The Meaning of the Word “Son”
Who a person is, is important both to the individual and to all those who depend on him. This is especially important when God is involved and the issues are everlasting.So what does “son” mean? Primarily the word denotes a son, i.e. male offspring but in many passages it is used metaphorically, i.e. denoting certain characteristics. For example there are moral characteristics “children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2v2), “children of light” (Luke 16v8), “the tares are the children of the wicked one” (Matthew 13v38), “Boanerges, which is, the sons of thunder” (Mark 3v17), “son of consolation” (Acts 4v36). With these metaphors there is no thought of birth or origin but that of a general characteristic. The same principle applies with the titles of “Son of God”, and “Son of Man”, when applied to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Importance of being “the Son”.
As God has said the following things about His Son it is most important that we get the right view of Him:
- John 3v35 “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.”
- John 5:20 “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.”
- John 5v22-23 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”
- Hebrews 1v2 “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.”
- It is noticeable that He never says these things to any angel. That principle is confirmed by Hebrews 1v5, 13.
All the four gospels refer to Jesus Christ as the Son of God: Matthew 11v27, 16v16: Mark 1v1, 15v39: Luke 1v35, 10v22: John 1v34, 3v16. Additionally each Gospel writer mentions Christ’s Deity at or near the beginning and end of the Gospel as follows:
- Matthew 1v21 “… shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” and 27v40 “… If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross”, 27v43 “for he said, I am the Son of God” and 27v54 “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, … they feared greatly, saying, ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’”
- Mark 1v1 “The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” and 15v39 “And when the centurion … he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God.’”
- Luke 1v32 “shall be called the Son of the Highest” and 22v70 “Then said they all, ‘Art thou then the Son of God?’ And he said unto them, ‘Ye say that I am.’”
- John 1v2 “… And the Word was God” and 20v31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
There are also about one hundred other references in John’s Gospel to the Father and/or the Son. These include the Lord’s own public claims to the title of the Son of God. In John c5 Jesus is talking to the Jews and refers to Himself as “the Son” eight times (v19 {2x}, 20, 21, 22, 23 {2x}, 26), once as “the Son of God” (v25) and once as “the Son of Man” (v27). Except for v27 all these references to the Son are always to Himself as the Son of God, and not as the Son of Man. Fifteen times in this chapter He refers to “the Father”: v17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 {2x}, 26, 30, 36 {2x}, 37, 43, 45).
When Christ was on the earth there was the double direct witness of God the Father to Jesus Christ being His Son. When Jesus was being baptised in Jordan, at the beginning of His public service, we read in Matthew 3v17, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” So God happily says that this Jesus was His Son and that He was well pleased with Him. God further confirms this on the mount of transfiguration, towards the end of Jesus’ public service, by saying in Matthew 17v5, “While he {v4 Peter} yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.’”
John also records the signs to establish the truth of Jesus’ Divine Sonship as seen in 20v30-31 “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
While on earth there was also no doubt to the Jews about who the Lord Jesus claimed to be as seen in John 5v18, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”
In the trials of the Lord Jesus He was not condemned by the Jews for any wrong doing, for He had done none, but for claiming to be the Son of God. It was because of what He claimed to be (as demonstrated in His sinless life, good works and words) that the Jews condemned Him to be crucified as seen in Matthew 26v63-64 and John 19v7. This shows the serious view that the Jews took of this claim.
The Only Begotten
This title is used five times by the apostle John and all refer to Christ i.e. John’s Gospel 1v14, 18; 3v16, 18 and 1 John 4v9. The Greek word “only begotten” means ‘only-born, i.e. sole’ (Strongs Concordance); ‘single of its kind, only [AV only begotten] … used of Christ … He is of nature or essentially Son of God, and so in a very different sense from that in which men are made by Him (John 1v13).’ (Thayer – Greek/English lexicon of the New Testament) ‘This indicates that as the Son of God He was the sole representative of the being and character of the One Who sent Him.’ (Expository Dictionary, W E Vine). So “only begotten” means the only or unique person.
- John 1v14 “(and we {apostles} beheld his {“the Word’s” i.e. Christ’s v1-2} glory {i.e. character}, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) …”. ‘In the original, the definite article is omitted before “only begotten” and before “Father”, and its absence in each case serves to lay stress on the characteristics referred to in the terms used. The apostle’s object is to demonstrate what sort of glory he and his fellow apostles had seen.’ (Expository Dictionary, W E Vine).
- John 1v18 “… the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” This shows that as the Son of God He was everlastingly loved of, and in close fellowship with and knew, God the Father. See also John 17v24. So Christ was the perfect declarer of the Father.
- John 3v16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This reveals that out of love to the world God sent His only and true representative to make eternal life the personal possession of the sinner that believes in Him.
