Son of God

Is Jesus really fully human and fully divine (God)?

Symbolism

"A picture is worth a thousand words." What is the point of a phrase like that? As an example, it can be very difficult to explain a complex machine to someone using only words, but if you can show them a photo of the machine or, better yet, show them the machine itself, they will have a much better understanding of it.

Another common phrase is "word picture". What is a word picture? We experience this when we read a novel and the author describes a scene in such a way that we can close our eyes and picture that scene in detail in our minds. And that contributes to our understanding and enjoyment of the novel.

God, as our creator, understands that we human beings think in terms of "word pictures", and that if a spiritual concept is described in that way we will be better able to understand and retain it. Therefore, God often uses symbolism or "word pictures" when he speaks to us through prophets in the Bible. Another example is Jesus' use of parables, which are really word pictures, to illustrate spiritual truths.

Heavenly Scene

Daniel chapter 7 is an example of God's use of symbolic language, "word pictures", to speak to us. He sends an angel to describe to Daniel some events that will take place on the earth and in Heaven in Daniel's future. He uses the symbolism of four large beasts, which are described in some detail, to describe four kingdoms and several rulers that will arise on the earth over time. Then the angel's message turns toward Heaven and he describes something that will happen there (verses 9-10):

While I was watching, thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His attire was white like snow;
the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool.
His throne was ablaze with fire
and its wheels were all aflame.
A river of fire was streaming forth
and proceeding from his presence.
Many thousands were ministering to him;
many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him.
The court convened
and the books were opened.

Then in verses 13-14 the description continues:

I was watching in the night visions,
And with the clouds of the sky
one like a son of man was approaching.
He went up to the Ancient of Days
and was escorted before him.
To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him.
His authority is eternal and will not pass away.
His kingdom will not be destroyed.

Son of Man

Who are these two that are described here: the "Ancient of Days" and "one like a son of man"? I don't think there is any doubt that the "Ancient of Days" is Jehovah God, the creator.  Other English Bibles have translated it "the Ancient one", "One who has been living forever", and "the Eternal God". In our modern vernacular you might say "the one who has been around longer than anyone else".

But who is "one like a son of man"? In the Old Testament the phrase "son of man" is used over 100 times. It is used 93 times in the book of Ezekiel, and in every instance it is the title God uses to describe Ezekiel. So we have God speaking to a human being, the prophet Ezekiel, and calling him "son of man". In the few places the phrase is used other than Daniel and Ezekiel, it is in reference to human beings.¹

In the New Testament the phrase "son of man" is used 85 times. In all but five of those instances, Jesus uses the phrase to describe himself. I want to site two example in particular. In the first example Jesus is responding to his disciples who are arguing about who will be greatest in the coming kingdom. He says:

It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”²

Here Jesus seems to use the phrase to demonstrate the human connection between himself and the other human beings around him. Then when Jesus is on trial before the Sanhedrin, the High Priest asks him, "I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus' answer connects his position as the Son of God with the Son of Man title:

“You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”³

By his response, "You have said it yourself", Jesus is acknowledging under oath that he is the Son of God. In our modern time, the equivalent phrase would be, "You said it!" Further, by alluding to phrases from Daniel 7:13, Jesus is identifying himself with the divine Son of Man ruling at the right hand of God.The phrase "Son of God" emphasizes his divine nature and the phrase "Son of Man" emphasizes his human nature, first as a suffering servant and then as a sovereign ruler.

Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, emphasizes how Christianity is different from all other "religions". The one and only God who created us was willing to come down and live among us as one of us, serving us, sacrificing for us, so that he could identify with us and communicate with us on our level, and save us from our own failures.

The apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 2:5-11:

You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,
who though he existed in the form of God
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,
by looking like other men,
and by sharing in human nature.
He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
As a result God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.

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1. Examples would be Numbers 23:19, Job 25:6, and Job 35:8.

2. Matthew 20:26-28

3. Matthew 26:63-64

Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

New Covenant

What advantages do Christians have under the New Covenant?

Even though separated by over 500 years, the writings of Jeremiah have a close connection to the life of Jesus while he was here on earth.

