Is Jesus the Son of God? What does that mean? What implications does that have for us?
Using the search engine of BibleGateWay.com (in the NASB1995 translation), the phrase “[S]on of God” yields 54 search results, appearing 6 times in the Old Testament and 48 times in the New Testament. This 3-word phrase appears the most in the books of John (9x), Matthew (8x), Luke (7x), and 1 John (7x).
Some religious skeptics, agnostics, and/or atheists may have heard that although Jesus may have claimed to be the “Son of God” in the book of John, he did not do so in the other gospel accounts.
Is this true in light of the fact that the phrase “Son of God” appears eight times in Matthew, three times in Mark, and seven times in Luke? To get a little more context, let us look at those passages in order to find out more. This blog-post shall examine those passages with the phrase “Son of God” that are contained within the book of Matthew. (1)
“Son of God” [Matthew] Passage #1:
And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
–Matthew 4:3 NASB1995
This is the first verse where the phrase “Son of God” appears in the New Testament. Interestingly, Jesus Himself is not proclaiming to be the “Son of God” in this passage. Rather, this term is being used by Satan or “the tempter” as He puts Jesus to the test. Why didn’t Jesus reply to Satan, “No, Satan. You’re wrong! I am the Son of God!”? Jesus was confident in His identity as God’s beloved Son, as He did not have a “spirit of rejection” (2).
In other words, because Jesus knew who He was, and He did feel the need to defend Himself to His lying accuser. Just before the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, God the Father Himself affirmed Jesus’ identity as His beloved Son with whom He was well pleased (see Matthew 3:17).
Therefore, Jesus simply replied to the devil with other Scriptures that contained God’s promises and commandments regarding Jesus’ current situation and trial. By doing so, Jesus overcame every temptation that came His way.
“Son of God” Passage #2:
Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
–Matthew 4:5-7 NASB1995
Here again, it the devil who is questioning Jesus’ identity as the “Son of God,” and Jesus does not feel the need to defend Himself to “the father of lies,” “the tempter,” “the accuser of the brethren,” and “that serpent of old who deceives the whole world” (see John 8:44; Revelation 12:9-11).
Jesus knew who He was, for He listened to what His heavenly Father had already told Him about His identity during His baptism just a few verses before in Matthew 3:17. Baptism represents submission and surrender to the Word, voice, and will of God, and Jesus submitted Himself completely to His Father’s will, leadership, directions, instructions, commandments, and voice.
Therefore Jesus paid no attention to the lying, fallen archangel whom Jesus Himself had created in the first place long before Jesus created mankind (see Colossians 1:15-16; Ezekiel 28:11-19). Jesus came not to do His own will, but the will of His Father. Just as a strong, powerful government will not negotiate with terrorists, Jesus had nothing to prove to the devil. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and He only did what He saw His Father doing and He only said what He heard His Father saying (see John 5:19-20; 12:49; 14:10).
“Son of God” Passage #3:
And they cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
–Matthew 8:29 NASB1995
The third time the phrase “Son of God” appears in the book of Matthew, this title does not proceed from the mouth of Jesus Himself, but from a demon. The first two times the title “Son of God” was used, Satan himself used it while tempting Jesus in the wilderness. This time, yet again, it is an entity or personality from the demonic realm that uses this title to describe Jesus. There are some subtle differences in this instance compared to the former two instances.
When Satan himself, the “head honcho,” “CEO,” “top dog,” “god of this world,” or ruler of the kingdom of darkness, used the term “Son of God” with Jesus, he tempted Jesus to doubt His identity with the conditional phrase “If you are the Son of God…”
However, in this instance, a legion of lower-ranking demonic entities declared without question that Jesus was in fact, the “Son of God.” Although Satan tried to make Jesus question His identity as the Son of God, this other demon[s] did not hide the fact that he knew who Jesus was.
“Son of God” Passage #4:
The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
–Matthew 26:62-42 NASB1995
Here is this passage, we observe multiple titles of Jesus that are used interchangeably and that are understood by the high priest to be synonymous. The high priest himself, the most prestigious religious leader of God’s chosen people, defines the term “the Christ” as “the Son of God.”
Therefore, according to the Jewish understanding expressed by the high priest of Jesus’ day, any time that the term “Christ” is used throughout Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we can understand that term to be interchangeable with the term “Son of God.”
The “Son of God” is also “the Christ,” the “Anointed One” whom God sent to bear the iniquities, rebellion, and sins of mankind (see Isaiah 53). He is “the seed of the woman” whom God promised would crush the head of the serpent (or to destroy the devil’s work) (see Genesis 3:15; Galatians 4:3-5; 1 John 3:8).