- John 3v18 “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.” Here the Son of God is also the basis of salvation from condemnation, or judgment, for the believer in Him. As He is the only Divine lifeline to guilty sinners then those who do not believe in His Name, which expresses His Person, will sadly remain under God’s judgment because they have refused God’s revelation in His Son.
- 1 John 4v9 “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.” This repeats John 3v16 that the self-sacrificing manifestation of God’s love is seen in the sending of His only begotten Son. It again highlights the Son’s pre-existence with the Father before He was sent into this scene. Everyone of us was dead in trespasses and sins but Christ both died and rose again so that eternal life would be received by every believer in Him. In John 3v16 we have the emphasis on the receiving of eternal life but here the emphasis is that we live “through Him.”
There a large number of the New Testament verses referring, directly and indirectly, to the Lord Jesus Christ being the Son of God that is in an additional article. The indirect references are those that say God is the Father, which automatically show that He has a Son. Every book in the New Testament refers directly or indirectly to Jesus Christ being the Son of God. Outside of the Gospels, the three New Testament books that mention most about Christ being the Son of God are: Romans, Hebrews and 1 John which we will look at.
Sonship In Romans
In Romans the truth of Christ’s sonship is referred to seven times: 1v3, 4, 9, 5v10, 8v3, 29, 32. The revelation through Paul is seen in 1v1b, 3, 4 (confirmed in v9), “… the gospel of God … Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, is immediately stated as the centre of God’s Gospel, or good news, and is powerfully established by Christ’s resurrection from the dead. After Paul was saved Acts 9v20 says of him, “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God”. His Divine Sonship gives worth and importance to His death as seen by: “… we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son…” (5v10), “… God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin …” (8v3), “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all …” (8v32). The ultimate destination and transformation of the believer is amazingly “to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (8v29).
Sonship in Hebrews
In Hebrews God reveals to the Jewish believers the superiority of Christianity over Judaism. This is to draw their hearts away from the material ceremonies and sacrifices, to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the associated spiritual realities. In c1-9 there is the doctrinal section and in c10-13 we have the practical section. In these Christ’s Sonship is stated eleven times.
1. In 1v1-3 Christ, as the Son, is seen as being superior to the prophets as the channel through Whom God spoke unto Israel. None of the prophets were as great as the Son Who is described as follows:
1.1 v2 Whom God had appointed heir of all things. (Christ being made heir of all things follows the statement of His Sonship, and is before the statement of Him creating the worlds. This confirms that His heirship is an eternal characteristic.)
1.2 v2 By Whom also He made the worlds,
1.3 v3 Who is the brightness of His glory,
1.4 v3 And the express image (or exact representation) of His Person,
1.5 v3 And upholding all things by the word of his power,
1.6 v3 When he had by himself purged our sins,
1.7 v3 Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
2. In 1v4-10 and 13-14 the Son is shown as being superior to the angels.
3. In 3v5-6 the Son is superior to Moses.
4. In 4v14-15 and 5v5 the believer’s great high priest is “Jesus, the Son of God”, “that is passed into the heavens” and v15 says: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” He is therefore superior to any high priest who was on earth and was “compassed with infirmity” (5v2) and could not “continue by reason of death” (7v23). This is confirmed in 7v28.
5. 5v8 As the Son, Christ “yet learned he obedience (through experience) by the things which he suffered”.
6. In 6v6 and 10v29 we have the apostate who rejects the Son of God. “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (An apostate is one who professed to be a believer in Christ but then denies that He is the Son of God and rejects Him as Lord. This is in contrast to a backslider who is a genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ but is not going on well for Christ.)
7. In 7v3 we have Christ’s eternal Sonship confirmed. The context must be taken into account to understand this. In c7 as far as the historical record is concerned Melchizedek had no father, mother, genealogy, neither beginning of days nor end of life. He was therefore “made like unto the Son of God” and so his priesthood continued without interruption. This further shows that the title of “Son” was not given to the Lord Jesus at His birth.
Sonship in 1 John
In the first letter of the apostle John there are eighteen direct references to the “Son” (1v3, 7, 2v22, 23, 24, 3v8, 23, 4v9, 10, 14, 15, 5v5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20) and seven to the “Son of God” (3v8, 4v15, 5v5, 10, 12, 13, 20). Salvation, or its lack, is based on the acceptance, or sadly non acceptance, that Jesus is the Son of God as seen in 4v9 “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.” See also 4v10, 14 and 5v11-12. Also the basis of the apostle John’s enjoyed fellowship was the same truth that “the Word of Life” (1v1) was “that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us” (1v2). When John said in 2v19 “… even now there are many anti-christs …” he could see the opposition to Christ’s Sonship, i.e. His essential Deity, and real humanity, and consequently to the basis of salvation. The apostle Paul also mentions about such attacks on Christ concerning those who preached “another Jesus …” (2 Corinthians 11v4).
