This post continues from Part 1. Let’s explore his life and ministry by his names and titles and crucifixion. In this post we look into his eternal Sonship, because certain teachers claim he became the Son of God only after his birth, implying that his Sonship has a beginning..
Here’s the image again, for your convenience:
We are on the bottom left and then the very bottom, Christ’s lowest humiliation. We don’t discuss whether he went down to hades.
See this post:
10. Do I Really Know Jesus? Did He Descend into Hades to Preach?
V.. His Life
A.. Brief intro.
We can look into his life and ministry by the titles and names he himself used and people used of him. They reveal his life in summary form.
B.. Rabbi
According to the New Testament, the title means “teacher,” and that is Jesus’ role, which he gladly accepts. It is used 17 times (including Rabboni) in the Four Gospels. This is an honorific. The role of the Rabbis came to its fruition after the temple was destroyed.
Here are the different classes of people who use this title as they address Christ.
Ordinary people: Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:51);
Crowds (John 6:25);
The disciples: Judas (Matt. 26:25, 26:49; Mark 14:45); Peter (Mark 9:5, 11:21); Andrew and another disciple (John 1:38); Nathanael (John 1:49); twelve disciples without specifying which ones (John 4:31, 9:2, 11:8); Mary, who says “Rabboni” or “my Teacher” according to John’s explanatory note (John 20:16).
One time: John the Baptist’s disciples use it of John (John 3:26)
Religious leader: Nicodemus (John 3:2)
Jesus uses the title but only as a restriction. In one context, Jesus exhorts his disciples to see themselves as equals and not to grab for titles like Rabbi to exalt themselves above each other (Matt. 23:7). He says that they really have one didaskalos or “teacher”—himself. “And you are all brothers” (v. 8).
See this post at my website:
Did Jesus Forbid the Title of ‘Teacher’?
In all cases, Jesus accepts the title “Rabbi” from people in public or private because he understands that they were accustomed to it. He was adapting to his culture. When people looked at this devout Jew who taught them, they correctly saw a Rabbi—the Rabbi.
But this title does not reflect his divine nature in its fullest sense as the Son of God or the “I am” does, as we shall in other article in this series. After all, for many years the title “Rabbi” was applied to so many humans without a divine nature, how could the title by itself speak about the divine nature of Jesus?
C.. Teacher
This is one of Jesus’ role, which he willingly takes on himself. “Teacher” also overlaps with “Rabbi” according to the New Testament. This title is used a little over 40 times in the Four Gospels. Here are the classes of people who use it as they address Christ.
Ordinary people:
Men from Jairus’ house (Mark 5:35; Luke 8:49); men from the crowd (Mark 9:17; Luke 9:38, 12:13); tax collectors (Matt. 17:24); small crowd about to stone an adulteress (John 8:4)
A rich young ruler: (Mark 10:17; Matt. 19:16; Luke 18:18)
The disciples: as a group without specifying which disciple is speaking (Mark 4:38, 13:1; Luke 21:7); John (Mark 9:38); James and John (Mark 10:35); Andrew and another disciple (John 1:38); Martha (John 11:28); Mary (John 20:16)
Religious and political leaders:
Teachers of the law (Matt. 8:19; Luke 11:45); Pharisees (Matt. 9:11, 22:36; Mark 12:32; Luke 10:25, 7:40, 19:39); Pharisees’ disciples and Herodians (Mark 12:14; Matt. 22:15-16; Luke 20:21); Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matt. 12:38); Sadducees (Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28-39); Nicodemus (John 3:2); spies to trap Jesus (Mark 12:14; Matt. 22:15-22; Luke 20:21)
Jesus used the title by telling the disciples to inform an unnamed man that the “Teacher” needs his house for the Passover (Mark 14:14; Matt. 26:18; Luke 22:11).
The reason for this exhortation has been explained in the previous section “Rabbi,” and Jesus’ use of the term, above. He is creating a community of equals with him as their Leader, Master, or Teacher.
In the context of washing his disciples’ feet, in a moving scene of humility, Jesus says that it is right that they call him Teacher and Lord (John 13:1-17). He now sets the example of how a Teacher and Lord is supposed to act. If he has served them by washing their feet in preparation for Passover, then how much more must they serve each other in humility?
To sum up, in the vast majority of times that the word teacher appears in the Four Gospels, people other than Jesus use it, comparatively speaking. When Jesus is resurrected from the dead and ascends into heaven, he will no longer be called teacher, but the Lord.
