Our outline for this SERIES is taken from the Old Roman Creed (vide ante) from which the Apostles' Creed was adapted and possibly in use before the mid-2nd century.
Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham – Matthew 1:1b
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying,
“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
Gospel of the Apostle Matthew 16:13 NKJV
This question and self-designation of Jesus Christ — iēsous, meaning “Jehovah is salvation” from the Hebrew root, yᵊhôšûaʿ or Joshua with the same meaning — reveals a great mystery that in His incarnation JESUS IS also the Son of Man.
Who is the Son of Man?
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Numbers 23:19 NJKV
Yet the Messiah of Israel IS the Word of God and cannot lie.
‘Ya`akov became the father of Yosef, the husband of Miryam, from whom was born Yeshua, who is called Messiah.
Matthew 1:16 Hebrew Names Version
(Yes, Matthew Levi, Simon Peter, and Miryam the mother of Jesus Christ are all Jews.)
King David, a thousand years before, asks,
What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
Psalm 8:4
His Jewish disciples whom Jesus asks know this self-designation of Yeshua from the Prophet Ezekiel about 600 years before.
“Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.
Ezekiel 2:3 NKJV
“Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.
“Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears.
And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city.. “Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”
..he asked his talmidim, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
They said, “Some say Yochanan the immerser, some, Eliyah, and others, Yirmeyahu, or one of the prophets.”
Matthew 16:13b-14 HNV
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:15-16 NKJV
The Son of God
And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. – Gospel of Luke 2:7 RSV
Hard to imagine — this Son of Man, the Son of God!
male issue (one begotten by a father and born of a mother)
son of man
Christ seems to have preferred this to the other Messianic titles, because by its lowliness it was least suited to foster the expectation of an earthly Messiah in royal splendour.
son of God
those who revere God as their father,
.. governed by the Spirit of God,
Examine closely every aspect of the life of JESUS from manger to the cross and you will witness both humanity and deity — Christ the Son of Man—Christ the Son of God.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com
NEXT: we will see why JESUS is
His Only Son
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. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
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.
JESUS IS God! just as we introduced last time through the beginning in John’s Gospel — “..and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God..”
“No one has ever yet seen God..”
John 1:18a Berean Standard Bible
If the Person of Jesus IS GOD, then how was God revealed in HIM? If no one has seen God then how IS Jesus (who the world has seen born, died and risen) the Very Person of the unseen God?
“.. the only begotten God who is in the bosom G2859 of the Father, He has explained Him.
Gospel of John 1:18 LSB – Strong’s G2859 – kolpos – ‘the front of the body between the arms
Look closely at John’s Gospel and understand that GOD IS ONE, yet God is a God of relationship – THREE PERSONS with very personal roles and relationships to created men and women.
Can you attach a Personality to the Face of God who you cannot see?
Will you relate to a PILLAR OF FIRE or the unseen Hand of the whirlwind?
Even so, the LORD GOD relates to those He loves even as a Father guides and provides for his own.
God the Father of our Lord JESUS Christ reveals from His unseen ever-existence, two Personalities, a loving Father and His only Son, to which created mankind can relate in addition to His unseen Spirit-to-spirit power, Holy and separated from that which He has created.
The totality of qualities and traits, as of character or behavior, that are peculiar to a specific person.
The collection of distinctive qualities of a person, especially those distinguishing personal characteristics that make one socially appealing
The quality or condition of being a person.
WE cannot comprehend the TOTALITY of the Personality of JESUS the SON of GOD any more than that of God the FATHER.
Never-the-less the Bible reveals the Face of God in the Persons of the Father and the Son – it is, in part, a relationship to which even sinful man may relate.
Jesus IS God from God
The PERSON of JESUS — perhaps a little difficult to understand, but we can relate to HIS relationship as SON of the One Father of all, even Almighty God.
And as mysterious and illusive is God’s power, so we must hear from what God has said through Scripture about the Person of the Holy Spirit.
Our basic CHRISTIAN teaching and belief, includingstudy of GOD[theology] as THE TRINITY is outlined in several creeds of the church, including the NICENE CREED written by our Church fathers in A.D. 325.
God from God, light from light, true God from true God,
begotten not made,
of one substance with the Father,
through Whom all things came into being,
things in heaven and things on earth…
THINK about these TEACHINGS of our Church Fathers living just a few generations after the incarnate JESUS, Son of Man.
Consider in your heart for a moment of our mortal time: WHY would GOD show His Face to mankind as a Son, our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST?
We cannot be like GOD; but why would GOD want to become as one of us?
Why not consider JESUS in your heart rather than dismissing the God you cannot see simply in your self-created thoughts?
JESUS the Person of relationship with our personality
JESUS did this for ME?
Hear the theology of our our Church fathers as you embrace the mystery of God in more of the Nicene Creed:
Jesus Christ..
Who because of us men and because of our salvation came down, and became incarnate
[Embodied in human form; personified – American Heritage Dictionary]
and became man,
and suffered,
and rose again on the third day, and ascended to the heavens,
and will come to judge the living and dead…
JESUS.. the GOD-MAN!
Returning to the unseen.. in the heavens..
