Is Jesus the Son of God?

[wizanda]

So you have mentioned Son of God 23 times in the synoptic gospels.

Yes others calling him the 'son of God' in the Synoptic Gospels, he was calling himself the 'son of man'.

I've counted 5 in the book of John so thats 28 in total.

With John being made up by the Sanhedrin, who thought he was calling himself the son of God, and mocked him about it.

Obviously "Son of God" a very important designation for Christ.

Considering Yeshua said we're all children of God, who do the work of the father...

It really doesn't matter in the slightest, it is something materially minded people are concerned with.

Why do we call Jesus the son of God when the designation Son of man is made nearly 3 more in the gopsels?

Because Christianity is made up by the Pharisees (John, Paul and Simon), which has led to it being more about the lies, than the truths Yeshua spoke in the Synoptic Gospels....

This is then a great sign of those who are like flies, as they seem to cling to all the bits we can establish as being crap to begin with.

 

[wizanda]

John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
John 1:34 I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
John 3:18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
John 3:36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
John 5:25 Most certainly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live.
John 6:69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
John 10:36 do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’
John 11:4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
John 11:27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
John 19:7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself 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 believing you may have life in his name.

There are more references in John as well, where it has 'son' and 'father' together....

Implying again he kept calling himself the 'son of God', which is the charge the Pharisees brought against him, even though he didn't say it.

 

[whirlingmerc]

There are a number of ways of considering the son motif
A few are as follows

1) the seed of the woman would crush the seed of the serpent in Gen 3. That opens the door to a virgin birth
2) a son of is like the same kind as. Divine in some sense.
3) we see a strong son of God motif with the promise to King David (and his descendants like Solomon, etc.. ) where God will be his father ad it gets carried through the Psalms as well
4) In the fiery furnace in the story of Daniel when his 3 friends were in the furnace the Babylonians saw a 4rth and he was like a 'son of God'
but don't stop there
Daniel also says 'the son of man will come with the clouds
and so... could it be the son of man is the son of God? fully God and fully unfilled man in some sense
5) Psalm 2 builds on someone in the type of David being Son of God and Psalm 8 as the someone in the type of David (aka the Messiah) being son of man

So .... The seed of the woman, a virgin birth who is somehow of the same nature as God and a son of God according to the promise to David who is also the son of man

and not inconsistent with this
6) Augustine and Jonathan Edwards took 'Son of God' as being Jesus who is the eternally generated image of God who is a 2nd person of the Trinity who shows us the Father
7) Jesus is the root and offspring of David

 

[paarsurrey]

There are a number of ways of considering the son motif
A few are as follows

1) the seed of the woman would crush the seed of the serpent in Gen 3. That opens the door to a virgin birth
2) a son of is like the same kind as. Divine in some sense.
3) we see a strong son of God motif with the promise to King David (and his descendants like Solomon, etc.. ) where God will be his father ad it gets carried through the Psalms as well
4) In the fiery furnace in the story of Daniel when his 3 friends were in the furnace the Babylonians saw a 4rth and he was like a 'son of God'
but don't stop there
Daniel also says 'the son of man will come with the clouds
and so... could it be the son of man is the son of God? fully God and fully unfilled man in some sense
5) Psalm 2 builds on someone in the type of David being Son of God and Psalm 8 as the someone in the type of David (aka the Messiah) being son of man

So .... The seed of the woman, a virgin birth who is somehow of the same nature as God and a son of God according to the promise to David who is also the son of man

and not inconsistent with this
6) Augustine and Jonathan Edwards took 'Son of God' as being Jesus who is the eternally generated image of God who is a 2nd person of the Trinity who shows us the Father
7) Jesus is the root and offspring of David

"considering the son motif"

Does one mean that the word son in "son of god" is not a real son but a decorative word? Please
Regards

 

[whirlingmerc]

son can be used in several sense, but I think of it as Jesus being the eternally generated image of God who is a person, as Augustine and Jonathon Edwards might say. That would be a real son or maybe a better word might be only begotten or maybe inherently true by nature. Where believers are adopted and become sons (or daughters)

I think Michael Reeves explains things well

 

[Desert Snake]

It is, it shows I've looked at the data, the only way you can assess if there are no references as I'm stating, is to examine it yourself; if i post verses, that doesn't mean there are not others, unless you verify it for your self.