In fact, in no instance outside of the Four Gospels do any disciples or New Testament authors refer to Jesus as teacher—in the Book of Acts, the Epistles, or the Revelation. This means that the title no longer carries as much weight after his resurrection and ascension. But while on earth, he taught, and he gladly did this ministry.
D.. Prophet
In all of the following examples, Jesus stands in the prophetic tradition of the Bible. The word “prophet” is used a little over 20 times in the context of Jesus in the Four Gospels. (Passages that refer explicitly to an Old Testament prophet, for example, were not counted here.) These are the classes of people who use it.
Ordinary people:
The crowds see Jesus as a prophet (Matt. 21:11, 26:46; Luke 7:16; John 6:14, 7:40); woman at the well believes he is a prophet (John 4:19); a healed blind man believes that Jesus is a prophet (John 9:17); Jesus asks the disciples who people say that he is, and the disciples report that some say that he is a prophet (Mark 8:28; Matt. 16:14; Luke 9:19).
The most significant point in these last three passages (Mark 8:28; Matt. 16:14; Luke 9:19) is that Jesus reveals that his identity as a prophet does not reflect his divine nature in its fullest meaning, as his being the Christ, the Son of the Living God does reflect it (Matt. 16:16).
Disciples:
Zechariah predicts that Jesus will be called prophet of the Most High (Luke 1:76); two disciples on the Road to Emmaus (one is named Cleopas) say that he was a mighty prophet (Luke 24:19); Peter says that Jesus fulfills the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:14, which says that another Prophet like Moses would be sent by God (Acts 3:22).
Religious leaders:
Simon the Pharisee questions his prophethood (Luke 7:39); chief priests and Pharisees doubt his prophethood (John 7:52).
Other passages in the New Testament say that the risen Lord Jesus Christ ordains prophets in his church (Acts 11:27; 13:1; 15:32; 1 Cor. 12:28-29; 14:29-37; Eph. 2:20, 3:5, 4:11). This means that Jesus rises far above mere prophethood, though this office is valued in his church.
Jesus uses to reveal the most important interpretation of the office of prophet. He says that prophets are sent out on missions, and anyone who receives them will receive a prophet’s reward (Matt. 10:41). This means that Jesus, who sends prophets, rises far above this office.
He says that John the Baptist is a prophet, and no one is greater than John is—except anyone who lives in the new dispensation of the kingdom of God as Jesus reveals it. “Yet [any disciple of Jesus] who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than [John the Baptist]” (Matt. 11:9-11). This means that Jesus, who lifts ordinary believers above the great John the Baptist, rises far above mere prophethood.
He accepts the common belief that no prophet is honored in his own hometown (Mark 6:4; Matt. 13:57; Luke 4:24; John 4:44).
Using a lot of irony, he says that no prophet can die outside of Jerusalem (Luke 13:33). From an historical point of view, Jerusalem had acquired this reputation. As noted, he stands in the prophetic tradition of the Bible, so how can he deny Jerusalem’s reputation by dying somewhere else?
It is clear, then, that the New Testament authors understand the concept of point of view. From the people’s (and sometimes the disciples’) point of view, he is a prophet.
Next, from the Old Testament’s point of view, he stands in the prophetic tradition. He is the Prophet predicted in Deuteronomy 18:14.
Finally, however, in private and from a higher, divine point of view, he is more than a prophet. He reveals that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16). But does this mean that he privately and secretly rejects the title of “prophet”? Not in the least. But it does not reflect his divine nature in its fullest meaning, as the Son of God does, for example, because the title “prophet” had been applied to so many humans for so many centuries.
E.. The Son of David
This is a Messianic title that was popular among the Jewish people. It is used as such in the Four Gospels about 10 times, and in most cases ordinary Israelites use it. For example, in Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matt. 21:9, 15). However, Jesus does not use it about himself. In this light, we focus on Jesus’ correction of this popular usage. The Pharisees believe that the Christ is the Son of David, but Jesus clarifies matters (Matt. 22:41-46; cf. Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44). This passage in Matthew (and parallels in Mark and Luke) comes after the triumphal entry during which the people acclaimed him the son of David. Jesus is quoting Psalm 110:1, and the entire psalm was considered by the Jews as Messianic before Jesus was born. In Jesus’ interpretation, God is speaking to David’s Lord, that is, David’s superior, who is Christ. If the Lord Messiah is superior to David, how can the Lord be subordinate as a son? Thus, the title “son of David” is ultimately inadequate; Jesus is the Lord even of David himself, the greatest king of Israel.