The Weeping Prophet

For hundreds of years the leaders of Israel had been taking advantage of and stealing from the people they were supposed to serve and protect. Many of the people had deserted God and followed after other “gods”, both supposedly spiritual gods and earthly “gods”. Israel was filled with greed, selfishness, and rebellion against God.

It is 587 BC and Jeremiah has warned for 30 years that there will be consequences for this behavior, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Over the years Jeremiah is so moved by the failure of his people to listen to his message from God and their refusal to turn back to God that his writings in the Old Testament books of Jeremiah and Lamentations sometimes describe his personal shedding of tears for his people.

Oh that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the daughter of my people!
(Jeremiah 9:1)

My eyes run down with streams of water
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

My eyes pour down unceasingly,
Without stopping,

Until the Lord looks down
And sees from heaven.

My eyes bring pain to my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.
(Lamentations 3:48-51)

Hope Through a New Covenant

Then in Jeremiah chapter 31 the weeping ends, and an expression of hope begins. Through Jeremiah, God promises a New Covenant with the people of Israel.

"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

What is new and different about this covenant?

“I will put my Law within them and on their heart I will write it.”

• The “Old” Covenant
• The first covenant was written first on stone tablets and then on scrolls.¹
• That kind of material could be lost, forgotten, ignored, or altered.¹
• They had the Law in front of them, but they had failed to internalize it.¹
• The “New” Covenant
• The New Covenant, in contrast, would be written on their hearts.¹
• The content of the Law is essentially the same.¹
• What changes is their inner commitment to keep it.¹

“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest."

• The word “know” here means more than just a casual acquaintance.
• It has the meaning of an "intimate personal knowledge which arises between two persons who are committed wholly to one another in a relationship that touches mind, emotion, and will."²
• Your brothers and neighbors will no longer have to encourage you to be faithful to God, because you will already have a close personal relationship with him.

“I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

• The trust and faith that exist in the close, intimate, personal relationship described above makes forgiveness possible.

After 40 years of speaking out warning messages to the people of Israel as they continued to ignore his warnings while at the same time persecuting him, Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem that God had described through his message.

The Weeping Messiah

Now fast forward over 500 years. It is 30 AD and Jesus has spent over three years calling his people to come to God, and yet most of them have rejected him and his message. In addition to that, the “religious leaders” of Israel are actively plotting to put him to death.

It is five days before Jesus’ crucifixion and the Passover, and it is time for the final confrontation. In fulfillment of prophecy and tradition, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey as many are lining the road and honoring Jesus as if he were their king.  They are mistakenly looking for an earthly Messiah, who will kick out the corrupt “religious leaders” and the Romans, but this is not his mission or his message. The Gospel of Luke records that, as he approached, Jesus wept over the city, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:41-42) He is crying for his people who are struggling instead of trusting, who are not understanding his message. He knows that another destruction of Jerusalem is coming. In fact, in a couple of days he publicly prophetically announces to them that it is coming. His tears are tears of concern for them.

Meanwhile, at the temple, in advance of the coming Passover feast and ceremonies, the merchants have set up shop. They are hoping to make a killing selling the Passover necessities at a nice profit to all the travelers who are in town for the Passover festivities. Jesus dismounts the donkey, enters the temple, and proceeds to run all the merchants out of the temple. He says, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."

What is the significance of that comment?

• “And my house shall be a house of prayer.”
• Here Jesus quotes a line from Isaiah 56:7 where Isaiah is writing words spoken by God. By calling the temple “My House”, Jesus is claiming to be God.
• “You have made it a robber’s den.”
• Here Jesus quotes from Jeremiah 7:11, again quoting words spoken by God.

“Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, ” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 7:11)

In his statement Jesus connects himself to the prophet Isaiah who described the Messiah as a lowly suffering servant who would be despised and then put to death, and he connects himself to the prophet Jeremiah who spoke of a coming “New Covenant” between God and his people.

The New Covenant Personified

A few days beyond those events, on the night of his arrest, Jesus is eating the Passover meal with his disciples. During the meal, he makes a personal connection between the New Covenant described in Jeremiah.

And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. (Luke 22:19-20)

The New Covenant described in Jeremiah 31:31-34 is initiated through the person of Jesus.

