2. What Jesus claimed himself to be

 

If Jesus did not claim to be God, then what exactly did he claim he was? His claims were that he was the "Son of God", "Son of Man", "Son of David", "the Messiah" or "the Christ." What do these terms mean? Before we see that, let’s list down the verses in which he made these claims for himself. Also included in these lists are those passages in which others call him these things and Jesus doesn’t correct them, implicitly acknowledging that he considers the phrase an accurate understanding of himself. Those who are familiar with the New Testament and know that Jesus, the apostles, and Paul made these claims may skip over these lists and jump straight to the sections on understanding these terms.

 

a) Jesus claimed that he was the "Son of God" directly by using the phrase for himself

Mat 4:3

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Mat 4:6

"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they

Mat 8:29

"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"

Mat 14:33

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Mat 16:16

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Mat 26:63-64

But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Mat 27:39-43

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

Mat 27:54

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

Mark 1:1

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 3:11

Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."

Mark 5:7

He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!"

Mark 14:61-62

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Mark 15:39

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

Luke 4:3

The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

Luke 4:9

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here.

Luke 4:41

Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

Luke 8:28

When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!"

Luke 22:70

They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am."

John 1:32-34

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

John 1:49

Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 5:25

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 10:36

what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?

John 11:4

When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

John 11:27

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

John 19:7

The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."

John 20:31

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

 

Jesus also claimed to be the "Son of God" indirectly by regularly addressing God as his Father:

Mat 7:21

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Mat 10:32

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.

Mat 10:33

But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Mat 11:25

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Mat 11:26

Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

Mat 11:27

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Mat 12:50

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Mat 15:13

He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.

Mat 16:17

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

Mat 18:10

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

Mat 18:19

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

Mat 18:35

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Mat 20:23

Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

Mat 24:36

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mat 25:34

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

Mat 26:39

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Mat 26:42

He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

Mat 26:53

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

Mat 28:19

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mark 13:32

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mark 14:36

"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Luke 9:26

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Luke 10:21

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

Luke 10:22

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Luke 22:29

And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,

Luke 22:42

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Luke 23:34

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Luke 23:46

Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Luke 24:49

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 3:35-36

"The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

John 4:21

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

John 4:23

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

John 5:17

Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

John 5:18

For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:19-23

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may 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 5:26

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.

John 5:36

"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.

John 5:37

And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

John 5:45

"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.

John 6:27

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

John 6:32

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

John 6:37

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

John 6:44-46

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.

John 6:57

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

John 6:65

He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

John 8:16-19

But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

John 8:27

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.

John 8:28

So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.

John 8:38-44

I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father. " "Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:49

"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.

John 8:53-56

Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

John 10:15-18

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

John 10:29-38

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods' ? If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

John 11:41

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

John 12:26-28

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

John 12:49-50

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

John 13:1

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

John 13:3

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,

John 14:6-8

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

John 14:9-14

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:15-21

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:23-24

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

John 14:25-27

"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:28-31

"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us leave.

John 15:1-2

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

John 15:9-10

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

John 15:15-16

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

John 15:23-27

He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:1-3

"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.

John 16:10

in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;

John 16:15

All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

John 16:17

Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and' Because I am going to the Father'?"

John 16:23-28

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. "Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

John 16:32

"But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

John 17:1

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

John 17:5

And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

John 17:11

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one.

John 17:21

that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:24-25

"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.

John 18:11

Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

John 20:17

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

John 20:21

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

Acts 1:4

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

Acts 1:7

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

Acts 2:33

Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Acts 13:33

he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. '

 

The epistle-writers also claimed that Jesus was the "Son of God"

Acts 9:20

At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

Rom 1:3

regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David,

Rom 1:4

and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 1:9

God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you

Rom 5:10

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Rom 8:3

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,

Rom 8:29

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Rom 8:32

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

1 Cor 1:9

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

1 Cor 15:28

When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

2 Cor 1:19

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes."

Gal 1:15-16

But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,

Gal 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gal 4:4-6

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

Eph 4:13

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Col 1:13

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

1 Th 1:10

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Heb 1:2

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

Heb 1:3

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

Heb 4:14

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Heb 5:5

So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. "

Heb 5:8

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered

Heb 6:6

if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Heb 7:28

For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Heb 10:29

How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

2 Pet 1:17

For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

1 John 1:3

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 3:8

He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

1 John 2:22-24

Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

1 John 3:8

He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

1 John 3:23

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

1 John 4:9-10

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:14-15

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.

1 John 5:5

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:9-13

We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 John 5:20

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

2 John 1:3

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.

2 John 1:9

Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Rev 2:18

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

 

b) Besides claiming to be the "Son of God", Jesus claimed that he was the "Son of Man":

Mat 8:20

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Mat 9:6

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home."

Mat 10:23

When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Mat 11:19

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." But wisdom is proved right by her actions."

Mat 12:8

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

Mat 12:32

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Mat 12:40

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Mat 13:37

He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.

Mat 13:41

The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

Mat 16:13

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

Mat 16:27-28

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Mat 17:9

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Mat 17:12

But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."

Mat 17:22

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.

Mat 19:28

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Mat 20:18

"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death

Mat 20:28

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Mat 24:27

For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:30

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

Mat 24:37-39

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:44

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Mat 25:31

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.

Mat 26:2

"As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

Mat 26:24

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Mat 26:45

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Mat 26:64

"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Mark 2:10

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic,

Mark 2:28

So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Mark 8:31

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Mark 8:38

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Mark 9:9

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Mark 9:12

Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?

Mark 9:31

because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."

Mark 10:33

"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,

Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Mark 13:26

"At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Mark 14:21

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Mark 14:41

Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Mark 14:61-62

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.

Luke 5:24

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

Luke 6:5

Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

Luke 6:22

Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

Luke 7:34

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." '

Luke 9:22

And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

Luke 9:26

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Luke 9:44

"Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men."

Luke 9:58

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Luke 11:30

For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.

Luke 12:8-10

"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Luke 12:40

You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Luke 17:22-30

Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

Luke 18:8

I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Luke 18:31

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Luke 21:27

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luke 21:36

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Luke 22:22

The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him."