F.. The Christ or the Messiah
The title means that he is “the Anointed One” (anointed by God and his Spirit in Acts 10:38), this title is used of Jesus 54 times in the Four Gospels. Mark’s Gospel has it only seven times; Matthew sixteen; Luke twelve; and John nineteen. (In Acts and the Epistles and the Revelation it is used numerous times, as in “Jesus Christ.”) So we do not have the space to list all the different speakers and contexts. Instead, only two passages are cited here, in which Jesus accepts someone else’s correct definition.
According to Peter’s famous confession on the true identity of Jesus, the Messiah is the Son of God. After Jesus privately asks his disciples who the crowds of people believe he is, he asks them who they think he is. Peter strides forward with the correct answer.
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but my Father in heaven” (Matt. 16:16-17; cf. Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20).
It should be emphasized that in the context of these two verses, some among the crowds take Jesus for a prophet. He does not explicitly deny this, but he also reveals his fullest nature to his key disciples: the Christ, the Son of God.
The high priest, during Jesus’ trial, understands the implication of Messiahship in the context of Jesus’ ministry and first-century Israel. He asks Jesus plainly:
61 Again the high priest asked him “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:61-62; cf. Matt. 26:63-64; Luke 22:66-71; cf. John 19:7)
Jesus answers the high priest plainly. He is more than a Rabbi, Teacher, and Prophet, though he had functioned in all of these callings before the people.
G.. Son of Man
Two options for its meaning are possible, but only one suits his meaning. First, Ezekiel, an Old Testament prophet, uses it 93 times, and he emphasizes his humanity. He is an ordinary human son of an ordinary human man. Second, Daniel, another Old Testament prophet, uses it about a divine figure who is entrusted by God in the end times with authority, glory, and sovereignty (Dan. 7:13-14). Jesus demonstrates that he is the fulfillment of Daniel’s description, though his humanity could reference Ezekiel’s description. Both are true of the God-man, who is fully divine and fully man.
Let’s look into its divine meaning.
1.. The Son of Man has authority to forgive the sins of others and heal sickness.
In Mark 2:5-10 (cf. Matt. 9:2-8; Luke 5:18-26), Jesus heals a paralytic. The teachers of the law make the right inference. Only God can forgive sins in this manner. Jesus does this, so what does this say about his divine nature?
2..The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.
This means that he fulfills the Old Testament in this important regulation in the life of Israel.
3.. Jesus comes to seek and to save the lost.
The following two verses find Zacchaeus the tax collector repenting of his cheating and defrauding. He promises to repay people and return stolen money.
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:9-10).
So Jesus combines his divine status of the Son of Man with his divine status of Savior.
4.. The Son of Man must suffer many things and be killed.
But he will be resurrected. After Peter’s great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16), Jesus warns the disciples not to tell anyone. Then he makes a prediction and clarifies his destiny.
22 And [Jesus] said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Luke 9:22, 9:44; cf. Matt. 12:40, 16:21; Mark 8:31)
Thus, Jesus fulfills the Suffering Servant Messiah described in Isaiah 53.
5.. Jesus the Son of Man will be the judge.
During his trial, Jesus boldly tells the high priest that he, the Son of Man, will sit at the right hand of the Father and come on the clouds of heaven at the end of the age.
63 The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 “Yes, it is as you say: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on clouds of heaven.” (Matt. 26:63-64; cf. Mark 14:61-62)
These two verses combine the three titles of Messiah, Son of God, and Son of Man. Clearly, then, the title “Son of Man” can refer to his humanity, but it rises far above Ezekiel’s description of himself as an ordinary human. Jesus fulfills Daniel’s apocalyptic, divine figure.
G.. Lord
Here is a table that illustrates the original (Old Testament) and their quotations and application to Jesus. He also applied this exalted title or name to himself.
