Why is Jesus the Son of God?

If He is the Second Person of the Trinity, Co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, Why then is Jesus Called the 'Son of God'?

The question "Why is Jesus called the Son of God" often arises in the minds of many because of our associations and connotations with the word "son". But Jesus had many names - Teacher, Son of Man, Teacher, Rabbi, Bread of Life, Door, and many more.

So why is Jesus called the "Son of God"?

1. Because it is a claim to His fulfillment of the prophecies about a coming Messiah who would be born into the world redeem mankind, save it from the power of sin and death, and eventually rule and reign as King. The the Old Testament talked about a coming Messiah who would be born into the world, and that this Messiah - or "anointed one" - would in fact be "God with us". Here are a few references ...

Genesis 3:15 records the LORD is speaking to the serpent (Satan), and how the 'seed of a woman' would bruise the serpent's (Satan's) head: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

Now, women obviously do not produce "seed" - men do - so this is interpreted by most scholars to be a prophecy concerning the supernatural incarnation of the Savior, the Messiah", who would redeem mankind from the Fall and bring God's creatures back into fellowship with Him.

Isaiah 9:6 talks about a child who will be born, whose very name will be 'Might God": "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

Psalm 2 is the Father speaking to the Son, telling Him that He is born into the world, and will eventually have the ends of the earth for His possession: "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations [Gentiles] as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession."

Psalm 2 also speaks about the kingship of the coming Son: "Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!"

2. Because the Son of God is one of his "five key titles", signifying one of the primary characteristics of His being. These titles were all used to refer to Jesus, and each says something about His character:

"Messiah" (or Christos, Christ in Greek) - a title applied to Jesus in the New Testament, Christos is the Greek translation for the Hebrew term Meshiah, or Messiah. It means "the Anointed One" - signifying the Jesus was anointed to His mission by God the Father.

"Yeshuah" (Joshua, or Jesus, in Greek) - means "God is Savior", signifying the role that He plays in saving God's people from sin, their fallen state, and redeeming them back into a right relationship with the Creator.

"Son of Man" - was a term often used by Jesus Himself, to convey that He was not only truly God but also truly man. The gospel according to John recounts that the eternal Word (Logos) was "made flesh, and dwelt among us", and "we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father". He was born into mankind as a baby, grew up into manhood, was tempted like us "in every way", and yet "knew no sin". He did many miracles to attest to His divine nature, but also felt hunger and pain just like the rest of us. Yes, He was the eternal Son of God, but He was also fully the Son of Man.

This title is also a claim that He was the fulfillment of a prophecy in Daniel about a "Son of Man" who would come "in the clouds with great power". It was when Jesus told the High Priest that 'he would see the Son on Man coming in the clouds with great power' that the priest tore his vestments. Why? He knew that Jesus was claiming to be this divine 'Son of Man' written of by Daniel.

"Son of God" - the name Son of God was also applied to Jesus in an official or messianic sense (cf. Matt. 4:3, 6; 16:16; Luke 22:70; John 1:49). It speaks of His deity - that He was a Person of the triune Godhead, supernaturally born as a human being into this world to accomplish the divine mission of enabling man to return to a right relationship with God.

"Lord" (Adonai) - Jesus is also referred to as "Lord", or "Lord Jesus Christ". This title speaks of his position as master or "lord", with His followers of course being His servants. The point is that everyone serves something or someone - if its not money, power, position, its often him/her self. Jesus said 'man cannot serve two masters - you cannot serve both God and money'. Choose to serve the Lord Jesus, the eternal Word of God made flesh.

Of course, in addition to these five "key titles" Jesus is referred to by many other names in the Bible. Each of these names speak about some aspect of His splendid character:

Word of God, Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Great Shepherd, Light of the World, Light of Life, Bread of Life, Door of the Sheep hold, Teacher, Bright and Morning Star, Alpha and Omega, and Lord Jesus Christ, to name a few.

See a full list of the many names ascribed to Jesus.

3. Because the LORD spoke through an angel, announcing that the Child would be called 'the Son of God'. Luke's gospel records how that an angel (messenger) appeared to Mary (Miriam), letting her know that she would conceive supernaturally, without the involvement of a man, by rather by the Spirit ....

Luke 1:35 records "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)

4. Because the Son of God expresses the type of intimate relationship that the Second Person of the Trinity has with the Father. Many Muslims misunderstand this, as a result of the teaching of Islam - and assume that Christians believe that God Almighty had sexual intercourse with Mary! And that Jesus was produced as a result. Christianity teaches nothing of the sort. What Christianity teaches is that the title "Son of God" expresses the close, intimate relationship that the Son had with the Father "before the world began".

