04- The Son

God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him all things were created, the
character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged.
Forever truly God, He became also truly human, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy
Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but
perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God. By His miracles He manifested God’s
power and was attested as God’s promised Messiah. He suffered and died voluntarily on the cross
for our sins and in our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven to minister in the
heavenly sanctuary in our behalf. He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people
and the restoration of all things. (Isa. 53:4-6; Dan. 9:25-27; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-3, 14; 5:22; 10:30;
14:1-3, 9, 13; Rom. 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4; 2 Cor. 3:18; 5:17-19; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-19; Heb. 2:918;
8:1, 2.)
WHY DID GOD ORDAIN “BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD” THE PLAN FOR
JESUS TO BECOME INCARNATE? – I PETER 1:20 – Who verily was foreordained before the
foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…
WHY WAS GOD SPECIFIC IN PROPHESYING THE TIME WHEN JESUS WOULD COME TO
EARTH? –This question introduces the prophesized coming and going of the Messiah contained in
Daniel 9:25-26 – Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to
restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore
and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after
threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince
that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood,
and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. It is not always appropriate to assume why
God chooses to do, or to not do something, but it is reasonable to assume that this proof of the
accuracy of the first portion of Daniel’s overarching 2,300 day/year prophecy, which isolates the date
of the Messiah’s first advent, make a compelling case for the importance of the endpoint of the 2.300
days/years (October 22, 1844, a date well-known to members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church).
WHAT PROPHECY GIVES THE TIME OF CHRIST’S MINISTRY AND DEATH? (See previous
question)
WHAT STRANGE SYMBOL DID GOD USE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT? – NUMBERS 21:9 – And
Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had
bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. WHY DID HE USE IT? – JOHN 3:14-
17 – And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. Note: reference to John 3:14-16 indicates a symbolic linkage of the bronze serpent
with the cross, and the serpent is an instance of prophecy by God of the mission and death of the
Messiah, but His selection was doubtlessly not merely intended to provide a literary analogy for the
writer of the Gospel of John. Cultural anthropologists are aware of the principle of sympathetic
magic, wherein the cause of an illness or injury is also utilized to effect a remedy. God is also aware
of it, as it is He who created cultural anthropology, and cultural anthropologists.
PUT IN YOUR OWN WORDS THE OLD TESTAMENT PREDICTIONS THAT WERE FULFILLED
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT –
PSALM 41:9 – Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath
lifted up his heel against me. Judas Iscariot may not have ever earned the trust of Jesus, but was
suffered to “keep the bag” as treasurer for Christ’s inner circle. John 17:12 references this Psalm, as
well as its fulfillment at the “Last Supper.”
ZECHARIAH 11:12 – And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear.
So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. Matthew 27:9 refers to a prophecy contained on
the Book of Jeremiah, rather than that of Zechariah – “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by
Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was
valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value…” Exodus 21:32 qualifies, but neither dignifies
nor clarifies scriptura references to thirty pieces if silver- “If the ox shall push a manservant or a
maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.”
PSALM 22:18 – They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. The gospels
of Matthew (27:35), Mark (15:24), Luke (23:34), and John (19:24) all record the fulfillment of this
prophec; the Roman soldiers in attending Christ on Calvary gambling for His’ raiment so as not to
compromise its value by dividing it into pieces (a fine metaphor for division in the Body of Christ, i.e.
the Church).
PSALM 34:20 – He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. John 19:33 and 19:36
respectively record the fulfillment of this prophecy, and a reference to its location in the Old
Testament. Preservation of the bones is a component of the lawful preparation of the Passover
lamb, as revealed in Exodus 12:46 – In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought
of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
ZECHARIAH 12:10 – And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have
pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness
for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. A major prophecy revealed in this verse (the
piercing of Jesus’ flank by Roman spear) is supplemented by one less remarkable (the fact that
Christ was a firstborn son (small “s”) to his earthly foster father. It is interesting to note that the
founder of the terrestrial house of David was not himself a firstborn son, the more typical founders of
dynasties. John refers to this prophecy in the context of describing its fulfillment in John 19:37.
