God as the Son

By Benjamin H. Liles

          The Lord himself will give you a sign: The ·virgin [or young woman] will ·be pregnant [conceive] and will have a son, and she will name him Immanuel [“God is with us”]. ~ Isaiah 7:14, Expanded


          Jesus tells us: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6, New American Standard). And what does this have to do with Jesus being God's Son? Concerning that fact Jesus tells us, "These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44, Berean Study).

          Moses' link to the Messiah can be seen in what he did on behalf of Israel. As the Israelites came to the land God gave them, they were about to "bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey" (Numbers 21:4b, Holman Christian Standard). So the people spoke out about Moses: "Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!" (Numbers 21:5). Because of this "the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died" (Numbers 21:6).

          As a result, the people of Israel "came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that He will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people" (Numbers 21:7). We see that God tells Moses, "Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover" (Numbers 21:8). The last we read on this is that Moses obeyed God: "Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered" (Numbers 21:9).
 
          What does this have to do with Jesus? While Jesus is still talking to Nicodemus at night, He tells Nicodemus, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life" (John 3:14-15, New American Standard). When the Israelites looked to the snake lifted high on a staff, believing God would heal them was a form of what Jesus would do. Why else would Jesus give us this description of being "lifted up?" Plus, He says to Nicodemus, as well to us, "whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." Let's think on that. John the beloved disciple was there at the cross, along with Jesus' mother. I'm sure he remembered, later on, Jesus would fulfill the words God gave Him.

          Isaiah wrote far more extensively about the Messiah than anyone else did. "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, New King James). While on the cross Jesus bore our sins. Jesus even cried out, with the beginning of a psalm, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1a; Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). Jesus felt separated from God in that moment, as though He was being chastised. I recall writing, "By Jesus giving utterance that He feels cut off from the Father shows how we would feel in our unrighteousness before a just and holy God. And Jesus was sinless. He went to the Father in our place without any blood guilt, with no regard to self, but for all of mankind. He traded all of who He was and is so we could have right standing with the Father. He did what He did to fulfill what God said" (The Intercession of the Suffering Man).

          Lastly, Jesus fulfilled the words of the Psalms, "See, I have come; it is written about me in the volume of the scroll. I delight to do Your will, my God; Your instruction lives within me" (Psalm 40:7-8, Holman Christian Standard). And the truth regarding this is Jesus said He came to do the will of the Father. He tells us plainly, "For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6:38, American King James). So, we can see in various places Jesus is in fact telling the truth, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17, New American Standard).

          But what about Jesus being God's Son? How can we know for sure He is God's Son. Let's look a little bit more at Psalm 40:7-8. He didn't just always equate Himself doing the Father's will, but He pointed to scripture where it concerns Himself. "I delight to do Your will, my God" we read in the psalmist's words. At any point in Jesus' ministry did He cast Himself down and bemoan His fate at the cross? No. I haven't seen one spot where He was upset in doing God's will in Him and His life. He did it all in joy and delight. Truth be told, the only time Jesus seems upset is when He rebuked the Pharisees, Sadducees, and others in the Jewish religious establishment, as well as when He was wrestling with God in Gethsemane. But He knew He was facing the cross. He told the disciples this.

          No, we know and can know for sure, without a shadow of doubt Jesus is in fact God's Son: "The Father and I are one" (John 10:30, Expanded). This is what got Jesus in trouble with the religious leaders. As long as He never equated Himself with God, Jesus was fine. But it's also a trumped up charge. The Pharisees were always wanting to catch Jesus in some form of sinful act. And in truth, Jesus not once sinned. He equated Himself so much with God because He knew from where He came, the Father Himself. Those men asked Him, "Where is your father?" And Jesus replied, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also" (John 8:19, Berean Literal).

          Knowing Jesus means we know the Father too. It means having and maintaining a relationship with God. We can tell Jesus is God's Son as He delighted in the Father's will for Himself, and it governed His actions, His words, and His walk before His crucifixion, death, and subsequent resurrection. It is my prayer this touches you and your heart. That you can see how Jesus is more than a good man and a prophet. He fulfilled the words of God, the Father, while He lived. In fact, He still lives as He sits at God's right hand. When He told His disciples, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:3, New American Standard), it means He will come again.

           When we put our faith in Him and His works God gave to Him it means we have access to the Father as well. It means we have put off our sinfulness, our behaviors, habits, strongholds and all, to accept the Living Jesus to dwell within us. He is on the throne of my heart. He has set me free from sin and death. So much so when He returns I know I will meet Him in the air. If He says He will fulfill the Father's words, and He has so far, then He will fulfill the Father's words to the last stroke of the pen. Won't you join me and put your faith in the One who sets us free from sin and death and hell?

          Father, I thank and praise You for showing me, in Your word how Jesus fulfills Your word, and how He delighted in You. I also want to delight in You. Help me to do this today in my life. Help me to be more holy and pure as You are. Let no deceit be found on my lips. Let nothing evil come from my heart or mind. For You are my Lord, my God, my Savior, and King. I have beheld Your glory as it is seen within scripture. Your word is life. Your word is true. With my life I live wholly to You. For the gift You give me each and every day I will always give my best to praise and thank You and Your name. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.