Treasure in Earthen Vessels

I and my Father are one.  John 10:30

Recently someone questioned me in one of my writings about the revelation in the Bible that Jesus is God. The person obviously does not believe that Jesus is God. The experience served me not only because I was able to review and refresh the doctrine as set forth in the Bible, but also because I could see that there are so many people who find it difficult to believe it not so much because they are perverse people, and are on the margins of apostasy, but because they have not been taught about the subject.

The revelation that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh for the redemption of mankind was the central theme of the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The doctrine of Christ was preached and proclaimed from Jerusalem, and spread throughout the land known, in the early years identified as the doctrine of the apostles,[1] and over the years as such, the doctrine of Christ, which is why the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch Syria.[2]

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1^st. Timothy 3:16

The church of the Lord was built upon the testimony of the apostles having the doctrine of Christ as its foundation. The reader can find an additional summary of the theme in the post, The Doctrine of Christ.

So, seeing the importance and spiritual relevance of the doctrine of Christ, as established as a revelation of salvation to the believer, in the Bible, we intend today to establish upon the divine nature of Jesus. Jesus is God.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Many people, including believers and men and women of faith, have had difficulty assimilating Jesus as God. Although in their doctrinal confession they claim that Jesus is the Son of God, they cannot reconcile the idea that being a man can be God at the same time, or vice versa. So, we’ll start right there, knocking down that difficulty.

To be the Son of God means to be God Himself. According to human conception, a son is a fruit of the father, and a completely different being, despite similar genetic traits, behaviors, and habits; however, the designation in Jesus of the Son of God is not to distinguish in Him a different being, but to identify nature.

Notice in the text of John’s Gospel, in chapter ten, Jesus’ own testimony about his relationship with the Father:

I and my Father are one.  John 10:30

If we verify in the reading of the same chapter, in the testimony of the writer who gathers the words of the Jews of the place, we see that they understand perfectly that to be Son is equivalent to being God himself,

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. John 10:33

Jesus did not say, I am God; what He said was that He was the Son of God. The Jews understand perfectly that Jesus is attributing to Himself a divine nature.

Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? John 10:36

So, to be the Son of God is being God Himself. With the use of the expression is established divine essence and nature. The reader of John’s gospel had already been notified of this, because in the very introduction of the book, the writer clearly established it,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendedit not. John 1:1-5

This is also what we read in the text of the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Philippian community of faith,

He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. ⁷Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. ⁸He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross. Philippians 2:6-8 (GNT)

Nevertheless, let us continue to establish on the person of Jesus in human manifestation. Until now, many have not been able to reconcile the fact that Jesus is man and God Himself at the same time.

Let us start from the idea that Jesus is man, and that being the Son of God is by virtue of the shadow that the Holy Spirit cast over Mary, and by his sinless nature.

How can it be possible for a human being to descend –and ascend– to heaven, if until then the fate of the dead was not heaven?

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. John 3:13

The text indicates that his original place was always Heaven: which is in heaven. The text does not state that by effect of his sinless nature was that he ascended to heaven.

Another similar text that shows his ascent-descent from Heaven is found in the book of Acts of the Apostles,

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Acts 2:34

In Jesus’ explanation of this same text, he explained that who David refers to as Lord is the Messiah (Jesus), and not referring to himself.

And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? ³⁶For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. ³⁷David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. Marks 12:35-38

Thus, Jesus is not the Son of God merely by virtue of his conception by the work of the Holy Spirit, nor does he descend – and ascend – from heaven by his sinless nature. Jesus is God.

• But, what if Jesus is a son of God because he is an angel?

The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews had already written about it, and established forcefully that Jesus is not an angel,

For unto which of the angels said God at any time, “Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee”? And again, “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? – Hebrews 1:5

The answer to the writer’s question to the Hebrews is: NO, emphatically, no angel was given such recognition by God. The writer to emphasize that Jesus is not an angel quotes a text from the book of Deuteronomy taken from the Septuagint (32:43), in which it is quoted that angels worship the Son.

And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. Hebrews 1:6

• But if Jesus is a son of God because he is a spirit-being different from angels?

If that were so, such a spirit-being would have had to have been, first of all, a being superior to Luzbel, for the text of the prophet Ezekiel assures us that Luzbel was the seal of perfection,

Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.  …  ¹⁴Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. ¹⁵Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Ezekiel 28:12-15

And secondly, how can a spirit-being be seated at the right hand of God?….

The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Psalm 110:1

… how can be seated at the right hand of God, … … if we know from the Scriptures that God does not share his glory with anyone?

I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Isaiah 42:8

So, NO; Jesus is not a spirit-being, nor by virtue of that is that he was designated Son of God.

What do we have left?

Jesus is God!

And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Marks 14:62

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. John 14:10,11

Most heretical and/or apostate doctrines direct their attack to distort the nature and essence of Jesus as a man, and present him as a great prophet but denigrate his divine nature.

pastor Montoya

Twitter: @pastormontoya

[1] Acts 2:42

[2] Idem 11:26