• “I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (Verse 33) Jesus is God in human form living and walking among us.
• “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”  The death of Jesus made possible the forgiveness of the New Covenant, and his resurrection give us hope of resurrection.

Mark Moore sums this up well in his Core 52³ book:

There are three things promised in the new covenant: personal relationship with the Father, forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of the Son, and the law of God in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.³

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1. Jeremiah 31:33 Study Note 80, quoted by permission, taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

2. Dr Constable's Expository Notes, copyright ©2010 Dr. Thomas R. Constable, quoted from the NET Bible notes, https://bible.org/

3. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)
Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7
ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible

Atonement

He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that resulted in our peace;
because of his wounds we have been healed.
(Isaiah 53:5) ¹

How does Jesus' death cover my sins?

Atonement

In his Core 52² book Mark Moore says, "Atonement basically means that you owe a debt and somebody else pays it for you." While the word itself may not be familiar, I'm sure almost everyone has experienced what it describes. Have you ever owed a debt of some kind and someone else stepped up and  took care of it for you? Or perhaps you yourself have helped out someone by taking care of a debt that they owe.

Blood Atonement

Lets talk about the Biblical concept of "sin". God has established a standard by which people can live their lives that would lead to peaceful person to person relationships as well as a peaceful relationship between a person and God. The key to that relationship is love, but God also gave us the freedom to make our own life decisions and to control our own actions. Why did he do that? Because love is based on free choice. One cannot exist without the other. So human beings have the choice to love or to hate, as well as a whole range of choices between those two.

But what about the blood thing? It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has lived in this world that sometimes human failure to live up to God's standard of love leads to bloodshed. Within one generation of the beginning of human life on earth with Adam and Eve, a man murdered his brother out of jealousy and hatred (Cain and Abel, Genesis chapter 4). And we see this pattern repeated throughout Biblical history as well as secular history as people continue to ignore God’s standard.
There is, however, another side to the shedding of blood throughout history and right up to our present day as soldiers, police officers, first responders, and even ordinary citizens sacrifice their lives to protect others. So blood is shed out of hatred, jealousy, and a rejection of God's standard, but the living out of love and concern for others also leads to bloodshed.

Even though it seems strange to us today, it should not be a surprise that, from the beginning of human history, the shedding of the blood of animals would become a means of "paying the debt" for the human failures that led to human bloodshed. Lets take a look at the progression of this concept through the Old Testament period.

Adam and Eve - Sin leads to death and the shedding of blood

Apparently Adam and Eve did not consider it appropriate to kill animals. When they sinned by eating from the forbidden tree, they made clothing for themselves from plants - fig leaves. When God confronted them about their failure, he killed an animal and made garments of skin for them (Genesis 3:21). The lesson here is that sin leads to death and the shedding of blood.

Abraham - God will provide a substitute

God told Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation and that he would be a blessing to everyone on earth through his son Isaac, and then God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac by shedding his blood. By the way, before you criticize God for even suggesting such a thing, or criticize Abraham for even thinking about doing such a thing, keep in mind that this was a lesson, a learning experience for Abraham and us. The Bible suggests that Abraham fully expected that he would not have to complete this sacrifice (Genesis 22:8, Hebrews 11:17-19). Just as Abraham was raising the knife, God stopped him and showed him a ram (sheep) which he then used for the sacrifice. The lesson here is that God will provide a substitute.

The Passover - The shedding of blood can save

As God prepared to bring the last plague on Egypt, the death of the firstborn son, he told the Hebrews through his spokesperson Moses that they would be protected from the plague if they killed a lamb and placed the blood on their doorposts. This Passover was observed through the shedding of a lamb's blood as an annual ritual throughout the history of the Children of Israel from Moses and the tabernacle through the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. The lesson here is that God can save through the shedding of blood.

Jesus - The Lamb of God

A couple of years before his crucifixion Jesus began to prepare his disciples for what was coming. Then on the night of his arrest, as he was celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples, he made it clear that he was the final and ultimate Passover lamb:

"Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (Luke 22:19-20)¹

With this comment Jesus is identifying himself as the "Passover Lamb". Later in the the same conversation Jesus identified himself with the prophesies of Isaiah chapters 52 and 53:

"For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me is being fulfilled.” (Luke 22:37, quoting Isaiah 53:12)¹

Look at how these prophesies line up with the life of Jesus in this table adapted from Mark Moore's Core 52² book.