This “Messiah” was promised to preach good news to the afflicted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to open the eyes of the blind, and to usher in a dispensation of God’s grace and favor (see Isaiah 61; Luke 4:18-19).
How does Jesus reply to the high priest? Does Jesus say, “No, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m not the Son of God! I never said that! And I most certainly never claimed to be God! I’m not a blasphemer nor a heretic. I’m just a regular man, a mere prophet, and a good teacher like you! There must be some sort of misunderstanding! Please excuse me and let me go free.”? Is that what Jesus said? What did Jesus say, and how did the high priest respond?
Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
–Matthew 26:64-65 NASB1995
To Jesus’ audience, the Sanhedrin, it was very clear what Jesus was saying. Jesus claimed to be “the Son of Man” who came “with the clouds of heaven,” up to “the Ancient of Days” (or God the Father), as prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14. This “Son of Man,” is the Messiah, the King who would be “given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him.”
Jesus’ scholarly Jewish audience, many of whom had the entire Old Testament memorized, had no doubt in their minds that Jesus had claimed to be God, the “Son of God,” the “Son of Man,” and the “Messiah.” For this reason, the crime with which they charged Jesus as worthy of capital punishment was “blasphemy.”
What is blasphemy? The kind of blasphemy referred to by Jesus’ scholarly Jewish audience is the kind described in other passages: “The Jews answered Him, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.’” (John 10:33 NASB1995)
“Son of God” Passage #5:
And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
–Matthew 27:39-40 NASB1995
This passage bears some similarities to some other passages that we examined at the beginning of this study. Where else do we remember that phrase here stated by those who were passing by Jesus on the cross, “If You are the Son of God…?” These are the same words of doubt-casting that Satan had used with Jesus as he tempted Him in the wilderness: “If You are the Son of God…tell these stones to become bread.” Only in this case, the sentence finishes, “If you are the Son of God…come down from the cross.”
Yet again, we observe that Jesus did not defend Himself to His skeptics, abusers, and mockers, just as He did not defend Himself to Satan in the wilderness. We don’t see Jesus yelling from the cross, “Shut up, guys! I AM the Son of God! You’re all wrong! Just you guys wait! I’ll show you! You guys will be sorry!”
Again, Jesus did not respond that way because Jesus did not have a spirit of rejection, pride, insecurity, or self-pity. Rather, Jesus remained submitted to the will of His Father, doing only what He saw His Father do, and saying only what He heard His Father say.
Jesus came into this world for a purpose, to take away the sin (the evil, rebellion, pain, suffering, abuse, rejection, sickness, poverty, curses, arrogance, narcissism, envy, pride, addiction, bitterness, shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, depression, etc.) of the world.
He came to destroy the works of the devil, to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (see 1 John 3:8; Matthew 20:28). He would take the penalty of sin upon Himself and become sin for us, such that the Father would have to turn His face away from His beloved Son for the first time (and only time) in all eternity.
This would complete the only possible sacrifice that could redeem, deliver, or save mankind from eternal separation from God because of our agreement with sin that has defiled our nature. Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
Because Jesus made his soul an offering for guilt when he hung on the cross, His perfect sacrifice was sufficient to cleanse our spirits and souls from everything that is not of God (sin, unrighteousness, pride, envy, gossip, malice, adultery, bitterness, narcissism, immorality, evil, rage, perversion, violence, murder, etc.) See John 1:29; Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 6:16–7:1.
God the Father then raised Jesus from the dead after three days, for it was not possible for Death to keep its hold on Jesus as He destroyed the devil’s work (see Acts 2:22-28; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 1:5-7, 17-18).
“Son of God” Passage #6:
In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
–Matthew 27:41-43 NASB1995
In this passage in the book of Matthew, then according to the chief priests, scribes, and elders (the “pastors” or clergy of Jesus’ day), Jesus said, “I am the Son of God.” Those religious leaders were fulfilling a prophecy written about Jesus around 1,000 years before crucifixion even existed as a Roman means of execution. The 22nd Psalm describes the events of Jesus’ crucifixion down to very specific details.
