Jesus Christ, the Son of God

In Matthew chapter 16, we read that Jesus asked His apostles who people said He was

and they reported a fair amount of speculation going around ...

... some believing Jesus was actually John the Baptist, or maybe somebody else. But then, Jesus again asked His apostles -

But who do you say that I am? (verse 15)

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (verse 16)

The belief in Jesus, the Son of God, is central to the christian faith.

- What does this mean?

First, we must understand that the Bible does not teach that God “gave birth” to Jesus in the way that a man and a woman have a child

- Jesus was eternal with the Father (something we will look at shortly). However it is in these things:

• his like nature
  • like produces like (birds produce birds, humans humans, etc)
  • his deity (‘God-ness’) (Hebrews 1:1-3)
  • his character (John 14:7-9)
• the father-son relationship
  • Jesus' relationship with God was exactly as a son with his father: respect, love, working together (Hebrews 5:8; the Jews understood this, as seen in John 5:16-19; see also John 11:41-42)
  • and He carries the authority of His father (as in, the second-in-command in a family business, having all authority - see Matthew 28:18-20; John 5:16-23)

Second, it is a core teaching of christianity that Jesus, who was one with the Father, came to earth as a man

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 through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. ...
The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. ...
For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(John chapter 1, verses 1-3; 14; 17)

Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews chapter 2, verses 17-18; see also Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 5:7-9)

Third, Jesus died for our sins and afterwards resurrected.

Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 1-4)

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 John, verse 7)

Fourth, God in His wisdom chose several men to be witnesses of all this.

Peter, James and John witnessed God testifying regarding Jesus being His Son (Matthew 17:1-8).

He told His apostles, You will ... testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.(John chapter 15, verse 27). And the apostle John is thus able to write,

That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John chapter 1, verses 1-3)

We need to believe these things.

John writes later in this same book,

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God's testimony which he has testified concerning his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn't have God's Son does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John chapter 5, verses 9-13)

And we need to follow Him.

though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation, (Hebrews chapter 5, verses 8-9)

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.” (Matthew chapter 16, verses 24-27)

If you love me, keep my commandments. (John chapter 14, verse 15)

Jesus, the Son of God, is coming to judge the world

Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him. For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 9 and 10)