Luke 22:48

but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

Luke 22:69

But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."

Luke 24:7

'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"

John 1:51

He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

John 3:13-14

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.

John 5:27

And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

John 6:27

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

John 6:53

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

John 6:62

What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!

John 8:28

So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.

John 9:35-37

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."

John 12:23

Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

John 12:34

The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

John 13:31

When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him.

Acts 7:56

"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

 

 

c) Jesus is called "Son of David"

Mat 9:27

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

Mat 12:23

All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

Mat 15:22

A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

Mat 20:30

Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

Mat 20:31

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

Mat 21:9

The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

Mat 21:15

But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.

Mat 22:42

"What do you think about the Christ ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.

Mark 10:47-48

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Mark 12:35

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?

Luke 18:38-39

He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Luke 20:41

Then Jesus said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David?

 

 

d) Jesus claimed that he was the Messiah

John 1:41

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).

John 4:25-26

The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

 

Besides these there are the large number of instances where Jesus is called "Christ" which means "Messiah". The following is the list of passages where Jesus is called "the Christ". It does not include the large number of times when Jesus is called "Jesus Christ", since these are too numerous and obvious from any cursory reading of the New Testament:

Mat 1:16

and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Mat 1:17

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

Mat 2:4

When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

Mat 11:2

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his Disciples

Mat 16:16

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Mat 16:20

Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

Mat 22:42

"What do you think about the Christ ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.

Mat 23:10

Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.

Mat 24:5

For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many.

Mat 24:23

At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.

Mark 8:29

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ. "

Mark 9:41

I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

Mark 12:35

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?

Mark 13:21

At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it.

Luke 2:26

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

Luke 4:41

Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

Luke 9:20

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

Luke 20:41

Then Jesus said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David?

Luke 22:67

"If you are the Christ, " they said, "tell us." Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me,

Luke 23:2

And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king."

Luke 24:26

Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

Luke 24:46

He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

John 7:41

Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee?

John 11:27

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

John 20:31

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Acts 2:31

Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.

Acts 2:36

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Acts 2:38

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:18

But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.

Acts 3:20

and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus.

Acts 5:42

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Acts 8:5

Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.

Acts 9:22

Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

Acts 17:3

explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ, " he said.

Acts 18:5

When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

Acts 18:28

For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Acts 26:22-23

But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."

 

With these lists done, we can now turn to the important task of understanding these terms. What do these terms actually mean? For on the accurate understanding of their meanings depends our understanding of what and who Jesus considered himself to be. We start with the term "Son of God".

 

Understanding the term "Son of God"

What does the term "Son of God" actually mean? There are actually two meanings to the term when Jesus used it of himself and others used it of him. In one meaning, he was qualitatively different from other believers, in another meaning there was no essential difference between his sonship and the believers’ sonship. Let’s examine the second aspect first.

When Jesus used this term to describe himself, he was addressing the Jews and made no attempt to explain it, assuming that the hearers would deduce its meaning based on the generally accepted meaning of such terms. It also shows that such terms were familiar to the Jews, and they would have deduced the meaning of the term "Son of God" from the accepted usage of similar terms, without having its meaning explained to them. Plenty of similar terms occur in other parts of the New Testament. To deduce the meaning of the term "Son of God" as the Jews understood it, the first task is to gather all similar terms together in one place. The following is a list of such phrases (ignoring the instances when used of natural fathers (or natural descendents) such as "son of Zebedee" or "son of Jonah" or "son of Alphaeus":.

Mat 13:38

The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

Mat 23:15

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Mark 3:17

James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder);

Luke 19:9

Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

Luke 20:35-36

But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.

John 12:36

Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Acts 4:36

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement),

Acts 13:10

"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

Acts 13:26

(Paul speaking) "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.

Rom 9:8

In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.

Gal 3:7

Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.

Gal 4:28

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

Gal 4:31

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Eph 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

1 Th 5:5

You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

 

In addition Paul uses the words "my son" to describe Timothy, Titus and Onesimus, while Peter does so for Mark, none of who were their natural sons:

1 Cor 4:17

For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Phil 2:22

But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.

1 Tim 1:2

To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Tim 1:18

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight,

2 Tim 1:2

To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Tim 2:1

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Titus 1:4

To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Phile 1:10

I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.

1 Pet 5:13

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.

 

Similarly, the term "Father" is used of someone else besides the natural father:

Mat 3:9

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Mark 11:10

"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

Luke 1:32

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

Luke 1:73

the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

Luke 3:8

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Luke 16:24

So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

Luke 16:30

"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

John 4:12

Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

Acts 4:25

You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

Acts 7:2

To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.

 

Actually believers themselves are called "sons of God" in many places. Indeed Jesus desired that we all would be called "sons of God":

Mat 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Mat 5:44-45a

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Luke 20:36

and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.

John 1:12-13

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

John 11:51-52

He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.

Rev 21:7

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Not only so, he called God the believers’ "Father", just as he called God his own Father:

Mat 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Mat 5:45

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Mat 5:48

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Mat 6:1

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Mat 6:3-4

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Mat 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Mat 6:7-9

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Mat 6:9

"This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Mat 6:14

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Mat 6:15

But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Mat 6:17-18

But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Mat 6:26

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Mat 6:32

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Mat 7:11

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Mat 10:19-20

But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Mat 10:29

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

Mat 13:43

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Mat 18:14

In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

Mat 23:9

And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

Mark 11:25

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. "

Luke 6:36

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Luke 11:2

He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.

Luke 11:13

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Luke 12:30

For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Luke 12:32

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

 

Also, the epistle-writers called the believers "sons" and "children" of God:

Rom 8:13-14

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Rom 8:19

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

Rom 8:21

that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Rom 8:23

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Rom 9:26

and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

2 Cor 6:18

"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Gal 3:26

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus

Gal 4:6-7

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Phil 2:15

so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

Heb 12:5-8

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

1 John 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 3:2

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

1 John 3:10

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

1 John 5:2

This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.

1 John 5:19

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

 

And to top it up, certain people are called "sons of the devil!":

Matt 13:38

The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

John 8:38

I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."