John shows various things concerning the Son of God:
1. The Son Of God Is The Basis Of The Believers’ Abundant And Unchangeable Blessings {italics mine}:
- 1v7 “… and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”
- 2v23 “he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”
- 3v8 Christ destroys the work of the devil in me. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
- 4v9 “… God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”
- 4v10 “… God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
- 4v14 “… the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”
- 4v15 “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
- 5v10 “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
- 5v11 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
- 5v13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
- 5v20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
2. Our Spiritual Fellowship Is With The Father And His Son:
- 1v3 “…that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
3. The Son Is The Basis Of Fellowship With Other Believers In Him:
- 1v3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
- 1v7 “But if we walk in the light, as he {v5 God} is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
- 2v24 “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye (plural) have heard from the beginning {i.e. the Gospel truth and apostles’ teaching}. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.”
- 3v23 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”
4. The Son Is The Basis Of Complete Victory Over The World And Its Opposition To Truth:
- 5v4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
5. If A Sinner Has Not Trusted In The Son As Their Saviour Then Sadly They Automatically Do Not Have God The Father, Nor Eternal Life And Also Have Made God A Liar!:
- 2v23 “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”
- 5v11 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us {believers in the Son} eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
- 5v10 “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
- 2v22 “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” To deny the latter Person is to deny the former. This is confirmed by John’s Gospel 5v23 “… He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”
6. Other References Are:
- 3v23 “And this is his {God’s v21} commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.” “We should believe” is in the Greek in the aorist tense i.e. a point in the expanse of time, whether past, present or future, especially in the past. So this refers to a sinner obeying God’s command by believing in, or totally relying on, the Son of God to be their Saviour.
- 5v9 “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.” The witness of God refers to v8 “And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” The testimony referred to was given by the Spirit and the water would symbolize baptism and the blood symbolizes the cross. Those who witnessed Christ’s baptism, and heard the voice from heaven, (Matthew 3v16, 17) and those that witnessed his death on the cross, with all that was associated with it, would not doubt that he was the Son of God. For example the Roman “centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27v54)
- 3v8 says “He that committeth (i.e. is characterised by) sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
- Therefore it should not surprise us that there should be hatred in various forms for this truth as energised by the devil.
Is Christ the Eternal Son of God?
The following Scriptures show that it was Christ sent as the Son {italics mine}:
- Isaiah 9v6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
- Romans 8v3 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”
- Galatians 4v4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”
- John 5v23 “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”
- 1 John 4v14 “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”
- As Isaiah 9v6 says “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given”. It is the “child” that was “born” and the “Son” that was “given” and not the other way round. As the Son was “given”, “sent” and “sent forth” therefore He must have existed in eternity past, before His manifestation in the world as a man.
“The Word” is another description of the Lord Jesus in John’s Gospel 1v1-2 and 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” This shows that Christ was in the beginning with God and so existed before time. Therefore His Divine Sonship is eternal.
Another way of illustrating this is to look at creation. John 1v3 says, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” {Other Scriptures: Colossians 1v16 “For by him were all things created, … all things were created by him, and for him:” Revelation 4v11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”} The “him” in this passage is Jesus Christ and how He was “with God” in the beginning, creating the world. If a diagram is drawn with the things that created or made on the right and the uncreated or eternal things on the left, what is seen? On the right side are: angels, stars, planets including earth, plants, animals, insects and the human race. On the left hand side you have God the Father and the Holy Spirit {Hebrews 9v14 He is “the eternal Spirit “}. Additionally John 1v3 says “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” and so nothing was created apart from Him. If the Lord Jesus was one of the created beings, we would have to put him in the category of things that were created by Him. Therefore could the Lord Jesus have created Himself? The answer is no and so the Lord Jesus must be eternal.
Colossians 1v19 says “For it pleased the Father that in him {His dear Son v13} should all fulness dwell.” So it pleases God the Father that all the characteristics of Deity, including eternality, should be in all their completeness in His Son forever.
What About the Trinity?
But it may be asked how can Jesus be God when He said that His Father is the “only true God” (John’s Gospel 17v3)? One person can recognize that what is true of himself is also true of another. John’s Gospel 1v2 shows the distinct Personality of the “Word” from God the Father. “The same (the Word v1) was in the beginning with God.”