IF SOMEONE WHO BELIEVED IN THE BIBLE ASKED YOU TO PROVE THAT JESUS WAS
TRULY GOD, HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN HIS DIVINE ATTRIBUTES?
MATTHEW 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth. It would be better policy to assert the divinity of Jesus to nascent anti-
trinitarians or Jehovah’s Witnesses than to engage in the thankless task of attempting to explain His
divine attributes. God trusts His Son limitlessly, so the Son is indeed worthy to possess a degree of
power that is equivalent to that of the Father. Christ demonstrated His power to lay down His life,
and His power to take it up again. He also has the power to lay down power itself, as revealed in I
Corinthians 15:24- Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. This latter verse
could cause more problems than it may solve when quoting it to intransigent apostates, however, as
they may assert that the Father’s power was only granted to Christ in a provisional manner.
COLOSSIANS 2:3 – [Jesus] In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Emphasis
of the word ALL is important if one intends to utilize this verse to convince immature believers of
Christ’s omnipotence.
MATTHEW 28:20 – Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Adventist doctrine affirms that the
commandments recorded in the Old Testament are fully incorporated into any ostensibly
subsequent, and qualifying commandments (according to apostates) that Jesus may have
personally delivered in the course of His 3½ earthly ministry. But He did not come to abolish the law,
but to establish it more firmly in the consciences of His followers. This reasonable assertion is,
regrettably, more often contradicted than ratified by the doctrines of far too many modern (as well as
one not-so-modern) denominations. Christ’s equality with God the Father is a notoriously tough sale,
largely due to the anti-trinitarian notions long-cherished by a percentage of the pioneers of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
HEBREWS 13:8 – Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. This confirmation of
the immutability and eternal existence, before the foundation of the world, of Jesus must be
promoted as extending not only infinitely into the future, but infinitely into the past as well.
Discussions of chronology as it may relate to either Father, Son, or Spirit is inadvisable, as neither of
divinities can be considered to be creatures of the clock. We humans are firmly stuck in time,
however, and, at best, possess only a dim understanding of eternity.
LUKE 1:35 – And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God. This verse proclaims the close kinship between the
Father and His only begotten Son, but truculent auditors are likely to cast it back into the face od
well-intentioned evangelists: “It says right there that He is not God! He is only the Son of God! Fiirst
John 3:1 says that we are all sons of God!” This sleeping dog should therefore be allowed to
slumber a bit, until meat supplants milk as the principle staple food of the errant interpreter’s diet.
I JOHN 3:16 – This “other” John 3:16 states this- Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he
laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. The syntax of the King
James translation of the Bible appears, in this verse, to directly connect Christ to God, but this
connection is not apparent in most other translations. When inserting this particular bullet into one’s
evangelical revolver, therefore, make sure that it bears the KJV trademark!
MICAH 5:2 – But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been
from of old, from everlasting. As is the case with Hebrews 3:8, this verse proclaims the eternal
existence of Jesus Christ. Unlike Hebrews 3:8, however, it unambiguously extends the existence of
Jesus infinitely backward in time. The entire Arian heresy is predicated upon the mistaken idea that
Christ is a created being, as are we. This verse should prove most effective for the correction of this
inexplicably common misinterpretation of the nature of Jesus, presuming that the person(s) you are
addressing truly are “Bible believing.”
YOUR FRIEND SEES THAT JESUS IS OFTEN CALLED THE SON OF MAN TOO. HOW CAN
YOU HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE BIBLE ALSO DESCRIBES JESUS’ HUMAN
NATURE (HEBREWS 5:2, MATTHEW 8:17, AND ISAIAH 53:4), AND THAT HE HAD HUMAN
FEELINGS (MATTHEW 9:36, JOHN 11:27, JOHN 11:33, JOHN 11:35, AND MATTHEW 4:2), AND
THAT HE DEPENDED ON HIS FATHER (MARK 1:35)?