John 8:41-44

You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Acts 13:10

"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

I Jn 3:10

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Sons of God, Children of God, Sons of the Father in heaven, Sons of the kingdom, Sons of the evil one, Son of hell, Sons of Thunder, Sons of the Most High, Son of Abraham, Children of the resurrection, Sons of light, Son of Encouragement, Child of the devil, Children of Abraham, Children of the promise, Children of the slave woman, Children of the free woman, Children of light – what a large number of such terms and not one word of explanation of what these terms mean! It certainly was a commonly used phrase among the Jews at that time! And had a spiritual meaning which was different from the natural Father-and-son meaning.

These can be classified into four categories:

  1. Sons/children of another person (not their natural parent): Sons of God, Children of God, Sons of the Father in heaven, Sons of the evil one, Sons of the Most High, Son of Abraham, Child of the devil, Children of Abraham, Children of the slave woman, Children of the free woman
  2. Destination: Sons of the kingdom, Son of hell, Children of the resurrection.
  3. General Nature: Sons of Thunder, Son of Encouragement.
  4. Sons of light, Children of the promise, Children of light.
It is the first category we are interested in. The one factor which seems common to all is "similarity of nature." Thus "son of Abraham" would mean a person whose nature was similar to Abraham’s (but he was not Abraham himself), "child of the devil" or "child of the evil one" would mean a person whose nature was similar to the devil’s (but he was not the devil himself). "Children of the slave woman" and "children of the free woman" would mean persons whose natures were similar to the slave woman’s and free woman’s (but they were not the slave woman or the free woman themselves). So "son of God" would mean a person whose nature was similar to God’s (but he was not God himself). "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Mat 5:44-45)

This is one meaning of the term "son of God", which is applicable both to Jesus and to us. His nature was so much similar to God’s that seeing him was as good as seeing the Father (John 14:9). "He is the image of the invisible God" as Paul says in Col 1:15 and "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being." As the writer of the book of Hebrews says in Heb 1:3. And it is in this meaning that Jesus and all the writers of the New Testament want us to be "sons of God" – that we should be so godly that our natures would become like God’s. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" as Jesus said in Mat 5:48. "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matt 5:16) "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matt 5:44-45) And also as Paul says in Phil 2:14-15, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." In this meaning of the term, there is no essential difference between the sonship of Jesus and our sonship! (There is of course a huge quantitative difference – Jesus’ relationship with God was much closer and deeper then ours.) This is corroborated by passages which show that such sonship is open to all such as Rev 21:7 which says that "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."

In John 8:44, when Jesus said to those who opposed him that the devil was their "father", the reason he gave was that they wanted to carry out the devil’s desire. Just before, in 8:39, when Jesus had said that they were not Abraham’s children, the reason he gave was that "if they were Abraham's children, then they would do the things Abraham did." By this meaning, the term "son of God" doesn’t mean that he was God any more than the term "sons of the devil" mean that the subjects of the term in Matt 13:38, John 8:38-44, Acts 13:10, 1John 3:8-10, 1 John3:12 were the devil himself. With this meaning, "son of God" means someone who was so spiritually similar to God, that his spirit had become like God’s Spirit, his thoughts had become like God’s thoughts, his emotions had become like God’s emotions, his behavior had become like God’s behavior, all because of continuous obedience to God. Just as "sons of the devil" meant that their spirit had become like the devil’s spirit, their thoughts had become like the devil’s thoughts, their emotions had become like the devil’s emotions, their behavior had become like the devil’s behavior, because of continuous obedience to the devil. And "son of Abraham" meant someone who was so spiritually similar to Abraham, that his spirit was like Abraham’s spirit, his thoughts were like Abraham’s thoughts, his emotions were like Abraham’s emotions, his behavior was like Abraham’s behavior. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus in John 8:39, "then you would do the things Abraham did."

Given this meaning, it is no wonder that Jesus desired that we would all be "sons of God", and that the twelve apostles and Paul all desired that we would be "sons of God." It is also no wonder that those who did exhibit such a close relationship with God that their spirits, thoughts, emotions and actions had become like God’s Spirit, thoughts, emotions and actions, such people Jesus himself called "sons of God". Jesus calls "peacemakers" sons of God (Mat 5:9) because God himself is the supreme peacemaker. Those who "love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them," Jesus calls "sons of God" because God’s character is like that (Mat 5:44-45a). Plus those who "do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back" he calls "sons of the Most High", because "he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked" (Luke 6:35). He wants his hearers to "be perfect, as their heavenly Father is perfect" (Mat 5:48) and "be merciful, just as their Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36).

Those who "put their trust in the light" he calls "sons of light" (John 12:36). Those who "let their light shine before men and do good deeds", their Father in heaven is praised (Mat 5:16) because His character is good. He called James son of Zebedee and his brother John "Sons of Thunder" because their character was like thunder (Mark 3:17). Barnabas is called "son of Encouragement" because his nature was that of an encourager (Acts 4:36)

Paul called Elymas "child of the devil" because he was full of all kinds of deceit and trickery and kept on perverting the right ways of the Lord (Acts 13:10). He called "those who believe" as "children of Abraham" (Gal 3:7) because Abraham was known for his faith. Paul calls Timothy and Onesimus his "sons" (1 Cor 4:17, 1 Tim 1:18, 2 Tim 2:1, and Phile 1:10) because they were faithful to him and became imitators of him. For the same reason, Peter calls Mark his son (1 Pet 5:13)

John explicitly says that those who are "children of God" shall be like him (1 John 3:2) and provides a test to know "who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are": Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother (1 John 3:10). This is so because that is God’s character.

