In the beginning, let me state that to ask the above question is a bit like asking: "is honey sweet or pleasing?" So why do we bring up such a provocative question right here at Easter time? I honestly hope that those who are seeking answers to life's perplexing questions will confidently turn to Jesus Christ for eternal salvation and help in times of trouble.
A person was listening very attentively to a recent sermon from my current series on the Gospel of John. This curious seeker of truth asked me later; "Jesus makes no claim that he thought of himself as the only Son of God but rather the Son of Man (a child of God – as we are all children of God).
It is a reasonable thing for us to consider if Jesus of Nazareth, born of the virgin Mary who was married to Joseph ever considered that he was really and truly THE only begotten Son of God. There is no place for us to look for this answer except the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God. Some people have a problem with looking to the Bible and they even accuse believers of being terrible things like "Bible thumpers".
That is kind of cute, funny and even a little bit silly. This criticism is probably one of those things people say when their material is exhausted. Some say they cannot believe in Jesus Christ because we do not have any evidence. (They do not believe the Bible.) I believe in many things that I have never seen before. There is no doubt in my mind about the reality of things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and yes – even hatred and malice.
This is not the time of year that people celebrate the birth of Christ. However, considering this question makes me think of the great hymns about Christ by the great composers. I also think of the great works of art by the great masters of art. They were inspired to do their best work to capture Christ the Lord. H.G. Wells placed Jesus of Nazareth at the top of a list of 6 of the world's greatest characters. Please consider the great impact Christ has had and is having upon this world.
The angel Gabriel informed Mary: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." (Luke 1:32 NIV) No other figure in history has had such a powerful impact upon the world. Time is calculated from His birth. (BC & AD) The first day of the week memorializes His resurrection. None of the atheistic Communist leaders of the Soviet Union could find the courage to challenge the Russian name for Sunday. Voskreshenye in English is Resurrection Day. When Christians partake of the Lord's Supper, we recognize this as a monument to faith that Christ died for our sins. Moreover, when we read the beautiful New Testament that is a compilation of inspired books, we are reading a monument that is two thousand years tall.
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. The descriptions about the sonship of Christ teach us about the relationship that exists between the eternal Father and the eternal Son. The apostle Peter confessed: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." (Matthew 16:16) Jesus accepted this and blessed Peter for making this powerful confession of faith. The whole reason why the Sanhedrin charged Christ with blasphemy was that He claimed to be the Son of God. (Mark 14:61-62) When the Father gave the Son the commission to go to earth as the Savior, the Son came in obedience, but He was not an inferior being to God the Father. The scriptures teach us that Christ is equal to God. (John 1:1-14, John 5:17-25, Philippians 2:6)
Long ago, the Jewish prophet and Persian nobleman Daniel declared; "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence." (Daniel 7:13) Jesus Christ quoted from verses 13 and 14 when He was on trial and the chief priest asked Him if He was Christ, the Son of God.
Dear friends, Jesus of Nazareth knew who He was – the Christ and Son of God. He understood the difficulty of His mission to earth. Do you know Jesus today as your Savior and Lord?
You are invited to attend the services of the Church of Christ at the corner of 3rd and E Streets. Write me with any questions or comments David Binkley, Sr., P.O. Box 186, Cedar Key, FL 32625 or E-mail at dgbinkley@aol.com. You may also request to receive the daily WORD OF THE DAY by e-mail. Check out our web site at www.cedarkeychurchofchrist.com. | 