What Does "Son of God" Mean?

Jesus is the Son of God, but what does that mean!? Sunday Morning – January 6, 2019 Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church, Olympia, WA 1. INTRODUCTION: - Every Christian knows Christ is God’s Son, but how many Christians actually know what this means? o (1) Acts 9:20: And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” ▪ Why does Luke summarize Paul’s message with this title? o (2) Mk 1:1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ▪ Why does Mark summarize Jesus’ identity with this title? o (3) Nicene Creed (325 A.D.): We believe in one God; Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of everything visible and invisible. Also, we believe in one Lord; Jesus, Messiah, the unique Son of God, who was brought forth from the Father before all time began ▪ Why have Christians always summarized Jesus’ identity with this title? 2. WHAT IS THE TRINITY? - - - Definition:1 o (1) within the One being that is God, o (2) there eternally exists three co-equal and co-eternal Persons, o (3) the Father, the Son, and the Spirit Three pillars: o (1) There is one God o (2) There are three divine Persons o (3) The Persons are co-equal and co-eternal Every wrong idea about Christ begins by denying one of these pillars, so: o Where does Jesus as “Son” fit in? o How does it fit in? o When you read that Jesus is God’s Son, what should you think about this? 1 The definition and the three pillars are from James R. White, The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering the Heart of Christian Belief (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1998), 26-28. 1 Pastor Tyler Robbins Jesus is the Son of God, but what does that mean!? Sunday Morning – January 6, 2019 Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church, Olympia, WA 3. WHAT DOES “SON” MEAN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT? - God didn’t get together with a goddess, who gave birth to a Son named Jesus – so what happened? The answer is that “son” doesn’t always mean literal “son” in the Bible; there are four broad categories of meaning – and your Bibles show you!2 o This is detective work; as we look at each category, think about which meaning best fits Jesus as the “son of God” a. A profession, organization or fellowship: - - - (1) 2 Kings 2:3 (also vv.5, 7): o Elijah is about to be raptured to heaven without seeing death o And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.” ▪ Sons of the prophets = prophets (profession) ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! (2) Nehemiah 3:8: o The Israelites are rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after the exile o Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers [lit: son of the perfumers], repaired, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall ▪ Son of the perfumers = perfumer (profession) ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! (3) 2 Chronicles 25:13: o Army from Northern Kingdom pillaging cities of Judah after King Amaziah refused to let them go with him into battle against Edom o But the men of the army [lit: sons of the troop] whom Amaziah sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, raided the cities of My discussion here is heavily indebted to S. Herbert Bess, “The Term ‘Son of God’ in the Light of Old Testament Idiom,” Grace Journal (GJ 06:2 [Spring 1965]), 16-23. See also Michael L. Brown, “Objection 3.3 – God Doesn’t Have a Son,” in Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus: Theological Objections, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000), 38-47. 2 2 Pastor Tyler Robbins Jesus is the Son of God, but what does that mean!? Sunday Morning – January 6, 2019 Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church, Olympia, WA - Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 people in them and took much spoil. ▪ Sons of the troop = men of the army (profession) ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! Is this the sense in which Jesus is the Son of God; that it’s His job!? o No; doesn’t fit! b. A state or condition: - - - - (1) Ezra 4:1: o Trouble from people of the land as temple is being built after exile o Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity [ESV: returned exiles] builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; ▪ Children of captivity = returned exiles = condition (2) Genesis 17:12: o The Old Covenant sign of membership o He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner [lit: son of a foreign country] who is not of your offspring, ▪ Son of a foreign country = foreigner = condition ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! (3) Proverbs 31:8: o King’s mother lecturing him about justice as ruler o Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute [lit: sons of passing away]. ▪ Sons of passing away = destitute, appointed to destruction = condition ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! (4) 1 Samuel 20:31: o Saul is consumed with jealousy about David o For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die [lit: sons of passing away].” ▪ Son of death = condemned to death = condition 3 Pastor Tyler Robbins Jesus is the Son of God, but what does that mean!? Sunday Morning – January 6, 2019 Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church, Olympia, WA - ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! Is this the sense in which Jesus is the Son of God; that His condition is that He’s God? o Maybe; but (like Cinderella’s glass slipper on the ugly stepsister) it doesn’t quite fit! Let’s keep looking! c. Character, attribute: - - - - (1) 1 Samuel 14:52: o Describes Saul’s growing army in his wars against Israel’s enemies o There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man [lit: son of valor], he attached him to himself. ▪ Son of valor = valiant man = character ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! (2) 2 Samuel 3:34: o David’s sorrow at death of Abner, former commander of Saul’s army o And the king lamented for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies? Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked [lit: sons of wickedness] you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him. ▪ Son of wickedness = the wicked = character ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! (3) Deuteronomy 13:13-14: o Moses’ instructions about false prophets o If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, ▪ “Certain men, the children of Belial [ESV: worthless fellows], are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;’” o then shalt thou enquire, and make search, … ▪ Children of Belial = worthless people = character ▪ Why translated this way = that’s what it means! Is this the sense in which Jesus is the Son of God; that He has a character or attribute of His personality that’s God-like? 4 Pastor Tyler Robbins Jesus is the Son of God, but what does that mean!? Sunday Morning – January 6, 2019 Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church, Olympia, WA o Not quite; it’s not enough! d. Nature, constellation of particular qualities: - - - - - Nature: describes your attributes, personality, will, mind, characteristics = the constellation of things that makes you human, instead of an animal o Now, we all have different attributes, personality, characteristics (etc.) o But, the point is that we each have a human nature that contains these things ▪ EX: Sauron (Lord of Rings), Henry Gowen (When Calls the Heart) o A nature describes the constellation of things that make you you! (1) Numbers 23:19: o Balaam to Balek, king of Moab o God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? ▪ Son of man = man’s nature and makeup (2) Ezekiel 2:1: o The beginning of Ezekiel’s first visions of God o And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” ▪ Son of man = representative man (3) Acts 4:36-37: o The early church o Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. ▪ Son of encouragement = Joseph’s nature; it describes Him! (4) Mark 3:17: o Jesus appoints the 12 o He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder) ▪ Sons of thunder = fiery, temperamental nature (cp. Lk 9:56) 5 Pastor Tyler Robbins Jesus is the Son of God, but what does that mean!? Sunday Morning – January 6, 2019 Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church, Olympia, WA - - - (5) 2 Thessalonians 2:3: o The Antichrist o Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ▪ Son of destruction = man characterized by annihilation, destruction (6) Galatians 3:7: o Who are the true children of Abraham? o Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham ▪ Son of Abraham = shares Abraham’s faith Is this sense in which Jesus is God’s Son; that He reflects the nature and qualities of the Father? o Yes! o Heb 1:3: He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power o Col 1:19-20: For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 4. CONCLUSION – Do you know God’s Son!? - When the Bible says Jesus is God’s unique, one and only Son, it means He shares the Father’s glory, status, holiness and characteristics Whoever has seen Jesus has seen the Father (Jn 14:9)! This means (among other things): o (1) When Mark wrote, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” (Mk 1:1), he’s saying: ▪ Jesus is equal to God, separate from the Father, and Mark’s Gospel is about the Good News He came to bring o (2) When God said, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” (Mk 1:11): ▪ The Father was declaring His Son’s identity o (3) When Nathanael confessed “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (Jn 1:49): 6 Pastor Tyler Robbins Jesus is the Son of God, but what does that mean!? Sunday Morning – January 6, 2019 Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church, Olympia, WA - ▪ He was declaring Jesus’ divinity; long before Peter! o (4) When the man with the legion of demons fell at Jesus’ feet and screamed, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (Mk 5:7). ▪ The demons were declaring Jesus divine; it’s why they’re terrified! o (5) At Jesus’ trial, when “the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (Mk 14:61): ▪ Jewish officials knew this was what Jesus claimed, and knew what it meant! ▪ This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God (Jn 5:18) = sense of “nature” ▪ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God,” (Jn 19:7) = sense of “nature” o (6) When Jesus died, and “the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’” (Mk 15:39): ▪ The centurion knew who Jesus was! o (7) When the Apostle Thomas saw Jesus for the first time, after the resurrection and confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28): ▪ Thomas was confessing Jesus’ identity; He’s divine! ▪ The resurrection proves it! o (8) When the Apostle John wrote, Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God (1 Jn 4:14): ▪ What did he mean? ▪ He meant that: • If you don’t confess that Jesus shares God’s nature, • that He’s the express image of the Father, • and the exact imprint of His nature, • then God doesn’t abide in you, • and you have no place in God’s coming kingdom A long time ago, a Godly man asked this question: 7 Pastor Tyler Robbins Jesus is the Son of God, but what does that mean!? Sunday Morning – January 6, 2019 Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church, Olympia, WA - - - - o Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know (Prov 30:4). Let me ask you: o Do you know who His Son is? o Do you confess that Jesus is the Son of God? o Now that you know what the title means, can you confess it, like the Apostle John says you must? o Do you believe who He is? o Do you believe what He did (life, death, resurrection)? Is Jesus, the Son of God, your only hope in this life? o So then each of us will give an account of himself to God (Rom 14:12) o Whose righteousness will you claim; yours or Christ’s? Are you waiting to make a decision about Christ? Are you waiting to answer that question from Proverbs? o What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes (Jas 4:14) o The tree from which your coffin will be made might already be cut down! o The shovels that will dig your grave might be in a truck headed for your local Home Depot right now! o This Spring, the flowers might be growing which will surround your casket at the funeral home! Have you heard, read and believed the old, old story of Jesus and His love? Can you say, with that Roman soldier, that, “Truly, this man was the Son of God!” (Mk 15:39)? 8 Pastor Tyler Robbins