He had an active part in
it. He is the "heir of all things," or that all things have been
given to Him. This is further emphasized in Colossians, "For by
Him all things were created that are in Heaven and that are on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers. All things were created through Him
and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things
consist." (Colossians 1:16,17)
Another aspect which we shall consider is the fact that Jesus
will participate in the punishing of those who do not follow His
teachings. "...and to give you who are troubled rest with us
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven with His mighty
angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not
know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ." (II Thessalonians 1:7,8) We mentioned earlier
that Jesus has the authority of all things on earth and in
Heaven. Jesus will truly be exercising that authority on the day
of judgement. See also: (Revelation 3:16, 19:11-21).
In the above passages we see that Jesus has been given authority
and power by our Heavenly Father, and that He has and will
exercise that authority. The Bible also tells us that Jesus has
a "position" of authority. In our society, when someone has
authority, we expect them to occupy a certain position. For
example, a judge sets on the judge's bench, a CEO of a
corporation has a big elaborate office, the President lives in
the White House, and so forth. So, does Jesus also occupy a
place or position of authority? "And Jesus said, 'I am. And you
will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power,
and coming with the clouds of heaven.'" (Mark 14:62) "But he,
being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the
glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."
(Acts 7:55) Jesus is at the right hand of the Father today, a
position of authority from which He makes intercession for you
and I. Isn't it great to know that our Savior is there and ready
to make intercession for us when we stumble in our daily
Christian walk.
Jesus did not beat around the bush when talking about who He
was. He made it very clear that He was the Son of God. Time
after time He refers to the fact that He is God's Son or that He
should be treated as such.
When Jesus performed His miracles in the cities of Chorazin,
Bethsaida, and Capernaum the people rejected Him. They did not
recognize Him as the Son of God. Jesus therefore reproached or
condemned them for their disbelief. In the account of this in
Matthew Jesus tells us specifically that all authority has been
given to Him: "All things have been delivered to Me by My
Father..." (Matthew 11:27a)
If indeed Jesus is the Son of God, and has the authority and
power over all things, then we - the creation of God - should
give honor and praise to Jesus. Jesus taught this to His
disciples: "that all should honor the Son just as they honor the
Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father
who sent Him." (John 5:23) John 3:16 tells us that God loved us
so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to this earth so that
those who believed in Him could have eternal life. For God to do
this for us, and for us to not give Jesus the honor due Him
would be a terrible thing. Jesus also told us many things about
Himself that shows that He is the Son of God. He said that He
was sent by His Father into the world (John 8:42). He said that
He had been appointed judge over all mankind (Matthew 25:31-41).
He said that the only way man can receive salvation, the only
way to the Father was through Him (John 14:6). Jesus told us
that His blood was shed for the remission of sins for many, or
for all that accept Him as Lord and Savior (Matthew 26:28). And
finally, Jesus said that He could submit Himself to die and
raise from the dead under His own power (John 10:18).
In a court of law, if there are two witness who will confirm the
same set of facts to be true, it is very difficult for the
apposing attorneys to disprove their testimony. In the fifth
chapter of John we have recorded for us not two, but four forms
of witness concerning the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. In
verses 31-35 we have the witness of John the Baptist, in verse
36 there is the witness of the works of Christ, in verses 37 and
38 we have the witness of the Father, and in verses 39 through
47 we have the witness of the Scriptures.
In like manner, the four gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
- also bear witness to the life, ministry, death, burial,
resurrection, and deity of Jesus Christ.
"When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked
His disciples, saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man,
am?' So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and
others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But
who do you say that I am?' And Simon Peter answered and said,
'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'" (Matthew
16:13-16) Even today people will say that Jesus was someone
other than the Son of God. Some say He was a good man, but not
the Son of God. Others will say He was a prophet, a great
teacher, or a great religious leader but reject Him as the Son
of God. Still others say that He was an impostor, or even from
Satan. If Jesus is really the Son of God (and He is), then we
should follow His teachings and obey His gospel. So the
important question for you is not who do others say that He is,
but who do you say that Jesus is? I say that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the living God.
One of the most beautiful parts of the Bible, in my opinion, are
the places where Jesus is called by various names. All these
names point to or show that He is God's Son. Let me give you
some examples of these beautiful names.
"And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF
KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:16)
"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in
the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the
Bright and Morning Star." (Revelation 22:16)
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'"
(John 2:29)
"This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has
become the chief cornerstone." (Acts 4:11)
"But one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Behold, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to
open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.'" (Revelation 5:5)
I am closing this article with a passage from the Old Testament.
It does not speak about Jesus specifically, but I feel that the
message is still applicable. "...choose for yourselves this day
whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve
the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
All scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version unless
otherwise noted.