|
Yahweh = God = The Lord Jesus |
||
| Old Testament | New Testament | |
| 1 | Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God (Ex. 20:9-10a). | The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. (Mark 2:28) |
| 2 | 9 He [THE LORD] said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Is. 6:9-10) | 37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. (John 12:37-41; cf. Matt. 13:14-15) |
| 3 | The Lord says to my lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (Ps. 110:1) | “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ 45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” (Matt. 22:44-45) |
| 4 | “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. (Mal. 3:1) | And you, my child [John the Baptist], will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him (Luke 1:76) |
| 5 | The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack (Ps. 23:1) | “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11) |
| 6 | The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. 14 He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. (Is. 8:13-14) | Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Rom. 9:32-33) |
| 7 | And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls. (Joel 2:32) | 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9-13) |
| 8 | “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. (Is. 45:23) | It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” (Rom. 14:11)
At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:10-11) |
| 9 | “But let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. (Jer. 9:24) | It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:30-31) |
| 10 | Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? (Is. 40:13) | 16 “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16) |
| 11 | When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious—that you, Lord God, might dwell there. (Ps. 68:18) | This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) (Eph. 4:8-10) |
| 12 | People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. (Is. 2:19 see vv. 2, 21) | This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thess. 1:7-9) |
| 13 | See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. (Is. 66:15) | 2 Thess. 1:7-9 (see above) |
| 14 | He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. (Ps. 130:8) | While we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:13-14) |
| 15 | In the beginning you [God] laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end. (Ps. 102:25-27) | He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” (Heb. 1:10-12) |
| 16 | Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. (Is. 51:6) | Heb. 1:11, see above |
| 17 | Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Ps. 34:8) | Now … you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Pet. 2:3) |
| 18 | The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. (Is. 8:13) | But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. (1 Pet. 3:15) |
| 19 | “And I [the LORD] will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zech. 12:10) | “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. (Rev. 1:7) |
| 20 | “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jer. 17:10) | Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. (Rev. 2:23) |
| 21 | “And with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” (Ps. 62:12) |
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” (Rev. 22:12) |
| 22 | See the Sovereign LORD comes power, and he rules with his mighty arm. See his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. (Is. 40:10) | Rev. 22:12, see above |
| 23 | “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. (Is. 40:10) | I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last (Rev. 22:13) |
| Source: Frame, Systematic, p. 452, significantly revised here. | ||
Let’s take an example which was important to Jews of the first century. As noted, in Mark 2:28, Jesus said he was the Lord of the Sabbath. Now consider Ex. 20:9-10a, which says the Sabbath belongs to Yahweh. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God” (Ex. 20:9-10a). It is holy to him (Ex. 20:8, 11). Now Jesus owns the Sabbath and is Lord over it.
H.. Son of God
This name is used many times. Let’s look at four representative examples.
1.. He proclaims the Sonship of Christ at his baptism.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit descending like a dove and lighting on him 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22)
This passage is a wonderful image of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—testifying to the divine nature of Jesus.
Jesus was transfigured in front of Peter, James, and John, on a high mountain. “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as while light. Just then there appeared Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus” (Matthew 17:3). Then Father God speaks from heaven.
5 […] a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matt. 17:5; cf. Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35)
Moses represents the Law and Elijah the prophets. This implies that Jesus fulfills their ministries. “Listen to him!” This passage, most importantly, reveals the divine nature of Jesus—the very Son of God. He rises far above the greatest lawgiver and the illustrative prophet.
2.. Demons fear certain truths in the spirit world that we do not have to fear.
They shriek and submit before the Son of God:
28 When [Jesus] arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matt. 8:28-29; Mark 5:6-8; Luke 8:27-29)
It should be noted that Satan himself questions Jesus’ Sonship in the God-ordained and Spirit-led Temptation or Testing (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-11). Said Satan, “If you are the Son of God” […]. Jesus was victorious over this evil being, so this means that he is the Son of God.
3.. The disciples acknowledge him as the Son of God
After they saw him walking on water during a storm, Peter, in his boldness, asks Jesus to tell him to walk on water, too.
32 And when [Jesus and Peter] climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying “Truly, you are the Son of God.” (Matt. 14:32-33).
4. Roman centurion (and others) at the crucifixion.
They were guarding Jesus during the crucifixion declares that Jesus is the Son of God. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God.” (Matt. 27:54; Mark 15:39).
I.. King
Since there is a kingdom, there has to be a king. Jesus is the hidden king ushering in his kingdom. Here are the basics about the kingdom of God.
1.. The kingdom was present in Jesus at the beginning of his ministry.
John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus, and he preached that it was near (Matt. 3:2).
Jesus launched the kingdom of God and proclaim that it had come (Mark 1:15).
2. The kingdom was present during his ministry.
Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom, which God’s right to rule over people’s lives and crush Satan under the Messiah’s feet and which brings restoration and reparations of the damage that humankind and Satan has wreaked on his earth (Matt. 4:23).
Parables describe how God controls it and causes its growth, which implies that we cannot cause its growth, other than just preach it (Matt. 13:11-52).
Jesus’s miracles proved he had kingly authority over diseases, which are outward signs of something that has gone wrong and needs repair (Luke 7:18-22).
Driving out demons proved he was shrinking Satan’s kingdom, and this will continue until God sweeps it aside forever (Luke 11:20).
Through Jesus the kingdom of God is present, which means he launches and sustains it to this very day (Luke 17:20-21).
3.. The kingdom was present at the end of his ministry.