Thus to be a "son of God" (in the first meaning of the term) means to have a character like God’s, by being in a close relationship with God through continuous obedience to Him. Jesus showed such character in a perfect way. This is exactly what the writer of the book of Hebrews meant when he said, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being" (Heb 1:3). This is exactly what Paul meant when he says that, "He is the image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15, 2 Cor 4:4). But Paul doesn’t stop at that. He says that we ourselves "have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Col 3:10) since we are "predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son" (Rom 8:29), "we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory" (2 Cor 3:18) and indeed we shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven (1 Cor 15:49) who himself is the image of the invisible God. This is exactly the test that John suggests to distinguish who the real children of God are, from the children of the devil: "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother" (1 John 3:10)

When Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9), he meant "My character is similar to God’s character, my thoughts are similar to God’s thoughts, my emotions are similar to God’s emotions, my spirit is similar to God’s Spirit." Indeed his relationship with the Father was so close that he could say, "I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me. The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work" (John 14:10).

It is no wonder that Jesus desires everybody to have such a close relationship with God. It is no wonder that the apostles and Paul too desire everybody to have such a close relationship with God.

 

We now come to the second aspect of the meaning of the term "son of God." By this meaning Jesus’ sonship was fundamentally different from ours, that Jesus being the "Son of God" was different from ours being the "sons of God". But before we do that, we have to make a couple of technical corrections.

Firstly the words "Son of God" when written about Jesus in the New Testament are written with a capital "S", and when written about other humans (as in Mat 5:9, Mat 5:44-45a, Luke 6:35, Luke 20:35-36, John 1:12-13, Rom 8:13-14, Rom 8:19, Rom 8:21, Rom 9:8, Gal 3:26, Phil 2:15, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 3:2, 1 John 3:10, 1 John 5:2, 1 John 5:19) are written with a small "s". Normally pronouns and terms are capitalized only when used of God. Most of the English translations are done by Trinitarians who believe that Jesus was God. So when they translate the Greek words when used of Jesus, the words are written with a capital "S" as "Son of God", but exactly the same Greek words, when used of others, are translated with a small "s" as "sons of God". But the original Greek had no special capitalization; in fact all the words were written in capitals, and the Greek text itself warrants no such special capitalization. The following are the complete lists of the Greek words used (along with their Strong’s numbers), when used for Jesus, and when used for others. The words are purposely written in all caps, because in the original Greek they are in all caps.

When used for Jesus:

Mat 4:3

HUIOS (5207) EI (1510) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON YOU BE OF GOD

Mat 4:6

HUIOS (5207) EI (1488) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON YOU BE OF GOD

Mat 8:29

HUIE (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Mat 14:33

THEOU (2316) HUIOS (5207) EI (1488) = GOD’S SON YOU ARE

Mat 16:16

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) TOU (3588) ZOONTOS (2198) = SON OF GOD OF LIVING

Mat 26:63

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Mat 27:40

HUIOS (5207) EI (1510) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON YOU BE OF GOD

Mat 27:43

THEOU (2316) EIMI (1510) HUIOS (5207) = OF GOD I AM THE SON

Mat 27:54

THEOU (2316) HUIOS (5207) EEN (1510) HOUTOS (3778) = GOD’S SON WAS THIS

Mark 1:1

HUIOU (5207) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Mark 3:11

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Mark 5:7

HUIE (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Mark 14:61

HUIOS (5207) EULOGEETOU (2128) = SON OF THE BLESSED

Mark 15:39

HUIOS (5207) THEOU (2316) EEN (2258) = SON OF GOD WAS

Luke 4:3

HUIOS (5207) EI (1488) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON YOU BE OF GOD

Luke 4:9

HUIOS (5207) EI (1510) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON YOU BE OF GOD

Luke 4:41

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Luke 8:28

HUIE (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Luke 22:70

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

John 1:34

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

John 1:49

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

John 3:16

HUION (5207) TON (3588) = SON HIS.

John 5:25

HUIOU (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

John 8:36

HO (3588) HUIOS (5207) = THE SON

John 10:36

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

John 11:4

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

John 11:27

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

John 19:7

HUION (5207) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

John 20:31

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Acts 9:20

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Rom 1:4

HUIOU (5207) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Rom 1:9

HUIOU (5207) AUTOU (846) = SON HIS

Rom 5:10

HUIOU (5207) AUTOU (846) = SON HIS

Rom 8:29

HUIOU (5207) AUTOU (846) = SON HIS

1 Cor 1:9

HUIOU (5207) AUTOU (846) = SON HIS

2 Cor 1:19

THEOU (2316) GAR (1063) HUIOS (5207) = FOR GOD’S SON

Gal 1:15-16

HUION (5207) AUTOU (846) = SON HIS

Gal 2:20

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Gal 4:6

HUIOU (5207) AUTOU (846) = SON HIS

Eph 4:13

HUIOU (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

1 Th 1:10

HUION (5207) AUTOU (846) = SON HIS

Heb 1:2

HUIOO (5207) = (HIS) SON

Heb 4:14

HUION (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Heb 6:6

HUION (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Heb 10:29

HUION (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

1 John 1:3

HUIOU (5207) AUTOU (846) THEOU (2316) = SON HIS

1 John 1:7

IEESOU (2424) TOU (3588) HUIOU (5207) = JESUS, HIS SON

1 John 3:8

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

1 John 3:23

HUIOU (5207) AUTOU (846) IEESOU (2424) = SON HIS JESUS

1 John 4:10

HUION (5207) AUTOU (846) = SON HIS

1 John 4:14

TON (3588) HUION (5207) = THE SON

1 John 4:15

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

1 John 5:5

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

1 John 5:9-13

HUION (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

1 John 5:20

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

Rev 2:18

HUIOS (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SON OF GOD

 

Now look at the verses in which the words have been used for people other than Jesus:

Mat 5:9

HUIOI (5207) THEOU (2316) = SONS GOD

Mat 5:44-45a

HUIOI (5207) TOU (3588) PATROS (3962) HUMOON (5216) TOU (3588) EN (1722) OURANOIS (3772) = SONS OF FATHER OF YOUR WHICH IN HEAVEN

Luke 6:35

HUIOI (5207) HUPSISTOU (5310) = SONS OF THE HIGHEST

Luke 20:36

HUIOI (5207) EISIN (1526) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN ARE OF GOD

