December 22nd 2019
An Angel Told Mary That This Baby Named Jesus Is The Son Of God!
Luke 1:35 (NIV)
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
If you are reading this commentary today, you likely expect it to be describing the birth of Jesus Christ! So, my hope is that you will not be disappointed, as this VOW is being written to emphasize that the baby Jesus was just another baby being born, unless He is the Son of God. Recently, I heard someone teaching that Jesus never actually proclaimed that He is the Son of God. It seemed important to me then to write about, how and when, Jesus did proclaim that He is the Son of God. The selected verse is the beginning of this written account of Jesus reporting that He is the Son of God, it is an angelic report to Mary, who would become His mother while she was yet a virgin. This is the essence of the Christmas story, but only if what the angel told Mary became true! So, here is the announcement of the Savior of the world to come, but the rest of this account is after Jesus was a man. I believe, He was NOT just another baby being born into this world, one of maybe trillions born since Eve became the first mother! He is the only one born to a virgin! What do you believe?
John the Baptist was appointed by God to lay the groundwork, so to speak, to announce the presence of the Savior, and he found a time when he was no longer sure that Jesus was the Messiah, as he was imprisoned and would never again see freedom! So, John sent his disciples to go and ask Jesus if He is the Savior of the world. When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’" At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." (Luke 7:20-23). Here Jesus did not say He was the Son of God, but He quoted Bible verses that confirmed that He fulfilled the Old Testament requirements of the coming Messiah.
In the rest of this commentary references will be made to different ways that Jesus either proclaimed He is the Son of God, or that when someone asked Him if He is the Son of God, He did not deny it!
Jesus admits He is the Son of God when questioned:
When the high priest questioned Jesus about Him being accused of saying He is the Son of God, he demanded Jesus answer him! Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:62-64). As you see here Jesus did confirm that the accusation was true, Jesus is the Son of God!
When Jesus was challenged by the chief priests and teachers of the law, these men claimed that Jesus had said He is the Son of God. In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" (Matthew 27:41-43). These men are accusing Jesus of saying He is the Son of God, and here Jesus did not affirm that it was true, but He also did not deny He said it!
"If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us." Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am." Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips." (Luke 22:67-70). Luke recorded for us another account where Jesus responded affirmatively to the question, “are you the Son of God?” to which, He replied, "You are right in saying I am." Jesus first told His accusers that He the “Son of Man” who “from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." Jesus is here proclaiming His position as the Son of God.
Jesus does not deny He is the Son of God, when someone proclaims it:
When Jesus was just starting His earthly ministry and He was gathering the Apostles who would help His proclaim the reason He had come to this earth, some of them came to believe He is the Son of God. "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you." Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You shall see greater things than that." (John 1:48-50). When Jesus was talking to Martha before raising Lazarus from the dead, she proclaimed she believed He was the Son of God! Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (John 11:25-27).
When the Jews were trying to get Pilate to kill Jesus, they said Jesus had said He is the Son of God! As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him." The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." (John 19:6-7). Later when the Jews were chiding Him on the cross, they claimed “Jesus said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" They also claimed He said, “He’s the King of Israel!” "He saved others," they said, "but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" (Matthew 27:42-43)
So, believe this wonderful story of this baby being born into this world not by natural means, but because Jesus is the Son of God. Because there are people who believe this account, we can be saved through the grace attained by Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11:5-6). Believe it, Jesus said He is the Son of God!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Luke 1:35 (NIV)
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
If you are reading this commentary today, you likely expect it to be describing the birth of Jesus Christ! So, my hope is that you will not be disappointed, as this VOW is being written to emphasize that the baby Jesus was just another baby being born, unless He is the Son of God. Recently, I heard someone teaching that Jesus never actually proclaimed that He is the Son of God. It seemed important to me then to write about, how and when, Jesus did proclaim that He is the Son of God. The selected verse is the beginning of this written account of Jesus reporting that He is the Son of God, it is an angelic report to Mary, who would become His mother while she was yet a virgin. This is the essence of the Christmas story, but only if what the angel told Mary became true! So, here is the announcement of the Savior of the world to come, but the rest of this account is after Jesus was a man. I believe, He was NOT just another baby being born into this world, one of maybe trillions born since Eve became the first mother! He is the only one born to a virgin! What do you believe?
John the Baptist was appointed by God to lay the groundwork, so to speak, to announce the presence of the Savior, and he found a time when he was no longer sure that Jesus was the Messiah, as he was imprisoned and would never again see freedom! So, John sent his disciples to go and ask Jesus if He is the Savior of the world. When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’" At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." (Luke 7:20-23). Here Jesus did not say He was the Son of God, but He quoted Bible verses that confirmed that He fulfilled the Old Testament requirements of the coming Messiah.
In the rest of this commentary references will be made to different ways that Jesus either proclaimed He is the Son of God, or that when someone asked Him if He is the Son of God, He did not deny it!
Jesus admits He is the Son of God when questioned:
When the high priest questioned Jesus about Him being accused of saying He is the Son of God, he demanded Jesus answer him! Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:62-64). As you see here Jesus did confirm that the accusation was true, Jesus is the Son of God!
When Jesus was challenged by the chief priests and teachers of the law, these men claimed that Jesus had said He is the Son of God. In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" (Matthew 27:41-43). These men are accusing Jesus of saying He is the Son of God, and here Jesus did not affirm that it was true, but He also did not deny He said it!
"If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us." Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am." Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips." (Luke 22:67-70). Luke recorded for us another account where Jesus responded affirmatively to the question, “are you the Son of God?” to which, He replied, "You are right in saying I am." Jesus first told His accusers that He the “Son of Man” who “from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." Jesus is here proclaiming His position as the Son of God.
Jesus does not deny He is the Son of God, when someone proclaims it:
When Jesus was just starting His earthly ministry and He was gathering the Apostles who would help His proclaim the reason He had come to this earth, some of them came to believe He is the Son of God. "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you." Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You shall see greater things than that." (John 1:48-50). When Jesus was talking to Martha before raising Lazarus from the dead, she proclaimed she believed He was the Son of God! Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (John 11:25-27).
When the Jews were trying to get Pilate to kill Jesus, they said Jesus had said He is the Son of God! As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him." The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." (John 19:6-7). Later when the Jews were chiding Him on the cross, they claimed “Jesus said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" They also claimed He said, “He’s the King of Israel!” "He saved others," they said, "but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" (Matthew 27:42-43)
So, believe this wonderful story of this baby being born into this world not by natural means, but because Jesus is the Son of God. Because there are people who believe this account, we can be saved through the grace attained by Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11:5-6). Believe it, Jesus said He is the Son of God!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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