3.4.1

Jesus Christ’s Authority as the Son of God

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Jesus Christ’s Authority as the Son of God

Jesus’ divinity is expressed through his knowledge of God, miracles and resurrection.

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Son of God

  • The phrase ‘Son of God’ can be understood in different ways.
    • In Jewish thought, the ‘Son of God’ was a chosen King, someone selected to carry out God’s will to free Israel.
    • In Greek thought, ‘Son of God’ means elevating a human to become a divine being.
  • Both of these meanings were influential in early Christian thought about the true nature of Jesus.
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Knowledge of God

  • The authority of Jesus as the Son of God is seen in his knowledge of God.
  • There are many passages where Jesus talks of his relationship to God.
  • In John’s Gospel, Jesus uses the phrase “I am” on numerous occasions (e.g. John 6:35, 8:12, 14:6).
  • This echoes the name God gives himself when talking to Moses: “I am who I am.”
  • Jesus also says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) and “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30).
    • For some theologians, this demonstrates that Jesus knew that he was fully God.
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Knowledge of God - counterargument

  • Other theologians argue that since Jesus was human, he cannot have been fully God.
    • Such theologians note that Jesus says “the Father is greater than I”. (John 14:28)
  • Another approach is to say that as a human, Jesus was fully aware of God.
  • If Jesus is seen as the new Adam, then he is in a relationship with God that mirrors that of Adam and God before the Fall.
    • That is to say, a harmonious relationship in which there is no barrier between God and Jesus.
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Jesus' miracles

  • The miracles of Jesus are another way that Jesus is shown to be the Son of God.
  • His ability to perform ‘mighty works’ indicates a status more than just a human being.
  • Some theologians argue that Jesus healing a blind man (John 9:1-41) and walking on water (Mark 6:47-52) demonstrate Jesus’ divine power.
    • He is able to perform tasks impossible for an ordinary human being.
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Jesus' miracles & authority

  • Others argue that these accounts show Jesus’ authority to give special insight into the nature and kingdom of God.
    • An example would be in the account of healing a blind man.
    • This story could really be about the contrast between the faith of the man healed and the scepticism of the Pharisees.
    • The one who is blind sees the truth, while those that can see are blinded to the truth, so sight becomes a metaphor.
  • In the story of Jesus walking on water, Jesus echoes the ‘Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters’ (Genesis 1).
    • In both Genesis 1 and this story, order is brought to creation and as a result, fear and chaos subside.
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Jesus' resurrection

  • The resurrection can be argued to show Jesus' authority as the Son of God.
    • For some Christians, Jesus' miraculous resurrection is the ultimate demonstration of his divinity.
  • Another idea is that Jesus’ resurrection points us towards the resurrection of humans on judgement day.
    • We could argue that Jesus is the second Adam, restoring the harmony of the created order found in the Garden of Eden.
  • This opens us up to the restoration of the harmony between God and humanity.

Jump to other topics

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.6Religious Experience

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

2Religion & Ethics

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.9Gender & Society

3.10Gender & Theology

3.11Challenges

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