John 1:12-13

TEKNA (5043) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

John 11:51-52

TEKNA (5043) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

Rom 8:14

HUIOI (5207) THEOU (2316) = SONS OF GOD

Rom 8:19

HULOON (5207) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = SONS OF GOD

Rom 8:21

TEKNOON (5043) TOU 93588) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

Rom 9:8

TEKNA (5043) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

Rom 9:26

HUIOS (5207) THEOU (2316) ZOONTOS (2198) = CHILDREN OF GOD THE LIVING

2 Cor 6:18

PATERA (3962)… HUIOS (5207) = FATHER… SONS

Gal 3:26

HUIOI (5207) THEOU (2316) ESTE (2075) = CHILDREN OF GOD YOU ARE

Gal 4:6-7

HUIOS (5207)… = SONS OF GOD

Phil 2:15

TEKNA (5043) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

Heb 12:5

HUIOS (5207)… HUIE (5207) MOU (3450) = CHILDREN… MY SON

Heb 12:6

HUION (5207) = SON

Heb 12:7

HUIOIS (5207) = SONS, THEOS (2316) = GOD, PATEER (3962) = FATHER

Heb 12:8

HUIOI (5207) = SONS

1 John 3:1

TEKNA (5043) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

1 John 3:2

TEKNA (5043) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

1 John 3:10

TEKNA (5043) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

1 John 5:2

TEKNA (5043) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = CHILDREN OF GOD

1 John 5:19

EK (1537) TOU (3588) THEOU (2316) = OF GOD

Rev 21:7

THEOS (2316)… HUIOS (5207) = GOD… SON

 

Well, well, well! When written this way, as they should be written, there is absolutely no difference in the way the phrase appears in English, for Jesus and for others. The neat little trick of capitalizing "S" when writing "Son of God" for Jesus, but writing "sons of God" for others goes a long way in fixing Jesus’ Godhead in the minds of believers. Henceforth, I shall not capitalize the "s" when calling Jesus "son of God" since the original Greek does not give any warrant to do so.

Another neat little trick carried out by the New Testament translators not warranted by the Greek text, but which goes an equally long way in fixing the uniqueness of Jesus’ sonship is to supply the definitive article "the" when used of Jesus, but not supply it when used of others. Although not so important for the issue at hand viz. the divinity of Jesus and the concept of the Trinity, it is good to be aware of it and keep it at the back of our minds. The above two lists, when re-written with the definitive article only when it appears in the Greek text are as follows.

Let’s give the translators plus or minus marks. In the following lists:

‘-’

indicates a translation where there is no definitive article in the Greek yet the translators have incorrectly supplied it in the translation

‘+’

indicates a translation where there is a definitive article in the Greek and the translators have supplied it in the translation

‘*’

indicates a translation where there is no definitive article in the Greek and the translators have correctly not used it in the translation.

The ones marked + and * are thus correct translations. A "(the)" in brackets is where it has been supplied by translators.

-Mat 4:3

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are (the) son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

-Mat 4:6

"If you are (the) son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they…

*Mat 8:29

"What do you want with us, son of God?" they shouted (although the KJV has "you, son of God."

-Mat 14:33

"Truly you are (the) son of God."

+Mat 16:16

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the son of the living God."

+Mat 26:63

the son of God

-Mat 27:40

if you are (the) son of God

-Mat 27:43

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am (the) son of God.'"

-Mat 27:54

"Surely he was (the) son of God!"

-Mark 1:1

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, (the) son of God.

+Mark 3:11

…and cried out, "You are the son of God."

*Mark 5:7

He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God?

+Mark 14:61

the son of the Blessed One

-Mark 15:39

"Surely this man was (the) son of God!"

-Luke 4:3

The devil said to him, "If you are (the) son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

-Luke 4:9

"If you are (the) son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here."

+Luke 4:41

Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the son of God!"

*Luke 8:28

"What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God?"

+Luke 22:70

They all asked, "Are you then the son of God?"

+John 1:34

"I have seen and I testify that this is the son of God."

+John 1:49

Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the son of God; you are the King of Israel."

-John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave the one who became his single son (mono=one, single; ginomai=to become, to come into being, to cause to be) (NIV = one and only son, KJV = only begotten son)

+John 5:25

voice of the son of God

+John 8:36

the son

*John 10:36

…because I said, 'I am God's son'? (although the KJV has ‘I am the son of God?’)

*John 11:4

God's son

+John 11:27

the son of God

-John 19:7

The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be (the) son of God."

+John 20:31

the son of God

+Acts 9:20

the son of God

-Rom 1:4

…was declared with power to be (the) son of God

*Rom 1:9

his son

*Rom 5:10

his son

*Rom 8:29

his son

*1 Cor 1:9

his son

+2 Cor 1:19

the son of God

*Gal 1:15-16

his son

+Gal 2:20

the son of God

*Gal 4:6

his son

+Eph 4:13

the son of God

*1 Th 1:10

his son

*Heb 1:2

his son

+Heb 4:14

the son of God

+Heb 6:6

the son of God

+Heb 10:29

the son of God

*1 John 1:3

his son

*1 John 1:7

his son

+1 John 3:8

the son of God

*1 John 3:23

his son

*1 John 4:10

his son

*1 John 4:14

his son

+1 John 4:15

the son of God

+1 John 5:5

the son of God

*1 John 5:9

his son

+1 John 5:10

the son of God

*1 John 5:10

his son

*1 John 5:11

his son

+1 John 5:12

the son of God

+1 John 5:13

the son of God

+1 John 5:20

the son of God

+Rev 2:18

the son of God

 

Let’s do the same exercise for the term when used of others:

*Mat 5:9

sons of God

*Mat 5:45

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven

*Luke 6:35

and you will be sons of the Most High

*Luke 20:36

They are God's children

*John 1:12

he gave the right to become children of God

+John 11:52

the scattered children of God

*Rom 8:14

those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God

+Rom 8:19

for the sons of God to be revealed

+Rom 8:21

into the glorious freedom of the children of God

*Rom 9:8

God’s children

*Rom 9:26

they will be called 'sons of the living God'

*2 Cor 6:18

you will be my sons and daughters

*Gal 3:26

You are all sons of God

*Gal 4:6

you are sons

*Gal 4:7

you are no longer a slave, but a son

*Phil 2:15

you may become blameless and pure, children of God…

*Heb 12:5

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline…"

*Heb 12:6

punishes everyone he accepts as a son

*Heb 12:7

God is treating you as sons

*Heb 12:8

and not true sons

*1 John 3:1

we should be called children of God

*1 John 3:2

now we are children of God

+1 John 3:10

This is how we know who the children of God are

+1 John 5:2

This is how we know that we love the children of God

*Rev 21:7

he will be my son

 

All these have either a ‘+’ or a ‘*’ showing that they are correct translations, whereas in the list about Jesus, there are eleven places where the translators have supplied the article ‘the’ without warrant. Without doing violence to the text, these can be translated as:

Mat 4:3

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are a son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Mat 4:6

"If you are a son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they…

Mat 14:33

"Truly you are a son of God."