Another question is, if the Trinity, i.e. three Persons in one God, is a Bible teaching, why is the word “Trinity” not found in the Bible? To answer these questions let us ask if you believe that the future new system of things will be a “theocracy” when God will rule the world? If the absence of the word “Trinity” in the Bible, proves that it is not a Biblical teaching, then is a “theocracy” not a Biblical idea simply because the word “theocracy” is not found in the Bible? The answer is no.
It is noticeable that the Father (1), the Son (2) and the Holy Spirit (3) are all called God:
1. Philippians 2v11 “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
1Thessalonians 1v1 “Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
2. John’s Gospel 1v1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … 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’s Gospel 20v28 “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”
Hebrews 1v8 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”
2 Peter 1v1 “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:”
3. Acts 5v3-4 “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? … thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”
1 Corinthians 3v16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
With Matthew 28v19, Jesus said: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Notice that in this verse, plurality within unity is indicated by the fact that the word “name” is in the singular form while the definite article “the” is placed in front of each of the persons: “… the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.…” The doctrine of the Trinity is not Modalism i.e. that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all one Person. Neither is it Tritheism i.e. that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate Gods. Each member of the Godhead is a distinct Person, yet together they comprise the one God.
An example of this is an egg. It is composed of three separate parts, i.e. the shell, yoke and white, and yet it is one whole. If you take one part away it is no longer an egg. The same principle applies to the triangle. It is made up of three distinct sides and yet is one whole. If you remove one of the sides away it is not a triangle anymore. So the Trinity has nothing to do with the number of gods but with the nature of God.
Can The Father And The Son Co-Exist As Two Distinct Persons And Yet Be One God?
Please note: John’s Gospel 10v30 “I and my Father are one.” Also John 10v31-33 “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
If you have difficulty with the concept that the Father and the Son can co-exist as two distinct Persons and yet be one God then do you believe that a human son is less human than his father? The answer to that is no. Then how can Jesus, as God’s Son, be less God than His Father is God? Just as a son is no more and no less “human” than his father, so Jesus as God’s Son is no more and no less “God” than his Father is “God.” This is why the Jews tried to stone Jesus for blasphemy. They understood Jesus’ claim to be the “Son of God” as a claim that made Him “equal” in nature to the one and only true God (see John’s Gospel c5v18, c19v7). This is also why Jesus called the Father His “God” at John c20v17. His Father would always be His “God.”
How Can The Father Be Greater Than The Son?
John 14v28 “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” If Christ is equal with God (Philippians 2v6) how can the Father be greater than Him? I think that William MacDonald is helpful here, “The Father was not greater as God, but because He never came into the world as Man to be cruelly treated. As far as the attributes of Deity are concerned, the Son and the Father are equal. But when we think of the lowly place which Jesus took as a Man here on earth, we realize that in that sense, God the Father was greater than He. He was greater as to His position but not as His Person.”
In addition while a father may have authority over the children in the home, and so be greater in that sense, it does not mean that they are personally less human than him because they obey his rules. Luke 2v51 says about Jesus, “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.” As Jesus was subject to Joseph and Mary does this mean that He was inferior to them? The answer is obviously no.
While on Earth did the Lord Jesus ever accept worship?
Before answering that question we must ask what the Lord Jesus said about Himself. John 14v6 says “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” This was said just before the Lord Jesus died, which needs to be kept in mind, for the following events. In addition he said in John 4v24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” As the Lord Jesus said that the worship should be given in spirit and in truth then He could only accept it in the same way. A further point is that the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is “the truth”, never denied these comments and also, at times, verbally agreed with them.
- Matthew 9v18-19 “While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.”
- Matthew 14v33-34 “Then they {the disciples v26} that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, ‘Of a truth thou art the Son of God.’ And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.”
- John’s Gospel 9v37-38 “And Jesus said unto him {the previously blind man v17, 20-21}, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.”
- Matthew 26v63-64 “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
- John’s Gospel 20v28 “And Thomas answered and said unto him {Jesus v26}, ‘My Lord and my God.’ Jesus saith unto him, ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’”
Some people ask, “Did the Lord Jesus ever say on earth “I am God. Worship Me”? Let me answer this with another question. If a stranger walked up to you and said, “I am God. Worship Me” would you immediately do so? No you would not but would want to first know who the person was, before you took any action. The Lord Jesus proved by His life, works and words that He was God and there were those who were prepared to recognize it.
If the Lord Jesus Christ is not the Son of God then the Bible makes no sense at all. It is then fruitless and meaningless.
The big question now is, “Do you believe on the Son of God as your personal Saviour?” He loves you and died and rose again to make it possible for your sins to be forgiven.
If you do believe in the Son of God then the following apply: John 3v36a “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:” and Ephesians 1v3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
But if you do not believe in the Son of God, then sadly the following applies: John 3v36b “and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” and 1 John 2v23 “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”
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