What are you talking about? I was referring to the verses where Jesus refers to Himself as the 'son of man'

You didn't present those verses

 

[whirlingmerc]

Jesus was presented at both son of man and son of God in the gospels
Jesus most often name for himself was 'son of man' and that may be part of keeping the lid on his identity
to some degree as he was swamped with crowds and had instructions for some things to wait until after he be raised form the dead

Although Jesus most often called himself 'son of man' he called God father in all his prayers except one
and referred to God as His Father. It makes sense that he wanted to 'hold back' some aspects of who he was till post resurrection

At his trial Jesus claimed to be son of God, son of man, Messiah and coming again and that became the grounds for his crucifixion, whether he was or not

 

[Dawnofhope]

There are a number of ways of considering the son motif
A few are as follows

This is a really helpful post that makes the Son of God motif Central to not just the New Testament, but the Old Testament, and the New Covenant foreseen in Jeremiah 31:31-34 that Christ only partially fulfilled.

As a Baha'i I'm examining the Christian revelation through the lens of the Baha'i revelation. This is what makes this posting different to a Christian post.

I'd like to share what Abdu'l-Baha as to say about the influence of the Holy Spirit in regards to Christ's birth. I would consideration as to whether it is consistent or inconsistent with Christian thought.

Afterwards Christ appeared, saying, “I am born of the Holy Spirit.” If it is easy today, among Christians, to acknowledge the truth of this claim, at the time it was very difficult. Thus, according to the text of the Gospel, the Pharisees said, “Is this not the son of Joseph of Nazareth, whom we know? How then can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Briefly, this Man, Who appeared lowly in the eyes of all, arose nonetheless with such power as to abrogate a fifteen-hundred-year-old Dispensation, notwithstanding that the least deviation from its laws would expose the offender to grave danger and bring about his death and annihilation. Moreover, in the time of Christ the general morals and manners of the Israelites had become entirely confused and corrupted, and Israel had fallen into a state of utmost degradation, misery, and bondage. At one time they fell captive to the Chaldeans and the Persians; at another they were under the yoke of the Assyrian Empire. One day they became the subjects
and vassals of the Greeks; another they were subjugated and humiliated by the Romans.

This young Man, Christ, through an extraordinary power abrogated the ancient Mosaic Law and undertook to reform the morals of the people. He once again laid the foundation of eternal honour for the Israelites—nay, He undertook to rehabilitate the fortunes of the entire human race—and spread abroad teachings that were not reserved for Israel alone but formed the basis for the universal happiness of human society.

The first to arise to destroy Him were the Israelites—His own people and kindred. And to outward seeming they indeed overcame Him and reduced Him to utter abasement, till at last they crowned Him with the crown of thorns and crucified Him. But this Man, while outwardly immersed in deepest affliction, proclaimed: “This Sun will rise, this Light will shine resplendent, My grace will encompass the world, and all Mine enemies will be confounded.” And even as He spoke, so it came to pass, for all the kings of the earth were unable to resist Him. Nay, all their standards were cast down, while the standard of that Wronged One was raised to the loftiest heights.

Is this at all possible in accordance with the rules of human reason? No, by God! Then it is clear and evident that this glorious Being was a true Educator of the world of humanity and that He was aided and assisted by a divine power.

 

[Servant_of_the_One1]

I've got Esword open, and can examine the phrase Son G5207 of God G2316 across the synoptic gospels, and you will find multiple times Yeshua doesn't call him self it; Satan does, demons do, Simon does, the Pharisees do, he doesn't.