It shines and comes through the death of Jesus, which means he disarmed ruling spirits through the cross (Luke 23:42-43; Col. 2:15). It shines and comes through the resurrection of Jesus, which will inevitably conquer the final enemy: death (1 Cor. 15:20-25).
4.. The King or the Son of Man will judge the nations (Matt. 25:31-36).
Yes, this is talking about the final judgment, but he clearly identifies himself, the Son of Man, with being the King, at the end of his ministry, after he entered Jerusalem for the last time, before his death.
J.. I Am
Let’s look into the OT background.
Exodus 3:14 describes a holy scene. Moses asks God, appearing in the burning bush, who he is. God replies, “I am who I am.” The third person form of “I am” is “he is,” and it is from this third person clause that the divine name YHWH (Yahweh) is derived.
Further, God says about himself in Isaiah such truths as these about his self-existing Being: “I am the Lord” or “I am your God” or “I am the first and the last” (Is. 41:10; 43:3, 11; 43:15; 44:6; 48:12; 51:12 cf. Jer. 32:27).
They must believe that “I am.” That is what the Greek literally says. I could add the pronoun “he,” which, taken together, reads: “I am he,” that is, the Messiah, the sent one. However, he may be playing off Exod. 3:14: which in Greek reads: “the LORD says, ‘I AM THE BEING ONE.’ Or “I AM WHO EXISTS.” Or he may be referring to the verses in Is. 40-55 where God says, “I am he!” The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, says, ego eimi ho ōn, that is, “I am the Being One” or “I am he who exists.” “I am the existing one.”
But here are verses from Isaiah:
Who has done this and carried it through,
calling forth the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord—with the first of them
and with the last—I am he.” (Is. 41:4)
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?” (Is. 43:10-13; see v. 25)
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Is. 46:4)
“Listen to me, Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:
I am he;
I am the first and I am the last.
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon them,
they all stand up together. (Is. 48:12-13)
12 “I, even I, am he who comforts you.
Who are you that you fear mere mortals,
human beings who are but grass,
13 that you forget the Lord your Maker,
who stretches out the heavens
and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction? (Is. 51:12-13)
This is high Christology.
Next, “I am” is used metaphorically.
With the Old Testament clearly in the background, Jesus uses this “I am” subject pronoun and verb combination in special ways in the Gospel of John. The Greek is ego eimi (ego = I) and (eimi = am).
This theme of “I am” is so dominant and built up in such a deliberate way in the Gospel of John that no serious and reasonable scholar reduces them to a mere expression that all of us use, like “I am a man” or “I am a human.” Which average Jew in first-century Israel walked around the countryside proclaiming, “I am the way and the truth” or “I am the light of the world”? The truth? The light? These are stunning claims by Jesus in his context.
The tile is also non-metaphorical.
These “I am” (egō eimi in Greek) expressions are not the strongest and clearest examples of the parallels between the Old Testament and the Gospel of John. In the following passages, Jesus clearly identifies himself with the God who spoke in the burning bush.
Jesus says that he existed before Abraham.
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am! [egō eimi]” (John 8:57-58).
That is, Jesus existed before Abraham was born, and surely in the mind even of ordinary first-century Jews, Abraham was considered an early patriarch in Genesis, before God revealed himself as the “I am” to Moses. Thus, Jesus is the self-existing Being that God is, even as he said in the burning bush. This is a remarkable statement by Jesus, for which Jews picked up stones to kill him for blasphemy (v. 59).
Jesus speaks out his true nature, and wicked men fall backwards. Jesus is getting arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the dark. He asks the mob who they want. After they answer, his reply was not ordinary, though the words are used every day.
4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” [egō eimi] […] 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” [ego eimi] they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:4-7).
This passage fits perfectly into the “I am” theme in the entire Gospel. His answer, in words we all use every day in our own language, sends the arresters falling backwards. Thus, John’s purpose is to elevate this ordinary subject pronoun and verb, ego eimi, beyond the natural and into a supernatural, divine meaning that echoes the Old Testament’s designation of God.
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JESUS’ SEVEN “I AM” SAYINGS IN JOHN |
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| 1 | I Am the Bread of Life (6:35, 48) and Living Bread (6:51) |
| 2 | I Am the Light of the World (8:12; 9:5) |
| 3 | I Am the Gate (10:7, 9) |
| 4 | I Am the Good Shepherd (10:11, 14) |
| 5 | I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25) |
| 6 | I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6) |
| 7 | I am the True Vine (15:1, 5) |
| Biblical Theology Study Bible, p. 2163, slightly edited | |
Matthew also records an “I am” declaration. In the previous section it was noted that Jesus walked on water and that Peter asked permission to do this as well. Before Peter asked, however, the disciples dimly saw a figure walking towards them in the storm, and they thought it was a ghost. Jesus reassures them with an expression that literally says “I am” or “ egō eimi.”