Mat 27:40

if you are a son of God

Mat 27:43

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am a son of God.'"

Mat 27:54

"Surely he was a son of God!"

Mark 1:1

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, a son of God.

Mark 15:39

"Surely this man was a son of God!"

Luke 4:3

The devil said to him, "If you are a son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

Luke 4:9

"If you are a son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here."

Rom 1:4

…was declared with power to be a son of God

In fact, these can also be translated as (but the context doesn’t justify it):

Mat 4:3

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are son of a god, tell these stones to become bread."

Mat 4:6

"If you are son of a god," he said, "throw yourself down. For is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they…

Mat 14:33

"Truly you are son of a god."

Mat 27:40

if you are son of a god

Mat 27:43

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am son of a god.'"

Mat 27:54

"Surely he was son of a god!"

Mark 1:1

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, son of a god.

Mark 15:39

"Surely this man was son of a god!"

Luke 4:3

The devil said to him, "If you are son of a god, tell this stone to become bread."

Luke 4:9

"If you are son of a god," he said, "throw yourself down from here."

Rom 1:4

…was declared with power to be son of a god

 

Back to the second aspect of the meaning of "son of God," an aspect unique to Jesus. There are two sets of statements in the New Testament – one, that Jesus was the "only begotten" son of God, and two, that he existed with God before the creation of the universe, was instrumental in creation, and came down to earth in the form of man. The passages that proclaim Jesus to be the "only begotten" of God are (all KJV):

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:18

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:18

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

1 John 4:9

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

All these passages have been quoted from the KJV since the NIV incorrectly translates monogenees as "the one and only". Actually the correct translation should be "only generated" or "only created" (since mono=only, genees=generated or created). But presumably that is too uncomfortable for Trinitarian translators as can be seen from the following translations which are more faithful to the original Greek:

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only generated/created of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:18

No man hath seen God at any time; the only generated/created son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only generated/created son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:18

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only generated/created son of God.

1 John 4:9

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only generated/created son into the world, that we might live through him.

The second group of passages, which make Jesus different, are the ones which speak of Jesus’ pre-existence i.e. existence before the creation of the universe:

John 1:1-4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 1:10

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:15

John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'"

John 1:30

This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'

John 3:13

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.

John 3:17

For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:31

"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.

John 6:33

For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

John 6:38

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

John 6:46

No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

John 6:62

What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!

John 8:23

But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

John 8:42

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.

John 8:58

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

John 10:36

what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?

John 13:3

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

John 16:27-28

No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

John 17:5

And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

John 17:18

As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

John 17:24

"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

1 Cor 15:47

The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.

Col 1:16-17

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Heb 1:2

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

1 John 1:1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

1 John 1:2

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

1 John 4:2

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

2 John 1:7

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

However, the only conclusion that can be drawn from these statements is that Jesus was God’s only begotten (monogenees=generated/ created) son, his first creation, and that God created the universe through him, not that Jesus was God, nor that he was "eternal". In fact the word "monogenees" by definition includes the concept of being created.

This is a difference of kind, and in this sense, we can never be "like him". A "difference of kind" is a difference as seen between royalty and common people in countries where there is a king or a queen like in England or Nepal or Bhutan, no matter how titular the powers they have. Any citizen of England can aspire to become the Prime Minister of England if he is capable enough. But anybody cannot become the king or queen of such countries. One has to be born into royalty to become that. No matter how capable, a person just cannot become the king of Nepal or the queen of England if he/she is not born into royalty. This is the "difference of kind" which is the second meaning of the term "son of God" applicable to Jesus only.

 

We have looked at two aspects of the term "son of God." We have purposely not looked at another aspect, which appears in only one place in the Bible – in Luke 1:35 which says that "The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’" Now this occurs in that section of the New Testament for which a good case can be made out that it was inserted sometime in the latter-half of the second century. The question of which portions in the New Testament are likely to have been inserted afterwards form the scope of another essay. We see there how this explanation for the term "son of God" as offered by Luke 1:35 fits in better with pagan theology. The terms should be understood the way in which first-century Jews understood them, and not the way gentiles (who were the most responsible for formulating the theology we have inherited) did. Gentiles understood "son of God" to mean "offspring of God through a woman" (e.g. Apollo, the "son of Zeus" meant "offspring of Zeus" and Orpheus, the "son of Apollo" meant "offspring of Apollo"). Here it is important to note that there is only one verse, and only one in the entire New Testament – Luke 1:35, which does not fit, but contradicts the above two meanings derived from hundreds of New Testament passages. And it occurs in that section of the New Testament for which a good case can be made out that it was inserted later.

 

To conclude: all this discussion was to examine the term from various aspects, to capture its snapshots from various angles to get an accurate understanding of it. From all this discussion we can now arrive at the meaning of the term as follows:

To be the "son of God" means to have a character like God’s, by being in a close relationship with God through continuous obedience to Him. This was true of Jesus and is a possibility open to all of us. But there was another way in which Jesus was unique as "son of God" – in that he was God’s first and only creation, through whom God created the rest of the universe.

 

 

Understanding the terms "Son of Man" and "Messiah" (or "Christ" or "Savior")

Since these terms are connected, they will have to be considered together. Also connected with these is the idea of the setting up of God’s Kingdom or the Kingdom of God, a kingdom which God would set up, with the Messiah or "Son of Man" as the king.

