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Christ, the Son of God |
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Christ’s relationship to God of Son is no doubt the most dignified ascribed to Him in Scripture. Moses was a ministering servant in God’s house, but Christ is Son over God’s house, a much greater thing (Hebrews 3:5/6). Christ, Himself also contrasts the position of bondman and that of Son in John 8:35/36. Many other Scriptures could be referred to, for instance: “And at last he sent to them his son, saying, They will have respect for my son” (Matthew 21:37), this in contrast to the bondmen he had previously sent. The Jews sought to kill Christ “because he... said that God was his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18). One could not conceive a greater dignity. Christ did not, it may be noted, repudiate their inference. |
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The personal greatness of Christ, that is, his being Son of God gives force to such statements as “the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20). Had Paul said Son of man, instead of Son of God, the statement would have been true, but would not have had the same force. What Paul is saying is that it was such an one as God’s Son who loved him. The force of other passages is enhanced as in Romans 8:32 by the reference to God’s Son: “God... has not spared his own Son”. Had Paul said that God spared not the Son of man, though true, it would have had little force. When Scripture is speaking of exaltation Christ’s title Son of man is used. Man is exalted in his Son, as we have it for example in Matthew 26:64; John 13:31 and Hebrews 2:5-10. |
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Certain things hang on Christ’s being Son of God. Many things predicated of God in the Old Testament are fulfilled in Christ beginning when He was here on earth. For instance, it was said of God in Isaiah 40: 9-12 “Behold your God !... he will gather the lambs with his arm”. Was not this fulfilled when Christ was here on earth ? Consider Mark 10:13-16. God was here in the person of his Son (Hebrews 1:2). The principle is laid down by Peter in Acts 2:25-31 saying as to David, that what he said of himself (verse 25) was fulfilled in his son (verses 30/31). |
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Then, because he was God’s Son, He was God’s heir. As the wicked husbandmen said in the parable |