HEBREWS 5:2 – The greatest difficulty with trying to convince someone that Jesus is coequal to His
Father is diplomatically communicating what appears to be, on the surface, a logical absurdity. This
counterintuitive duality is revealed in Hebrews 4:15 (a verse that is conspicuously absent from this
list)- For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but
was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. The dual nature of Christ, like that of the
Trinity, is a mystery few (perhaps even none) can fully comprehend. Quotation of Matthew 19:26,
Christ’s statement of His (and therefore His own) unlimited capabilities helps to cut through this
theological Gordian Knot- But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible;
but with God all things are possible. This necessary discursion shall end now, for here, finally, is
Hebrews 5:2- Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for
that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. Verses like this, as well as those that shortly follow,
serve to emphasize the human side of Jesus, but it is affirmations of His divinity that are most
needed when confronting heretics. “A little learning is a dangerous thing,” goes the adage, but
erroneous interpretations of scripture may prove to be not only dangerous, but potentially fatal.
MATTHEW 8:17 – That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. This verse does more to bolster the case that
Christ is divine, and not just a good man, or some exceptionally noble philosopher. While the least of
God’s creatures (even beasts) can acquire sicknesses and infirmities, only a God could miraculously
relocate these evils from our own forms into His own. This transference becomes more awe-inspiring
when we come to realize that it is not just our own suffering that Jesus willingly bears, but those of
every other sufferer as well.
ISAIAH 53:4 – Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. The “Suffering Servant” that is described in the 53rd chapter of
Isaiah is revealed in the next verse (Isaiah 53:5) to possess the previously noted divine capacity to
relieve us of our burdens by placing them squarely upon His own shoulders- But he was wounded
for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon
him; and with his stripes we are healed. The entire 53rd chapter of Isaiah is a prophecy of Jesus, so
any verses excised therefrom (or, preferably, the entirety) is useful not only as a verification of the
accuracy of Old Testament prophecy, but also as proof that what lay behind the doleful figure of the
Suffering Servant was an infinitely gracious and condescending Messiah.
MATTHEW 9:36 – But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them,
because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. This verse notes
the attribute of compassion, which is often conspicuously absent in many representatives of
humanity. The compassionate nature of God is well-documented, however, so it possible to interpret
this verse as more a confirmation of the divinity of Jesus, rather than of His humanity. It is possible
that an omniscient God could be moved by pity upon beholding the sorrowful plight of fallen
mankind, without making provision to temporarily share in their sufferings Himself. It was God’s plan
all along to do so, however, and the vehicle predetermined for this investigatory incarnation was
Jesus Christ.
JOHN 12:27 – Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but
for this cause came I unto this hour. The mission referred to in commentary on the preceding verse
is about to become accomplished soon after He utters this statement, one recorded in John’s
gospel. Jesus is praying to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. The infirmities of man pale by
comparison to the agony endured by Jesus in the Garden and upon the cross. Again. This verse
serves to emphasize Christ’s divinity more than it does His humanity. Perfection becomes transiently
marred, however, when Jesus becomes sin for us. It is the corporeal Christ that suffers spiritual and
physical anguish. It is the divinity of Jesus that allows Him to bear this anguish without being utterly
consumed in the process.
JOHN 11:23 AND 11:25 – These verses are analogous to renown John 3:16, and extend the hope
of eternal life for those who choose to follow Jesus. They do not reaffirm the human aspect of His
nature, however. They reveal Him to be humane, but not particularly human, as humans are not
generally capable of raising the dead back to life (Elijah excepted)- Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother
shall rise again… Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live… Christ’s compassion is revealed in a subsequent verse that
is part of the same narrative, that of His raising His friend Lazarus from the grave, John 11:35- Jesus
wept.