What did the terms "Messiah" or "Saviour" mean to first-century Jews? The Bible at that time (the "Old Testament" of today) contained a number of prophecies which spoke of "a person", "a special person" who would be coming in the future, and who would be "a Deliverer", "a Saviour", "a Messiah" and indeed, the Jews were eagerly awaiting this "Savior". Jesus claimed that he was this "special person", this "Savior", this "Messiah".

The prophecies started right back in the Garden of Eden, immediately after Adam, the first man, sinned by disobeying God and obeying the devil (Satan) who had come in the form of a serpent, in the matter of not eating a specified fruit. In pronouncing the curse on the devil and the serpent, God said that there would always be enmity between the serpent and the descendents of the woman (Genesis 3:15). Promising the coming of "the special person" in the future, God said that this person will crush the devil's head, but not before the devil had struck his heel. The next prophecy regarding "this special person" (recorded in Genesis 49:10) came through Jacob, who predicted that the physical ancestry of "this special person" was to be from the line of Judah. ("The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his."). The next prophecy was through Moses (recorded in Deuteronomy 18:15) - "Jehovah God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him." Hundreds of years later, fed up with the unfaithfulness of the priests Hophni and Phinehas, God declared that "I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always." (1 Samuel 2:35)

This "special person" will be a descendent of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1 "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit." also in Isaiah 11:10). He will be preceded by a messenger (Isaiah 40:3 : "A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.'"; and Malachi 3:1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.)

He will perform a major part of his work in the land of Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-2 : "In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."). He will be gentle to the weak (Isaiah 42:3 : "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out."). He will speak in parables and will reveal things formerly hidden (Psalm 78:2: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old--"). He will perform healing miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6 "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.)

This "special person" will not remain dead in the grave, but will come alive again (Isaiah 53:11: "After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities." and Psalm 16:10: "because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay").

In heaven, this "special person" will have authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language will worship him. His dominion will be an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. One of his titles will be "Son of Man". This was recorded in Daniel 7:9-14: "As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

This special person will play a very important role in the end times. Jesus said that "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24:30-31) Then Satan, who deceives the people on this earth, will be bound for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2-3), during which Christ will rule personally from Jerusalem, along with those who had stood firmly for him and laid down their lives during the period of great distress (Revelation 20:4,6). When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison (Revelation 20:7) and will go out to deceive the nations to gather them for battle (Revelation 20:8). They will march across the breadth of the earth and surround the camp of God's people. But fire will come down from heaven and devour them (Revelation 20:9). And the devil will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur to be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10). Then all the dead will be resurrected for the Final Judgment - "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead will be judged according to what they have done as recorded in the books. The sea will give up the dead that are in it, and death and Hades will give up the dead that are in them, and each person will be judged according to what he has done. Then death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name is not found written in the book of life, he will be thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:12-15). This Final Judgment will be carried out by this very "special person", the Christ (John5:27; Acts 10:42, 17:31; Romans 2:16; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 10:30, 12:23, 13:4; Jude 1:15)

Then this "special person" will make everything new. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." (Rev 21:1)... He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" (Rev 21:5) In the new order of things there will be no sin, no sickness, no death; people will live for ever and ever. Jesus claimed that he was this "special person" by consistently referring to himself as the "Son of Man", implying that he was this "special person" prophesied till then.

Right at his baptism, in John 1:51, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." In John 3:13-15, speaking of himself, Jesus said, "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." In Matthew 8:20 and Luke 9:58, Jesus said about himself, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." In Matthew 9:6, he again said of himself - "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .", then saying to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." In Matthew 11:18-19 and Luke 7:33-34, he said of himself - "John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'"

In Mark 2:10-11 and Luke 5:24, while performing a miracle, Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man : "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." In Luke 19:10, Jesus referred to his mission as "the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." In John 9:35-37, after Jesus heard that they had thrown the blind man he had healed out, went found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."

In Matthew 12:40, referring to the fact that he would rise again from the dead after three days, Jesus said, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." In Matthew 17:9 and Mark 9:9, as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

When he was trying to get it across to his slow-to-understand disciples that he would suffer much at the hands of the religious leaders of the day, be betrayed into their hands, die at their hands, but be raised to life once again, he referred to himself as the "Son of Man". In Mark 9:12, Jesus said that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected. In Matthew 17:12, he said, "the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands" and in 17:22-23 (also in Mark 9:31), he said, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." A little later, in Matthew 20:18-19 (also in Mark 10:33), he said, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" In Luke 24:7, he said, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again." In Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45, speaking of himself, Jesus said, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." In John 8:28, speaking of himself, Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me."

Referring to the time of his second coming, in Matthew 24:23-31, Mark 13:21-27 and Luke 17:22-37, Jesus said : "At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a body, there the eagles will gather. "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory (also in Luke 21:27). And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Continuing about the time and circumstances of his second coming, Jesus continued in Matthew 24:36-44 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (also in Luke 12:39-40)

Referring to events after his second coming, in Matthew 25:31-32, Jesus said : "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." Also referring to these events, in Matthew 19:28, he said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." In Matthew 16:27, speaking of himself, Jesus said, "the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." And in Mark 8:38 and Luke 9:26, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." In Luke 21:36, he warns, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." In Luke 6:22, Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man."

In Luke 18:31-33, speaking about himself, Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."

Just before his betrayal, in Matthew 26:2, Jesus said to his disciples, "As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." A little later, in Matthew 26:24 (also in Mark 14:21 and Luke 22:21-22), he again calls himself the Son of Man : "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." And when Judas came in the middle of the night with a crowd armed with swords and clubs (sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders) to betray Jesus, Jesus said that the "Son of Man" is being betrayed (Matthew 26:45-46 and Mark 14:41-42). In Luke 22:47-48, it is said that while he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

At his inquisition, the high priest said to Jesus, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say, But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

 

The claim to be the Messiah and the Son of Man is closely connected with the setting up of the Kingdom of God. It is the Messiah, the Son of Man, who will set up the coming Kingdom of God. "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Mat 13:40-43). I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." (Mat 16:28). "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." (Mat 20:18-22) "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." (Mark 8:38-91:1 and Luke 9:26-27). "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. (Luke 19:10-11).

