“GOD THE SON”
By ABIMBOLA.O. SALU.
Jesus Christ, the second person of the Blessed Holy Trinity is God the Son. He is the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [See Isaiah 9 v.6]. He is also the “Bread of Life”[see John 6 v. 35], the Son of God [see John 1 v. 34 and 49], the King of Israel [see John 1 v.49] the Lamb of God [see John 1 v.29] and the Good Shepard [see John 10 v. 11]. He is the Light of the World [see John 8 v.12 and John 9v.5], the Son of Man [see John 1 v.57] and the True Vine [see John 15 v.1]. He is the great “I AM”[see John 8 v.58] where Jesus confirmed his God ship as stated in Exodus 3 v.14. In John 8 v. 58, when Jesus responded to questions from the Jews about his claims about himself. He said specifically
“ I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM”.
This is a direct confirmation that he is one of the persons of the Trinity because when Moses asked GOD what he should say when the children of Israel asked who had sent him to lead them out of Egypt, God said to Moses
“I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites “I AM “ has sent me to you”. [See Exodus 3 v.14]
700 years before Jesus Christ was born, Prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament foretold his birth. In Isaiah 7 v. 14, the Bible says:
“The virgin shall be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel”
This same verse was confirmed in the New Testament in Mathew 1 v.23. Again, in Isaiah 9 v. 6-7, it was recorded that:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given
And the government will be upon his shoulders
And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, and Mighty God
Everlasting Father Prince of Peace
Of the increase of his government and peace
There will be no end
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom
Establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness
From that time on and forever
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this”.
Isaiah 11 v.1 and 2 records that:
“A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse
From his roots a Branch will bear fruit
The spirit of the Lord will rest on him
The spirit of wisdom and of understanding
The spirit of counsel and of power
The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord”
Apart from predicting his birth, the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 53 v.1-5 also predicted his life and his death:
“Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arms of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot
And like a root out of dry ground
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him
Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him
He was despised and rejected by men
A man of sorrows and familiar with suffering
Like one from whom men hide their faces
He was despised and we esteemed him not
Surely He took up our infirmities
And carried away our sorrows
Yet we considered him stricken by God
Smitten by him and afflicted
But he was pierced for our transgressions
He was crushed for our iniquities
The punishment that brought us peace was upon him
And by his wounds we are healed”.
The Bible records more than 300 prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. All these prophecies were fulfilled through his life, death and resurrection. Statisticians have come to the conclusion that the chances of one person fulfilling 8 of these prophecies are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.
Some of the other prophets in the Old Testament that predicted His birth include Prophet Hosea [see Hosea 11 v.1]:
“When Israel was a child I love him
And out of Egypt I have called my Son”.
Prophet Micah said in Micah 5 v.2:
“But you Bethlehem Ephrathah
Though you are small among the clans of Judah
Out of you will come for me
One who will be ruler over Israel
Whose origins are from of old from ancient times”
This verse is also confirmed in the New Testament in Mathew 2 v. 6.
The life of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament is a fulfillment of what was foretold in the Old Testament. The Apostle John in the Gospel according to St. John wrote a Prologue, which described Jesus Christ as the “pre-existent Word incarnate”
John 1 v. 1, 14 and 18 records thus:
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made, without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known”.
The words “In the beginning “ is a deliberate echo of what was written in Genesis 1 v. 1:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
The use of the same phrase “in the beginning “ is to show that even right at the beginning, Jesus was there with God in the creation of the world. See for example John 17 v. 5 where Jesus said:
“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began “.
See also 1 Colossians 1 v.15 –20:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross”.