According to the web site "Answering Islam",

The expression "Son of God", is an analogical term. It indicates origin, a close association, or identification. In Christian theology it describes the relationship of two persons of the triune God. It expresses an intimate relationship between two persons: God the Father, and God the Son - Jesus the Messiah.

The following passages from Scripture illustrate the closeness of this intimate relationship between the Father and the Son:

John 17:1-5 "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify you... and now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the Glory which I had with You before the World was."

Here we see that Jesus - the living Word of God - already existed before the creation of the world. And in John 1, we read how that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." These verses show that

Jesus - the "Logos" or Word of God, was already in existence "at the beginning" of the universe.

He shared glory with the Father before creation

Jesus was in eternal relationship with the Father.

In another place Jesus speaks about how He and the Father are so close, so intimate, that they are as One: "I and the Father are one". This is consistent with the Christian belief in one God that is manifest in three persons - Father, Son and Spirit.

In another passage of Scripture, Jesus recounts how - just like most sons - he follows the directions of His Father: "I always do the will of the Father".

Just as an earthly son is the offspring of his earthly father, and thus the essence of the father is in the son - so too Jesus, the divine Son of God - is the divine, visible expression of the almighty, invisible God: John 14:9 records Jesus plainly telling His followers that: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father".

It also speaks in Col 1:15 about how Jesus is God's expression of Himself to humanity. Jesus is God's Link, His Way, and His Salvation for all of mankind: "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rules or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

Hebrews 1:1-3 speaks about how the Son is what God has to say to mankind: "God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He as appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He has by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right had of the Majesty on high."

In the foregoing verses we see that:

Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God

It was by Jesus - the eternal Word - that all things in heaven and the earth were created

It was for Jesus - God's eternal expression to us - that all things were created

Jesus is pre-eminent - He is "before" all things

In Jesus "all things consist", or are "held together"

Underscoring the oneness of Jesus and the Father is the passage in John 15:23: "He who hates Me [Jesus] hates my Father also."

As the Son of God, Christ, the second person of the Trinity, possesses the same essence as the Father, yet willfully subjected Himself to the Father just as an earthly son would subject himself to his father. As the Scripture states, He "emptied Himself", and took on the form of human flesh when He entered this time and space, willingly becoming a servant to the Father.

Jesus became God's Son in the flesh, so that the penalty of sin might be paid for all of creation, once and for all. Only God could do this, and only God taking on our flesh and paying the penalty for the sin of all mankind, past, present and future. Why did He do this? Because He loved us so much. Why? So that we might be reconciled unto Himself, and become sons (and daughters), being born again by His Spirit into a new creation.

Jesus - as God manifested in human form - has shown us the way, and continues to be the Way into a right relationship with the Creator for anyone who trusts in Him. In fact He stated very plainly "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life - no man comes to the Father except by me". Do you want to know God? Then get to know Jesus, for He is what God has to say to us, and His provision for us!

Jesus is not the Son of God because of His mighty works and miracles; He did those works because He is the Son of God. The works testified to His deity, His oneness with the Father.

Do You Know Jesus , the Son of God?

Jesus said that 'many will come to Me in that day saying 'have I not done many wonderful works in your name'? But I will say to them, I never knew you. Do you have a relationship with Jesus, the Son of God? Does He reign in your heart?

Please ask Jesus - the Son of God, Son of Man, Messiah, and Lord - into your life as your Lord and Savior. If you do, then you have everything to look forward to - in this life, and in the life to come. Peace with God, joy in your daily life, fulfillment of God's purpose while here on earth, and life eternal. You were made for a purpose, and your daily walk with Jesus will help you come to realize His purpose in your life and fulfill it.

If you don't have a relationship with your Creator, you can! Give Jesus a chance! He really is 'the express image of the Father, 'the Way, the Truth, and the Life'. Don't put it off. Allow Him to come into your life and make you "a new creation"! You have nothing to loose everything to gain. Here is a link to Billy Graham's web site that can show you how you can invite Jesus into your life and be the creation He has always intended you to be ...

Take Me to Steps to Peace With God ==> http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp

Sources for Further Study

Christian Challenge: http://www.christianchallenge.org/ask/Jesus-SonofGod.html
John Ankerberg: http://www.johnankerberg.org/Articles/bible-for-dummies/BD0402W4.htm
CARM: http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/islam/if-jesus-called-son-god-do-you-think-makes-him-god
Answering Islam: http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/son2.htm