Interesting

 

[wizanda]

Interesting

Should take into account tho, God and Gabriel say he is God's son....Plus prophecy says he is an Elohim (angel).

 

[Servant_of_the_One1]

Should take into account tho, God and Gabriel say he is God's son....Plus prophecy says he is an Elohim (angel).

Well we almost agreed

 

[Scott C.]

The Christians belief that Jesus is literally the Son of God. Is this possible? Is there a better way of considering this core Christian belief?

If an omnipotent God is possible, then yes of course it's possible that Jesus is literally the Son of God. This is the most fundamental of Christian teachings, IMO, and I believe it.

 

[whirlingmerc]

Well... consider additionally.... looking at what the angels said before they were born, John the Baptist was filled with the holy spirit before being born but Jesus before born was more, called the holy child.. intrinsically holy

So as son of God Jesus is intrinsically holy
As a prophet, though the greatest up till then, John the Baptist was less directly and fill with he holy spirit... collaterally holy...

So I would add Jesus is inherently instricially holy ... only begotten son of God
Others can be adopted..

 

[Baroodi]

If God is Omnipotent and All-powerful why does he require a consort?

Simply the son of God need to be similar to his father, then the son may get a son. After a while there would be many Gods who will fight to denominate and prevail, just like a boat with two captain's. Quran states what it means: if there are any god's beside God, corruption happens

 

[The Master Motive]

The Christians belief that Jesus is literally the Son of God. Is this possible? Is there a better way of considering this core Christian belief?

I wonder if a better way could possibly come through the idea of the trinity concept, with breaking it down into the main attributes of each and understanding how they work through one another to achieve oneness?

 

[Beth Stitely]

I think it's important to understand what is meant by the title "Son of God". In that time, being a son equated to certain privileges, particularly to receiving an inheritance from the father. A 'Son' would inherit from his father, while a slave would not. Jesus, as the Son of God, means that He is inheriting...but what is He inheriting? Jesus inherits the character of God but more importantly He inherits eternal life. We are called the children of God when we too share in the inheritance of Christ, namely eternal life/salvation.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I think it's important to understand what is meant by the title "Son of God". In that time, being a son equated to certain privileges, particularly to receiving an inheritance from the father. A 'Son' would inherit from his father, while a slave would not. Jesus, as the Son of God, means that He is inheriting...but what is He inheriting? Jesus inherits the character of God but more importantly He inherits eternal life. We are called the children of God when we too share in the inheritance of Christ, namely eternal life/salvation.

Excellent first post Beth. Welcome to the strange world of RF

 

[Dawnofhope]

we too share in the inheritance of Christ, namely eternal life/salvation.

And here is a link to an interesting discussion that has been going on between Jews, Christians, and a Baha'i

If the Jewish Messiah has already come….

 

[psychoslice]

I personally see myself as the Son of God, I don't know about this man called Jesus, I think he is just an impostor, a story that many have been fooled in believing in, well that is how I see it.

 

[oldbadger]

The Christians belief that Jesus is literally the Son of God. Is this possible? Is there a better way of considering this core Christian belief?

In the early accounts about him, Jesus referred to himself as 'Son of Man' and it is only in the add-ins and later reports that the writers claimed that Jesus was a Son of God.

Even if Jesus had called himself 'son of God' the Israelites (and thus the Jews) were all the children of their God!

Jesus was indeed an amazing person, who believedin the old ways and laws, honesty, integrity, love, togetherness......

And probably all of his miracles (as reported in earliest accounts like G-Mark) have a basis for truth. Jesus must have been an amazing presence, as shown by his medical cures. There isn't one that annot be explained. Of course, by the time that G-John was written hyperbole had him pulling the dead out of the ground.

One day I'll find a genuine doctor who has genuinely specialised in the conditions once known as 'hysteria', now broken down into separate 'aspects' of that old name. Although Northern European women tend to be more susceptible than their men, Latin males are very susceptible and I've often wondered whether Mediterranean males were more susceptible, because the accounts of Jesus's curings can jump out of the page at me.