Isaiah and Jesus’ Life Compared
Isaiah 52-53 (NET)	Jesus’ life
“he was so disfigured he no longer looked like a man; his form was so marred he no longer looked human.” (52:14)	Jesus was brutally beaten.
"he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow him." (53:2)	By trade Jesus was a “blue collar” peasant carpenter.
“He was despised and rejected by people.” (53:3)	This happened during his execution.
"But he lifted up our illnesses...he carried our pain...He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds...because of his wounds we have been healed...but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him...Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block...He was led away after an unjust trial...because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded.” (53:4-8)	Descriptions of his death on the cross
“They intended to  bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb.” (53:9)	Jesus was crucified between two criminals but was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea who was a well known and well connected man of means.
"Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him." (53:10)	This predicts the resurrection of Jesus.
“Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. My servant will acquit many, for he carried their sins.” (53:11)	This describes Jesus suffering and dying in our place.

During this Easter season we should note that Isaiah 53 also speaks of his resurrection and, therefore, of the hope of resurrection that we have in him.

Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made,
he will see descendants and enjoy long life,
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
(Isaiah 53:10)¹

The phrases "he will see his descendants" and "the Lord's purpose will be accomplished through him" indicate he is alive.

While some cultures may still practice blood sacrifices, in God’s eyes this is no longer necessary because the final sacrifice has been made “once for all” by his son Jesus.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:8-11)¹

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1. Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

2. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)
Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7
ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Wisdom

How do I become wise?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines wisdom as "the ability to make good judgments based on what you have learned from your experience, or the knowledge and understanding that gives you this ability."¹ We probably all know someone whom we consider to be wise by that definition, but what is the source of that wisdom?

Image of God

Certainly we see human beings who have no connection or commitment to God exhibiting wisdom by that definition. I would suggest that, even for them, wisdom ultimately comes from God. In an earlier chapter of the Core 52⁴ book we saw that people are created in "the image of God". Looking at the definition above, certainly God possessed good judgement, experience knowledge, and understanding to a level of perfection that no human being can match. But because people are created in God's image, they can also possess wisdom at a lesser, imperfect level.

Word of God

In Deuteronomy 4:5-6 Moses is reminding the people of Israel of God's Laws which have been taught to them. He says:

"See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'"²

This scripture seems to suggest that one can increase in wisdom by studying, understanding, and living out God's written Word.

Gift of God

Solomon had just taken over as King of Israel and had given his "inauguration  speech", after which he and the entire assembly went to worship God at the tabernacle (tent) that had been used for worship until this point (the brick and mortar temple was not completed yet). There they prayed and offered burnt offerings to God.

That night God revealed himself to Solomon and said, "Ask for what you would like me to give you."

Here is Solomon's response (2 Chronicles 1:8-10):

“You demonstrated great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. Now, LORD God, may your promise to my father David be realized, for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise who would be able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours?”³

And God's response to Solomon (2 Chronicles 1:11-12):

“Because you desire this, and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, and because you did not ask for long life, but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, you are granted wisdom and discernment."³

So in this case wisdom was a gift from God to Solomon because of his specific request.

Emmanuel - God with us

In 1 Corinthians 1:26-30 Paul says this:

"Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption."³

 Jesus is the ultimate source and embodiment of God’s wisdom:

• He revealed God in human form that we can see and understand.
• Yet He is also fully God.
• In the Bible we have God’s wisdom in the written word (because it reveals Jesus).
• In Jesus we have God’s Wisdom in the living word (John 1:1)

Can human beings exhibit wisdom without a commitment to God? Yes, to a degree. But the best, most complete wisdom comes from God and commitment to him through his written word and his living word, Jesus. Gain wisdom by seeking God through Jesus and living by his guidance.

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1. (Definition of wisdom from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

2. Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible


3. Scripture quoted by permission, the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

4. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4