MATTHEW 4:2 – And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an
hungred. It is possible that even a God might find Himself to be inordinately famished after a forty-
day fast, but it is the human form of Jesus that craves nourishment. Obstinate and incendiary
dissenters may attempt to oppose this verse with Christ’s words as recorded in John 4:31-32- In the
mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat
that ye know not of.”It is apparent, however, that Jesus is referring to spiritual “food” in this
statement, for it is well known that the Son of Man came eating and drinking… Further spurious
ammunition for those who would question Christ’s divinity, but their arguments are all lopsided ones
MARK 1:35 – And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into
a solitary place, and there prayed. The editors of this companion to the 28 Fundamental Beliefs
probably intend that this offer evidence that Jesus slept, just like any other natural-born human
being. A complimentary verse might be Like 8:23- But as they sailed he [Jesus] fell asleep: and
there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in
jeopardy. Mark 1:35 serves a more significant purpose as a record of yet another instance where
Christ is described as praying. Although sleep is important, praying is even more important, but
regrettably not as an inevitable component of everyone’s lifestyle to the degree that sleep is.
ALTHOUGH DIVINE, WHAT SACRIFICE DID HE [JESUS] MAKE, AND WHY? – PHILLIPIANS
2:6-8 –Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself
of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. The infinite condescension Jesus exhibited by taking on the form of
humanity was attended by a lesser instance of subservience. Jesus placed Himself under the
authority of the Father, despite His pre-existing status as the Father’s equal. This voluntary
subservience was not a reflection of inferior standing, but was the result of adherence to a divine
plan that existed before the foundation of the world. The Father strengthened Jesus throughout the
course of the many afflictions He suffered on our behalf, exchanging the joys of heaven for the
agony of the cross. Suffering was transient, but of a great magnitude, much greater than man can
conceivably imagine. Christ’s sacrifice causes all to be eternally indebted to Him, for our lives are
ransomed at great price. C.S. Lewis is falsely attributed as creating the phrase “God became man,
so man could become God,” but it was apostate Arius’s opponent at the Council of Nicaea,
Athanasius, who first promulgated this well-known instance of rhetorical Antimetabole. It is not
inconceivable that a God could become manlike, but for a man to become imbued with divinity is
impossible without accepting Christ, and Christ’s sacrificial atonement for our sins.
CHRIST’S HOLY NATURE WAS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE, AND PAINED BY ANY CONTACT
WITH EVIL. EXPLAIN THIS TO YOUR FRIEND USING… HEBREWS 2:10 – For it became him, for
whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the
captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. HEBREWS 2:18 – For in that he himself hath
suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. “Friend, Jesus knows exactlt
what you are going through. He’s been through it Himself, you know! What? You thought that He
didn’t have any troubles? He had to put up with the exact same nonsense that is still going on in the
world today. He didn’t like it one bit, and He didn’t mind telling the ones who were causing all of
trouble that He didn’t like it. This made Him plenty of enemies, believe me, folks who hated Him so
bad that they ended up nailing Him to a cross. Bad people upset Him, but instead of just keeping
quiet about them, He told them right to their face just how evil they all were. When oysters get
irritated, they build a pearl around whatever it is that’s irritating them. But Jesus wasn’t an oyster,
you know. He could pray to His Father to keep Him from hurting so much, but it still hurt, and it hurt
the whole time that He was alive. I think that maybe you and I don’t hurt nearly as much as we
should, being around so many bad people, people who are doing so may bad things. Funny thing is,
if a person wants to be like Jesus, they are probably going to be hurting a lot more than most. But it’s
a lot better to be hurting now, but getting to live forever than to just keep building pearls around
whatever dirt manages to get inside of our shells. We’re not oysters, you know! God helps people to
not hurt so much that they can’t stand it. Whatever we suffer now will only be a drop in the bucket
compared to what Jesus had to go through. He suffered a lot! He only asking us to suffer a little. It’s
not a real good comparison, but anything we do on our own to try to make life more bearable is a lot
like a pearl, but the pearls we manage to make are worthless. Alcohol is like a worthless pearl.