26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I [egō eimi]. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:26-27)
This claim to divine status fits in with the disciples worshiping Christ as the Son of God in the same passage (v. 33).
Finally, let’s look at verses outside of the four Gospels.
Jesus says in the Revelation, “I am the first and the last” (1:17, 22:13). The Revelation was written by John, and he has in mind the verses in Isaiah, where God speaks of himself as “the first and the last” (44:6; 48:12). He is the first before creation and the last after creation.
VI.. His Death
A.. Brief intro
The purpose of his death shapes the entire Christ event—his birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. So what do these historical events mean for us today, living two thousand years afterwards? How can we get to know him better?
B.. The cause of his death
This one is easy to answer. God ordained that Jesus would die for the sins of the world, as he shed his blood (Luke 22:20). He died by crucifixion (Nu. 21:8-9 and John 3:14-15; Deut. 21:23 and Gal. 3:13). On a human level, the Jewish and Roman authorities put him to death on the charge that he was seeking to be a king (Matt. 27:37). Also, the high priest charged him with blasphemy for affirming the question that he is the Christ, the Son of God (Matt. 26:63-65).
The Table below lists scriptures that God carefully fulfilled in Christ about his death, revealing that God orchestrated things behind the scenes. Therefore, no one should be deluded with anti-Semitism.
C.. His death was predicted.
This Table lists only deal with the death of Christ and the events leading up to and during and after his crucifixion.
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Fulfillment of Prophecies about the Crucifixion |
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| Old Testament | Topic | New Testament | |
| 1 | Is. 53:6-7 The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all . . . He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. | Suffering Lamb of God | Jn. 1:29 Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. |
| 2 | Ex. 24:8 Moses . . . said, “This is the blood of the covenant.” | Blood of the Covenant | Mt. 26:28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. |
| 3 | Is. 50:6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. | Beaten, spit on, and mocked | Mk. 15:15, 19-20 Pilate . . . had Jesus flogged . . . Again and again the soldiers struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him . . . they mocked him. |
| 4 | Zech. 11:12 So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. | Thirty pieces of silver | Mt. 26:15 So they counted out for [Judas] thirty pieces of silver. |
| 5 | Zech. 12:10 They will look on me, the one they pierced. | They will look on the one they pierced | Jn. 19:34, 37 One of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side . . . They will look on the one they pierced. |
| 6 | Ps. 22:18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. | Divided and cast lost for his garments | Jn. 19:23-24 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them . . . with the undergarment remaining . . . They said . . . “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” |
| 7 | Is. 53:12 He poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. | Numbered with transgressors | Lk. 23:32-33 Two other men, both criminals, also were led out to be executed . . . they crucified [Jesus] along with criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. |
| 8 | Ps 22:7-8 All who see me mock me and hurl insults, shaking their heads. | Mocked by a crowd | Mt. 27:39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads. |
| 9 | Ps. 69:21 They . . . gave me vinegar for my thirst. | Vinegar for thirst | Jn. 19:28-29 Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a hyssop plant, and lifted it up to Jesus’ lips. |
| 10 | Nu. 9:12 They must not leave any of [the lamb] until morning or break any of its bones. (Cf. Ex. 12:46, Ps. 34:20) | No broken bones | Jn. 19:36 These things happened so that scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” |
| Adapted from Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson (eds.) The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy (Harvest House, 2004), pp. 219-23.
Herbert Lockyer, All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible (Zondervan, 1973). |
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D.. Meaning of the table
The above table demonstrates that the Bible accurate, reliable, and faithful. It is impossible that this alignment of prophecies spoken hundreds of years before their fulfillment in the New Testament could be forged.
The enemies of earliest Christianity could double-check the Old Testament with the events in Christ’s life, which were fresh in everyone’s memory. In fact, some enemies were hard at work explaining away and covering up the resurrection. The chief priests and elders bribed the guards of the tomb of Jesus. They were to say that the disciples stole the body; it was not resurrected (Matt. 28:11-15). In this hostile environment, Jesus Christ accurately fulfills Old Testament prophecies, and the authors of New Testament remembered them.
Here are passages in which Jesus predicts his own death in specific terms: Matthew 12:39-41 and Luke 11:29:30; cf. Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:21-27, 9:43; Matt. 20:17-19, cf. Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33; John 12:20-26.