Christ ascended
AND WILL COME AGAIN TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD..
which is of course the ROLE and right of GOD ALMIGHTY, Creator of all men and Maker all things.
the Role of Christ Jesus
Even though we cannot fully understand incarnation, that is, GOD becoming a MAN — let’s not confuse the PERSONof JESUS (of one substance with the Father and the Holy Spirit) with the ROLES of JESUS.
Χριστὸν – Christ
And He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah [Or the Christ. Messiah (a Hebrew term) and Christ (a Greek term) both mean “the anointed one.”] sent from God!”
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.
Case dismissed! This Man is NO threat to Rome or Jerusalem, Pilate COULD have said (had the Governor cared more about the Truth than public opinion.)
SO instead HE WAS CRUCIFIED UNDER PONTIUS PILATEand THREE DAYS AGO was BURIED in a GUARDED TOMB!
The Jews had wanted a king more powerful than the Herod. Now these powerful pastors can celebrate THEIR Passover and finally dismiss this prophet JESUS saying,
The King is DEAD! Long live the King.
“Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar,” these Elder accusers of JESUS had taunted. The hereditary Chief Priests might no longer need to limp around the bloody temple sacrifices in order to please the multitudes.
YET since the rising of the sun three days later, some witnesses now report the RISING of the SON-MAN, JESUS!
Resurrection witnessed
The leaders of Herod’s temple(for it had been rebuilt by the Great Herod who left many of the common areas of the courts unfinished) did NOT need any interruption of their indulgences and ceremonial place of authority over worshipers of God obligated to come to THEIR temple twice yearly.
BUT even before THEY managed to convict and crucify the Christ so many followed the leadership of Jerusalem also sought to kill Jesus’ Apostles and most of all Lazarus.
When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there [Bethany], they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he [JESUS] had raised from the dead.
So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The Temple leadership, however, failed to seize and kill Lazarus (again) but seemed satisfied to crucify the Christ said to raise Lazarus from the grave.
(But how could such a thing as that have really happened, those many men who did not believe in the resurrection questioned?)
Jesus knew how these would REJECT Him not only because they did NOT believe Scripture, but also because these religious leaders could never envision their Messiah (the Christ, of whom the gentiles spoke) would be given the authority to raise the dead.
For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is [the] Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Jesus certainly had demonstrated this Authority of the Christ by raising Lazarus from death!
The LEADERS of JUDAH knew rejected the Truth they knew; but even the most faithful worshipers sometimes doubt the veracity of Holy Scripture.
Does this sound familiar?
Son-Man, can these bones live?
+ Note: Lit. “son man” – the Hebrew does not use articles bēn ‘āḏām – בֶּן־אָדָם
Picture yourself standing near Golgotha, where rotted bones of the crucified eventually fall to the dust. See any scene of a low valley of graves where flesh and bones decay in the dust and loved ones lament over the lifeless souls of their past..
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath [רוּחַ]came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
Resurrection Prophesied
And at that time Michael the great prince shall stand up, that stands over the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of tribulation, such tribulation as has not been from the time that there was a nation on the earth until that time: at that time thy people shall be delivered, even every one that is written in the book.
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproach and everlasting shame.
The problem of the High Priests Annas and Caiaphas is no different than that pointed out by the author of the book of Hebrews.
And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25-27 LSB
AND don't miss this about the necessity that the CHRIST should become the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins.
For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
What must you do to be saved?
The Son-Man, JESUS (SAVIOR) Son WHO IS One with the Father and the Holy Spirit — Messiah [Christ] prophesied in Scripture IS the Very WORD of the LORD God!
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY?
Good News!
Spurgeon on Lazarus and resurrection
Charles Spurgeon, the renowned English preacher of the 19th century provides us with further thoughts about what happened to Lazarus and those who already had mourned over his death.
THOUGH HE WERE DEAD - 14 September, A.D. 1884, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington G.B.John 11:24-26
here is the comfort which we may each one safely take, namely, that when Jesus comes the dead shall live.
Then we are also told that when Jesus comes, living believers shall not die. After the coming of Christ there shall be no more death for his people.
Resurrection with Jesus is resurrection indeed. Life with Jesus is life indeed.
I think that Jesus meant that even now His dead are alive. Again, even now his living do not die.
Beyond these few brief points of comfort for the bereaved Spurgeon continues with a notable Scriptural truth WE tend to avoid:
Methinks, first, this text plainly teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is the life of his people.
We are dead by nature, and you can never produce life out of death: the essential elements are wanting..
.. The life of a Christian in its commencement is in Christ alone, not a fragment of it is from himself, and the continuance of that life is equally the same; Jesus is not only the resurrection to begin with, but the life to go on with.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The multitudes of Jerusalem loved Jesus’ teaching and loved Jesus’ humility. YET many who yearned to gather in the Temple REJECTED the greater love of a Savior willing to die on the Cross rather than life the life of a great teacher.
the resurrection and the life
Spurgeon pleas with those with ears to hear teaching on the power of Jesus raising Lazarus and what the Christian disciple must do:
“I tell you you must learn that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Hearken to that great “I,” that infinite EGO! This must cover over and swallow up your little ego.
“I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
WHAT ARE YOU?
Less than nothing, and vanity; but over all springs up divine, all-sufficient personality, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
.. further [Spurgeon points out],
“he that believeth in Me”: that is it.
He does not say, “He that loves me.”
my Lord and my God!
The GOOD NEWS of the RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!
Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.”
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