“For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
–Psalm 22:16-18 NASB1995
To name a few other parallels, Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 as his heart broke the moment that His Father turned away His face from God the Son for the first time in eternity. Compare the religious leaders’ words in Matthew 27:43 (three paragraphs above) with the words of the psalmist’s sneering, head-wagging enemies in Psalm 22:8 (NASB1995): “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”
“Son of God” Passage #7:
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
–Matthew 27:50-54 NASB1995
What is going on in this passage? Verses 52-53 record that when Jesus rose from the dead, he wasn’t the only one who came out from his tomb. In some ways, just as Moses and Elijah were seen by Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Olives earlier in Matthew 17, other Old Testament saints appeared back on the earth in Matthew 27:52-53 for other people to witness before they made a transition back into the unseen spiritual realm.
Up until Jesus rose from the dead, the spirits of the Old Testament saints lived in a place called “Abraham’s bosom,” which was then a compartment of “Sheol” or “the netherworld.”
However, Ephesians 4:8 records that when Jesus ascended to heaven, he led a host of captives in his train (or triumphal procession to the third heaven, the realm of God’s manifest presence). Who was among this “host of captives?” They were the Old Testament saints who could not experience the fullness of what was promised to them until Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world and rose from the dead. (3)
Now Jesus led them from “Abraham’s Bosom” “down” in Sheol “up” to the third heaven where God’s manifest presence dwells. In their transition from Sheol to the third heaven with Jesus, they made a “pit stop” in the city of Jerusalem when Jesus saw Mary Magdalene weeping at His empty tomb.
If I may [badly] paraphrase this series of events, Jesus is like, “Whoa, hold up, guys. You see that girl? She’s crying. Let me go talk to her for a minute. (4) You guys can chill here in Jerusalem for a little bit; go take a walk around.”
When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, he told her not to cling to Him because He had not yet gone to the Father. After encouraging her and telling her to spread the news that he’d be back later to see his disciples, He then proceeded on with his journey into heaven (to His Father) with the rest of the Old Testament saints, as His blood had purchased them their inheritance into God’s manifest presence.
Then Jesus returned to the earth again for 40 days which he spent with his disciples before He would ascend to heaven again long-term. One Day, as described in great detail throughout the Scriptures, Jesus shall return to set up His headquarters in Jerusalem to rule the earth at a later time which He called “soon.” For more information relating to the End Times events, see my free eBook: “Passed Away?”
Conclusion:
Did Jesus ever claim to be “the Son of God?”
Satan himself and other people tempted Jesus to prove his divinity to them with the phrase “If you are the Son of God…[then act in self-preservation and/or do what I want you to do].” However, Jesus would not pander to their accusations or tests because they were not submitted to God’s Word, leadership, will, commandments, nor voice.
Furthermore, demons called Jesus the “Son of God.” Jesus often told those demons to be quiet, not because He rebuked the demons for blasphemy, but because “they knew who He was,” and because Jesus did not need their promotion.
During Jesus’ trial, the high priest tore his robes when he heard “the blasphemy” from Jesus that He was the “Son of Man,” whom the high priest described as “the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus had already claimed to be God, for that is what got him crucified in the first place. There was no doubt in the mind of Jesus’ audience that Jesus made Himself out to be God, “the Son of Man,” “the Messiah,” and “the Son of God.”
When Jesus rose from the dead, this display of power proved beyond the shadow of a doubt to the Roman centurion that Jesus was God. If God the Father did not raise Jesus from the dead, then Jesus would have been a liar whose death did nothing to reconcile mankind to God. However, Jesus’ resurrection proved that Jesus was telling the truth about His identity, and that no one comes to God the Father except through trust, commitment, obedience, and connection with Him (see John 3:16, 36; 14:6).
Could it be that just as the centurion encountered the power of God when Jesus rose from the dead, God is inviting us to encounter His power and love if we will humble ourselves and submit to His leadership?
For more information on encountering God through relationship, see “Knowing the God Who Fights For You.”
- Although the Bible search engine yields eight results for the term “Son of God” in quotation marks, one of those results is Matthew 5:9, which uses the term “sons of God” in a different sense than is used for the title of Jesus, “Son of God.” We become “sons of God” when we are adopted into God’s honored family through our faith, allegiance, trust, submission, and obedience to Jesus. When we are reconciled to God and have peace with God through our new relationship with Jesus Christ, then as we are transformed from the inside-out by remaining connected to God’s love and power, we increasingly become the kind of peacemakers who reconcile others to God (see Romans 5:1; Ephesians 1:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
- I gleaned this insight from a YouTube video by Ivory Hopkins about the “spirit of rejection” topic.
- I gleaned these insights from the teachings of Derek Prince in his foundations for faith series about the resurrection.
- As I write this paraphrase, I am reminded of a movie scene from the 2004 film Fat Albert, starring Kenan Thompson.