Therefore, it is impossible to deny the actual and physical crucifixion. This is the climax of the four Gospels, along with his resurrection and ascension.
E.. His last words
Jesus speaks important, final words on the Cross, and they fulfill Old Testament prophecies.
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Fulfillment of Prophecies about Jesus’s Words on the Cross |
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| Old Testament | Topic | New Testament | |
| 1 | Ps. 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? | Forsaken as the sins of the world are taken on himself | Mt. 27:46 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” |
| 2 | Is. 53:12 He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. | Interceding for transgressors | Lk. 23:32, 42-43 Two other men, both criminals, were led out with him to be executed . . . [A criminal] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” |
| 3 | Ps. 31:5 Into your hands I commit my spirit. | Committing his spirit to his Father | Lk. 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” |
| Adapted from Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson (eds.) The Popular Encyclopedia Bible Prophecy (Harvest House, 2004), pp. 219-23.
Herbert Lockyer, All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible (Zondervan, 1973). |
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F.. Explaining the Table
He directly fulfills prophecy. Jesus spoke important words either just before the crucifixion or without a direct fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy. For example, as Jesus was carrying his Cross to the place of crucifixion, he heard women weeping and wailing for him. He takes time to teach them, though under personal duress, about future events, which will cause them distress. They should not weep for him, therefore, but for themselves and their children (Luke 23:27-31).
He speaks words of forgiveness While on the Cross he speaks words of forgiveness for those who were crucifying him.
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)
He says, “It is finished!” On the cross he announces this blessed fact: “It is finished” (John 19:30). This means that Jesus is the victor. He accomplished everything that the Father purposed him to do while on earth.
G.. Reaction of his followers
Luke 23:27-31 describes a large crowd following him as he carried his Cross to Golgotha. The women were weeping. This is to be expected. But what about his immediate disciples? They were scattered like sheep without a shepherd, as the Old Testament predicted.
Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered (Zech. 13:7).
Matthew 26:31-32 says:
31 Then Jesus said to [his disciples], ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” (Matt. 26:31-32)
The good news is that after his ascension, Jesus regathered his disciples and commissioned them to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20). They did not wage wars on each other or assassinate each other. All but one of the Twelve (after a replacement for Judas was appointed) were martyred by local authorities or mobs. These apostles and later generations of Christians turned the world right-side up by preaching alone, not by violence and military conquests.
H.. The purpose of his death
The death of Jesus has a divine purpose. The Table of prophecies of the Old Testament and their fulfillment in the New Testament (see above) outlines many of them, but three stand out, though two of the three are not mentioned in any Table here.
1.. Jesus was establishing the New Covenant
The OT predicted this in Jeremiah 31:31-34; 32:40.
Luke 22:20 says:
20 In the same way, after the supper [Jesus] took the cup, saying, “This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for many.” (Luke 22:20)
2.. Jesus dies for our sins.
Now we no longer have to fear being judged by a holy and righteous God. He would have sent us to eternal death because that is the outcome of sin. But now Jesus paid for the penalty of death.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matt. 26:28)
3.. Jesus is our Redeemer.
He did not come to be pampered and served by slaves. In fact, the Greek word for “ransom” was commonly used for the price to redeem a slave. Thus, Christ uses his priceless life to redeem us from the slavery of sin and Satan.
28 […] The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matt. 20:28)
The application to the theology of Christ’s entire existence is found in the next chapter.
VII.. His Eternal Sonship
A.. Brief intro.
The doctrine about Jesus “becoming” the Son of God on earth or at his birth is a variation on Adoptionism. Let’s call the variation Adoptionism-plus or Adoptionists-plus. In Luke 1:35 Gabriel announces to Mary and says of her future son: “So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Adoptionists-plus say that they cannot find Scripture that clearly says he was the Son of God before his incarnation, but that one says he will be called the Son after he was born. Are the Scriptures so opaque about the eternality of his Sonship? First, however, we look at his Sonship proclaimed at his resurrection and exaltation
B.. Jesus was the royal Son of God, proclaimed at his resurrection and his exaltation.
1.. Resurrection
Jesus is proclaimed the Son of God at his royal crowning at his resurrection and exaltation and heavenly priesthood, as the royal Son of David:
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father”?
Or again,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son”?
[…]
13 To which of the angels did God ever say,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet. (Heb. 1:5, 13, emphasis added)
2. Paul
He was particularly clear about connecting Jesus’s Sonship to the resurrection:
32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
“‘You are my son;
today I have become your father.’