The best account of the birth of Jesus Christ and his early life can be found in the Gospel according to Luke. His lineage through his Father Joseph and his Mother Mary is recorded in Luke 3 v. 23- 38.Angel Gabriel foretold his birth to Mary his mother [see Luke 1 v. 26-38]. Angel Gabriel also explained the circumstances of his birth to Joseph [see Mathew 1 v.18-25]. The circumstances surrounding his birth are a lesson in humility. Here was a King, God he come down to earth, yet he shunned all the trappings of wealth and power. He was born in a manger with animals as companions, to an earthly father who was a carpenter and a virgin mother. Even at birth, the gifts presented to him by the Three Wise Men signified his kingship [gold] His divinity [frankincense] and his death [myrrh.]
As a baby, Jesus had enemies who went to great lengths to kill him. Herod, in his desire to kill Jesus, ordered all male children 2 years and under to be killed. Throughout his life, the Jews and their leaders hated him. This however did not bother him because he told his disciples in John 15 v. 18 –19:
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
God the Father endorsed Jesus Christ as his son on several occasions. For example in Mathew 3 v.16-17 [see also Mark 1 v.10-11 and Luke 3 v. 21 for the same account]. The Bible records that after the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and lighted on him. A voice was heard from heaven saying:
“This is my beloved Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.”
Another occasion was on the Mountain of Transfiguration [see Mathew 17 v.1-8, Mark 9 v.2-8, and Luke 9 v. 28-36]
Here, Jesus took three of his Disciples, Peter, James and John to a high mountain. Right before their eyes, he was transformed. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as light. Moses and Elijah, two prophets of the Old Testament appeared and talked with him. Peter was so overwhelmed with emotions at the unusual sight before him that he asked Jesus if they could stay there forever in shelters he will put up. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them. Then a voice came from heaven saying,
“This is my beloved Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased. Listen to him”.
Apart from being God’s Son, Jesus was also God’s chosen servant. Mathew 12 v. 13-21 spoke of this as a fulfillment of Prophet Isaiah’s prophecy.
“Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the Prophet Isaiah:
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”
Jesus Christ is the true Son of God. He is the exact representation of the nature of God. Hebrews 1 v.3 says:
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Jesus forgives sins. [See Mathew 9 v.1-8] where it was recorded
“Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to them, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins....” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.”
Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer, sometimes going away alone to pray. [See Mathew 14 v. 23] “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.”
Apart from his spiritual side, as a man, Jesus Christ was physically very strong. He endured a lot of suffering, beating and insults, which culminated in his crucifixion on the Cross. What is so amazing is that he did not deserve these punishments. Like a lamb to the slaughter he died for our sins. By this singular act, he became a propitiation that appeased God’s wrath. Before his death on the cross, under the Law of Moses, when a man committed a sin, he had to shed the blood of an animal. That was the only thing that could cleanse or remove such sins. However, with the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ, there was no need to offer any sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Indeed, Galatians 3 v. 13 says:
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
The tearing of the veil in the temple when Jesus gave up the ghost signified that every believer now has access to salvation through the death and the blood of Jesus. . The former practice where only the priest could offer sacrifices was over.
His passion showed his emotional side. He prayed that God should remove the bitter cup he was about to drink. He however asked not according to his own will but according to the will of his Father. Mathew 26 v. 37- 42 records:
“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed.”
Even when the large crowd armed with swords and clubs came to arrest him, Jesus was still full of compassion. He re-attached the ear of the servant of the high priest that was cut off at the time if his arrest. Another side of his compassionate nature was seen when he prayed for his enemies on the cross of Calvary. At the cross, he reminded his Mother and his disciple John to take good care of her [see John 19 v. 25-27].
The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows his triumph over sin and death. The risen Christ conquered death and thus possessed the gates of death and hell.
Finally, no other individual that lived on earth has had as much impact as Jesus Christ. Even thousands of years after his death, He still evokes very strong and deep emotions of love in his followers and hatred for those who do not know him. His powers are still as immense limitless and potent as when he made his first appearance in the world. He is coming back again, this time in his glory, [see Mathew 25 v.31] to judge the “quick and the dead”. Let every heart be prepared to meet the Savior of the world.