Jesus claimed to be the king who would reign over this kingdom. In Mat 27:11, when the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?", Jesus replied "Yes, it is as you say," (also in Mark 15:2 and Luke 23:3). In John 18:37, it is recorded that he added, "You are right in saying I am a king." It was Nathanael’s confession, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." (John 1:49) which Jesus did not correct. Another person Jesus did not correct regarding his being the king, was the mother of Zebedee’s sons when she had asked him that one of her sons may sit at his right and the other at his left in his kingdom (Mat 20:21)

 

However, Jesus had to continuously correct his hearers about their idea regarding the kingdom. Oppressed by being under the yoke of the Roman empire, hearing stories of the success of the Macabbean revolts, the proud Jews harbored hopes of a successful overthrowing of the Roman yoke, led by a sword-bearing Messiah and the setting up of an earthly kingdom. Whereas Jesus’ idea was that it would be God who would be setting up His Heavenly Kingdom, when the Jews started living godly lives through daily repentance from sins. God would use a godly and righteous man as the Messiah to set up His kingdom. That is why Jesus was constantly preaching repentance from sins and living godly lives as conditions for entering into the kingdom. The "good news" that Jesus preached was "the Kingdom of God is near." To enter it, the thing that the hearers needed to do was to "repent of their sinful lives." That this was the central message which Jesus preached, is clear from numerous explicit and summary statements such as:

Mat 4:17

From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Mat 4:23

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Mat 9:35

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Mark 1:14-15

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Luke 4:42-44

At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Luke 8:1

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:11

but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

Luke 16:16

"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

 

He had to constantly correct the hearers’ ideas about the king, the kingdom, and its subjects. In the Sermon on the Mount, twice he mentions the kind of people whose kingdom the Kingdom of God will be: those who are the poor in spirit (Mat 5:3), and those who are persecuted because of righteousness (Mat 5:10), hardly corresponding to the Maccabean fighters! Entry into the kingdom was not to be on the basis of military might, but on the basis of righteous lives and obedience to God ("For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." - Mat 5:20; "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven".- Mat 7:21; "The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil".- Mat 13:41).

Entry into the kingdom was not guaranteed because of their natural births in the nation of Israel (Mat 8:10-12 - "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith… But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside. ") and was open to everyone, even those who were looked down as the worst of sinners - "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you." (Mat 21:31) "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out." (Luke 13:28)

Love for worldly riches would be a hindrance to entering this kingdom - "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Mat 19:23-24, Mark 10:23-25, Luke 18:24-25)

The high and the low places in the kingdom of God would be not on the basis of strength or valor or intelligence, but on obedience to God ("Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." - Mat 5:19), humility ("Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Mat 18:4, Mark 10:14-15, Luke 18:16-17)

So much did he speak about the kingdom of God that people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once (Luke 19:11). In fact, even after his resurrection, he spoke about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3) so much so that they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6)

 

One important area in which Jesus’ conception about the Messiah differed from the disciples was about the suffering the Messiah had to endure. The gospels are clear that from a particular point of time, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life (Mat 16:21, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22). The thought was so alien to Peter’s mind that he took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"(Mat 16:22, Mark 8:32) Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Mat 16:23, Mark 8:33)

Jesus repeated the point of his suffering in Mat 17:12 "But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." (also in Mark 9:12-13), "But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation" (Luke 17:25), "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" (Luke 24:26) and "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day…" (Luke 24:46)

In Mark 9:12, Jesus said that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected. In Matthew 17:12, he said, "the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands" (also in Mark 9:12-13) and in 17:22-23 (also in Mark 9:31), he said, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." A little later, in Matthew 20:18-19 (also in Mark 10:33), he said, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" In Luke 17:25, he said, "But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation." In Luke 24:7, he said, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again" and in Luke 24:26 "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

 

Jesus knew that he was to be the king in the coming kingdom. But his idea of the way the kingdom was to be set up was quite different from the Jews’ idea. When he saw that they intended to come and make him king by force, he withdrew to a mountain by himself (John 6:15). In fact when the devil offered him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor if he would bow down and worship him, Jesus bluntly refused (Mat 4:8-10). His kingdom was of a different kind. "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)

 

To communicate something about the differing nature of the kingdom, Jesus spoke a large number of parables about the kingdom. The word "parable" comes from the root "paraballo" which means "to throw alongside" in an effort to make the recipients see something they have difficulty seeing. An everyday example is when we point to an easily distinguishable object near another one which is difficult to see in an effort to make another person see that object. "Do you see that crow sitting there on that branch? The mango is just to his right" and the person sees the mango immediately because we have "thrown something" near the object we want him to see.

Jesus’ purpose was to communicate in such a manner that the hearers would understand. However, not all understood. The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" (Mat 13:10) Jesus made it clear that the problem was not with the speaker, but with the hearers. The words they heard were exactly the same. But their hearts had become calloused; they hardly heard with their ears, and they had closed their eyes (Mat 13:15). But the disciples eyes and ears he called blessed, because they saw and hey heard (Mat 13:16). Those who were spiritually sensitive immediately understood the meanings of the parables; those who had become calloused did not. In fact Jesus went one step further and said that further knowledge about the kingdom would come only to those who maintained such sensitivity – "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." (Mat 13:12)

 

Conclusion

So then, this is what Jesus claimed to be – Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, Messiah, Christ, the coming king. None of these terms he used of himself mean that he claimed to be God in the flesh. By claiming to be son of God, he claimed to have such a close relationship with God, developed because of continuous obedience to Him, that his character had become like God’s. By calling him "monogenees", John proclaims him as "only-created of God" and pre-existent before the creation of the rest of the universe. By claiming to be the Son of Man, Messiah, Christ, the coming king, Jesus claimed to be the person God would use to bring in His kingdom, and the person God would install as king in it. This is how Jesus understood the terms. And that is how we are to understand them.