34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. (Acts 13:32-34)
Next,
2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 1:3-4, emphasis added)
3. The author of Hebrews
He says that Jesus “became” the Son when he became the royal priest during his heavenly priesthood after the order of Melchizedek:
5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”
6 And he says in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb. 5:5-6)
All of those above verses say that Jesus became the Son of God during his time on earth and his resurrection and exaltation: So his Sonship occurs in time.
Now let’s switch over to looking into eternal Sonship.
C.. Jesus is the eternal Son of God
Matthew 11:27 says, “All these things have been given to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father and anyone to whom the Son of Man decides to reveal him.” Commentator Grant R. Osborne:
Matthew’s use of “know” the present tense is gnomic, knowledge shared in eternal past, present, and eternal future) here is critical … it is likely that there is perfective force in the prefix [epi applied to the standard Greek verb for “know”] –with the meaning ‘know exactly, completely, through and through’ (BAGD, 291), with the added idea of recognizing and acknowledging. (comment on 11:27)
The bottom line is that the Greek present tense is timeless and supports the notion that the Father and Son knew each other intimately for eternity, in the past, present and future—forever. Jesus did not become the Son at his birth or baptism (p. 440).
John 1:1-2 and 1:14 teach that he was the Son before his incarnation. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2). This verse further clarifies the identity between God and the Logos: they are Father and Son, who came from the Father in heaven: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Son came from the Father, which means he was the Son before he was sent and incarnated.
In his high priestly prayer, Jesus says he had glory before he was incarnated, which he had with the Father: “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5). So how does Jesus have the status of being the Logos, and how does God have the status of being God before the world existed but do not have the status of the Father and Son before creation? Actually, Jesus is simply clarifying who God and the Logos were in John 1:14 and 17:5. The Son is praying to the Father throughout this chapter. They are Father and Son in their former state of glory.
John 5:26 says, “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself” (John 5:26). This grant cannot be temporary because the Father also has life in himself eternally. Therefore the Son also has life in himself eternally–just as the Father has this.
John 17:24: “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world (John 17:24). Being a Father implies a Son. What was the Father doing before the foundation or creation of the world? He was loving his Son and sharing his glory with him. John 3:16 confirms his Sonship before God sent his Son. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” […].
John 1:18 says: “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” Jesus more fully reveals their status and nature—Father and Son—more specifically than God and Logos. Therefore the Father was in heaven with his Son before the incarnation and birth.
Jesus says that he was in the presence of the Father: “I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence” […] (John 8:38). The term “presence” can be translated as “alongside” or “next to” the Father. The point: they were in close relationship as we see in John 1:1-2, 14 and 17:5. This relationship in the Father’s presence happened before the incarnation. To be the Father, he had to have at least one son in his presence. That Son is Jesus.
Hebrews 1:2 says: “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” That verse says that the Son was the person through whom God made the universe. He was the Son before creation, long before his birth. That verses also identifies who the Logos was in John 1:1-4.
Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” […] (Heb. 1:3). God’s radiance and his being are eternal because light that does not radiate is not light, and God’s being is not temporary with a beginning; therefore the Son is also eternal.
In 1 John 1:2-3 the life appeared. He is the eternal life who was with the Father. In 1 John 3:8, John reveals who it was who appeared: the Son.
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:2-3)
[…] The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8)
Logically, he was the Son before he appeared, whom John saw with his eyes and touched him (1 John 1:1).
This identity of being the preincarnate Son is confirmed with these verses in 1 John 4:9-10, 14. Note whom the Father sent, the Son.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. […] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.(1 John 4:9-10, 14),
The Father did not send an unnamed being, an unknown mystery being, to the world, to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the Savior of the world. Why can we live through him? Because he was the eternal life with the Father (1 John 1:2). Once again, he was the Son before he was sent.
First John 5:20 says: “And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20). This verse teaches that his Sonship is the same as his “Godness.” It would be odd if Jesus were always God, but not always the Son. Rather, he was eternally both.
These verses from Colossians are decisively clear:
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Col. 1:15-17)
The second person of the Trinity was the Son before creation, that is, before his earthly birth. The Son was even involved in creation, long, long before his incarnation.
D.. Conclusion
There is enough biblical evidence to affirm that his Sonship is not new or tacked on only at the exact moment the second person was conceived in the womb or at his baptism or when people started calling him “the Son of God.” The Fatherhood and Sonship are in every way of who they are as their mercy and love and holiness (etc.) are. Since Fatherhood and Sonship are essential to who they are, the titles are eternal and cannot be added or shed. Jesus never “became” the Son of God. He was always the Son, eternally the Son. Adoptionism-plus has been defeated.
The Trinity has been, is, and shall forever be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, eternally!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 