Drugs are too. Eating too much… the list goes on and on. The awful part about it all is that our
pearls all end up hurting God. All of the pain we try to make go away really ends up inside of Jesus.
We are passing the buck to Jesus Christ! It’s bad enough to hurt animals and people. It’s even
worse to hurt Jesus. We need to think this thing over, just the two of us. Or, better yet, we need to
pray over it, right now…”
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT CHRIST KNEW NO SIN. – I PETER 2:22 – Who did no sin, neither was
guile found in his mouth…           HEBREWS 4:15 –For we have not an high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin… OBVIOUSLY, JESUS WAS NOT TEMPTED TO USE DRUGS. NOR DID HE INDULGE IN
WATCHING DEGRADING TV PROGRAMS. SO HOW COULD HE BE TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS
AS YOU ARE? Temptation has always existed, ever since the original temptation of Eve in the
Garden of Sin. A distinction must be drawn being tempted by sin, and that actual commission of a
sin. The human nature of Christ was effectively subordinated to His divine nature, as He continually
appealed to His Father to strengthen Him in any trial. The most memorable Biblical instance of His
having been tempted was during His encounter with Satan in the wilderness. Christ recognized the
unwholesome attraction that His enemy’s offers held for the typical human being. Jesus had not
passed His youth in isolation, and the decadence and materialism that marks our era was also
present in first-century Judea. Alcohol flowed freely for those who could afford it, and prostitution
was even officially sanctioned by some Roman religious cults. But as was the case in His interview
with the instigator of mankind’s sin, Christ countered flesh with the Spirit. He has made provision on
the cross that allows us to go and do likewise.
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT JESUS IS NOW IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY, SERVNG AS
OUR HIGH PRIEST. WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT CAN YOU GAIN FROM HIS MINISTRY THERE?
– HEBREWS 7:25 –Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. This subject shall be more thoroughly
addressed in discussion related to Fundamental Belief 24. Here is an excerpt from that Belief that
expresses the heavenly sanctuary’s relevance to us today, one that encouragement is only truly
available to those who have the faith of Jesus, and honor the commandments of God- “It also makes
manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the
faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This
judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those
who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom.”
WHO PLEADS FOR US IF WE SIN? – I JOHN 2:1 – My little children, these things write I unto you,
that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous…
JESUS IS NOT ONLY PRIEST, BUT KING. HIS KINGCOM HAS TWO ASPECTS. FIRST, THE
KINGDOM OF GRACE. IT WAS INSTITUTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER ADAM SINNED. JESUS,
WHEN HE BEGAN HIS MINISTRY, PROCLAIMED (FROM MARK 1:15) – And saying, The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. YOU ENTER THIS
KINGDOM BY BEING BORN OF BOTH FLESH AND SPIRIT. – JOHN 3:5 REVEALS THIS – That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. THE SECOND
KINGDOM IS THE KINGDOM OF GLORY. IT WILL BE ESTABLISHED WHEN JESUS COMES
THE SECOND TIME – MATTHEW 24:30-31 – And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in
the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of
a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to
the other.
 
CHRIST’S HUMANITY QUALIFIED HIM TO BE A PRIEST– HEBREWS 2:17– Wherefore in all
things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high
priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
DEFINITIONS
INCARNATE, INCARNATION – God, in Jesus, becoming a man.
VICARIOUS – To utilize a proxy (substitute), as in the Jesus dying for our sins.
PROPENSITIES – Natural inclinations, usually evil (these can be overcome)
IMPECCABLE – Standing above reproach, faultless

 I thank God that the Bible teaches that Jesus is both human and divine.

 I am grateful that the Bible

 I understand that it was necessary to be both divine and human save me.

 I love and adore Jesus, and claim Him as my Lord and Savior.