Jesus, The Son of God (Part Two)

Jesus — the Son of God (Part 2)

SON OF THE HIGHEST/THE SON OF GOD

Luke 1:31-33,35b He shall be called great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. . . therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

This passage is the first instance where the term "Son of God" is used in reference to Jesus. In this announcement of the child to come, some very specific things are said about him and notice the relationship of those things.

• • He shall be called great
• • He shall be called Son of the Highest. (the term "Highest" is a substitutionary word for GOD.)
• • The Lord God shall give him the throne of his father, David
• • He shall reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever (He shall be an Eternal Ruler)
• • His kingdom/his rule shall never end (his rule is eternal)
• • He shall be called the Holy one, the Son of God

What we notice in these verses is the correlation between this child bearing the name of Son of the Highest and Son of God, with the idea of his ruling eternally as the Davidic King over Israel. Hence, we can deduce that the Eternal King over Israel will be known as "The Son of God". Do we find any Old Covenant prophesies that speak to this idea? Yes, we do.

We must see that in ancient Hebraic culture, the phrase "Son of God" had a very specific understanding. It related to the prophetic fulfillment of the Davidic Promise given by God, of an eternal reigning seed or heir for David. Lohse points out in his analysis of the term,

Although sonship was not construed as physical descent in these OT sayings but rather as expressing the ruler's validation by God, Israel took good care lest the designation son of God might be falsely linked to the physical divine sonship which was so widely spoken of in the ancient Orient. It thus employed 'son of God' only when quoting the Messianic promises and elsewhere avoided this term for the Messiah.

What Lohse points out is that in the ancient Hebraic culture, the term “Son of God" was used exclusively of the coming Messiah, who would also be the long-awaited Son of David, to rule over Israel. This gets us closer to the idea that the term "Son of God" and "Son of David" are signifying the One Person, King Messiah. Where in the OT do we find this prophecy concerning the Son of David being also known as the Son of God? The OT passage in 2 Sam. 7 and Ps. 2. are the primary sources for this understanding.

In 2 Samuel 7:12-16, we read of God's promise to David concerning his continued royal seed,

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers. I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. I will be his FATHER, and he shall be my SON. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee; thy throne shall be established forever.

Jeremiah 33:17, says a similar thing,

“For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,

The 2 Samuel passage quoted above, was immediately applied to the son of David, Solomon. However, it is ultimately only applicable to Jesus, as the Son of David, the Eternal King who sits on his father David's throne. The term, Son of God, and Son of David, seem to point to the same thing. An eternal, ever-living King of the seed of David, who reigns over Israel forever.

This is further seen in His baptism. The baptismal scene is viewed as his presentation as the Promised Davidic King, who is to rule Israel. Schweizer states, concerning this scene,

The opening of the heaven, the coming of the Spirit, and the sounding of the voice are eschatological events so that we are to think of the king of the last time... One is thus to view the statement [this is my beloved son] along the lines of the expectation of the Davidic Son of God of Ps. 2:7. . . ...It would seem that the institution of Jesus as King of the end-time is the root of His designation as Son of God.

Even Alfred Edersheim points out that the baptismal scene, is one in which Jesus is presented by God as the True and Ideal Israelite. He says,

"But we go farther, and assert, that the dove was not the symbol of the Holy Spirit, but that of Israel. As such it is so universally adopted as to have become almost historical. If, therefore, Rabbinic illustration of the descent of the Holy Spirit with the visible appearance of a dove must be sought for, it would lie in the acknowledgment of Jesus as the ideal typical Israelite, The Representative of His People. [ Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, p. 199]

If the dove was the symbol of Israel, as Edersheim states, then what we have here is the Spirit of God descending like a dove and remaining upon Him, to signify Jesus as the True, Anointed Israelite, the Last Son of David/Son of God, who would rule over Israel for ever.

We see that the title, Son of God, relates to the proclamation of the Eternal Davidic King over Israel, also known as, Melech Meshiach or King Messiah. This may be difficult for some students of the Bible to grasp. However, as a student of the Bible, one of the concepts which must be put into the mix, is the historical and cultural context of a word or phrase. That is, one must ask how did those who wrote, expect what they wrote to be understood? And how did those who read, understand what was written?

For the serious student, it is not satisfactory to simply bring one’s own understanding to a centuries old document. One must as much as possible, transport yourself back in time and read the text as one would read it in the time period it was written. Only then will we begin to approach the contextual truth and mystery of the Written Word. We do this mainly by allowing the Bible to act as its own commentary.

For instance, we have the writer of Hebrews, quoting from Ps. 45:6-7, who points out it is the Son, who is called God, whose throne is forever and ever.

Heb. 1:8 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.

Here, see that the Son is addressed as "God" who rules forever. This prophesied Davidic King, the Messiah and Son of God, is spoken of in the book of Isaiah.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this. [Isaiah 9:6-7]

The NAME of this promised child is of utmost importance. As already stated, the Name signifies the character and nature of the one who bears it. The character and nature of this child is: WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE. This child will be in his nature, Wonderful, or perhaps more correctly, Wonderful Counselor. He is the source of wisdom and counsel, that is his Name. Paul says it like this, 'In Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. 2:3). He is called EL Gibor, The Mighty/Powerful God. If one doubts that this is a designation of the God of Israel, see it also in Isaiah 10:21 and Jer. 32:18. This name denotes the Power or the Conquering Nature of God. Again, Paul sums up the first two of these names in I Cor. 1:24, when he says, 'Christ, the Power of God and the Wisdom of God.'

This Wonderful Counselor, this Conquering God, is also called The Everlasting/ Eternal Father. Are there two "Fathers" in the nature of God? No. There is only one Eternal Father found in the Scriptures, who is the source of all good things. He is the God of Creation, Covenant and Redemption. This simply states that this Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God, will also demonstrate and reveal the Nature or Name of the Father. He shall reveal the Father nature of God to His people.

• John 5:18 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.
 Notice also, claiming God as His Father, was claiming that He was equal with God. No one is equal with God except God. This takes us back to John 1:1, where we saw that the Word was face to face with God, i.e., the Word was equal to, eye to eye with God. Therefore, it was not out of line for Jesus to claim God as His unique Father.

• John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

• John 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

• John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

• John 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus replied, “He that has seen me has seen the Father.” Hence, this child, the given Son, would reveal His Father.

This child is also the Prince of Peace or Sar Shalom. The prophetic utterance concerning this child is the announcement of the birth of the Messiah. Of that, there can be no doubt. Hence, the description of this child can only be deduced as being God Himself, the I AM of the Covenant, come in the flesh, i.e., Immanuel (God with us). Some may argue that only some of these names should be applied to the prophesied child. However, at least one of the ancient rabbis concluded, that all these names are appropriate to the nature of the child.

[On Is.9:6; R.Aben Ezra:] ...There are some interpreters who say that 'Wonderful, Everlasting Father' are names of G-d and only 'Prince of Peace' is the Name of the child. But according to my view the interpretation is right (which says): all are the Names of the child.

This child, a son, is the promised Davidic seed of 2 Samuel 7:12-16. The Government of the kingdom of God is upon His shoulders, and of His empire there shall be NO END. He will rule from the throne of David, His father, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.

This promised child will rule over the government with judgment and justice FOREVER. The only way this could be a reality, is if that child is ETERNAL in his being. This promise does not speak of an eternal succession of kings, but of ONE KING WHO REIGNS FOREVER; Jesus, Son of David, Son of God. This also reminds us of the Isaiah prophecy, that the Arm of the Lord, which is the Messiah, shall rule for Him [Isa. 40:10].

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