FOUR WAYS JESUS SAID HE IS GOD IN ONE SENTENCE
Before the high priest at His mock trial Jesus repeatedly remains silent before His accusers. Eventually placed under oath He responds as Mark and Matthew record below:
[61] But He kept silent and did not answer anything. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? ”
[62] “I am,” said Jesus, “and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
[63] Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?
[64] You have heard the blasphemy! What is your decision?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.” (Mark 14:61‭-‬64)
Note the parallel verses from Matthew:
“But Jesus kept silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “By the living God I place You under oath: tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God! ” “You have said it,” Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:63-4)
Now detailed examination of the text reveals a four-fold claim to deity. This Post will consider each expression in turn:
□ Jesus confirms he is the “Son of God.” (Mark 14:61 “Son of the Blessed One”)
□ Jesus says he is “The Son of Man” from Daniel 7 which is a Messianic title of God.
□ Jesus says he will be sitting in the “right hand of power” making himself equal with the Father.
□ “Coming with the clouds of heaven” is a clear reference to His Second Coming in power.
When Jesus was questioned by the high priest about being the Son of God, He answered in Matthew 26:63-65 by joining two Scriptures together. He joined Daniel 7:13 and Psalm 110:1. He applied Daniel 7:13 to Himself which had a direct reference to His Second Coming. The high priest fully understood what the Lord Jesus was saying and used this statement to condemn Him to death for blasphemy.
1). SON OF GOD (SON OF THE BLESSED ONE)
The Jewish leaders responded to Jesus answer to the high priest by accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65-66). Later, before Pontius Pilate, “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 19:7). Why would His claiming to be the Son of God be considered blasphemy and be worthy of a death sentence? The Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus meant by the phrase “Son of God.” To be the Son of God is to be of the same nature as God. The Son of God is “of God.” The claim to be of the same nature as God—to in fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders; therefore, they demanded Jesus’ death, in keeping with Leviticus 24:15. Hebrews 1:3 expresses this very clearly, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”
Muslims often claim that Jesus never used the term “Son of God” of Himself, but although He used it sparingly, there are several examples in addition to the above verses:
“I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25 HCSB) (c.f. 1 Peter 3:19)
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.” (John 9:35‭-‬37)
“Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your scripture, I said, you are gods? If He called those whom the word of God came to ‘gods’ — and the Scripture cannot be broken — do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God?” (John 10:34‭-‬36)
“When Jesus heard it, He said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)
“Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You,” (John 17:1)
In all these examples the term is uniquely relational. John’s references employ the Greek ‘monogenes’ as in “pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind.”
This is the meaning that is implied in John 3:16 (see also John 1:14, 18; 3:18; 1 John 4:9). John was primarily concerned with demonstrating that Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31), and he uses monogenes to highlight Jesus as uniquely God’s Son—sharing the same divine nature as God—as opposed to believers who are God’s sons and daughters by adoption (Ephesians 1:5).
Jesus is God’s “one and only” Son. Strong’s concordance says that it is a combination of the word “monos” meaning “only”, and “ginomai” meaning to “to cause to be, generate, become, or come into being”.
Word: monogenhj Pronounce: mon-og-en-ace’ Strongs Number: G3439 Orig: from 3441 and 1096; only-born, i.e. sole:–only (begotten, child). G3441 Use: TDNT-4:737,606 Adjective Heb Strong: H3173 1) single of its kind, only 1a) used of only sons or daughters (viewed in relation to their parents) 1b) used of Christ, denotes the only begotten son of God.
This word is also used in referring to a boy in Luke 7:12: “As he (Jesus) approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out – the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.”
The Greek word ‘monogenes’ is used here and translated as ‘only’.
It is used likewise in Luke 9:38: “A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.”
“Monogenes” is applied to Jesus in:
John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the “One and Only”, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
2). SON OF MAN
Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament. A first meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is as a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
The description “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Jesus is the One who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. When Jesus used this phrase, He was assigning the Son of Man prophecy to Himself. The Jews of that era would have been intimately familiar with the phrase and to whom it referred. Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the Messiah.
The following verses from Daniel 7 show the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus returning with this cloud of believers. It appears the Bibles uses the term “Clouds of heaven” because the huge throng of believers from a distance would look like a massive cloud. From other Scriptures, the Bible reveals the believers will be dressed in pure white. The Lord’s coming with all the believers dressed in pure white will look like a massive cloud in the distance. They will return with Him and be there as He establishes His kingdom on earth. The following verses refer:
Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
3). SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POWER
Firstly, from Psalm 110:1 “seated at the right hand of the Power” firmly places Jesus alongside the throne of God. No ifs no buts no maybes.
“This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (Psalms 110:1)
Scripture has several words translated “right” and the usage of the term, “right hand” ranges from a direction, to the opposite of wrong, what is just or what conforms to an established standard, and to a place of honor or authority. In the case of division or appointment in the Bible, the right hand or right side came first, as when Israel (Jacob) divided the blessings to Joseph’s sons before he died (Genesis 48:13-14).
In addition, a person of high rank who put someone on his right hand gave him equal honor with himself and recognized him as possessing equal dignity and authority. And this is what the Apostle Paul writes of Jesus Christ in Ephesians.
“And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us, the ones believing according to the working of His mighty strength which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this world, but also in the coming age” (Ephesians 1:19-21).
Here we see God exalting Jesus above all others by seating Him at the right hand of the Father.
The term “God’s right hand” in prophecy refers to the Messiah to whom is given the power and authority to subdue His enemies (Psalm 110:1; Psalm 118:16). We find a quote in Matthew 22:44 from Psalm 110:1, which is a Messianic Psalm. “The Son of David” is claimed by the LORD Jesus Christ as He is the “greater son of David” or the Messiah. In this passage of Matthew 22, Jesus questions the Pharisees about who they think the “Christ” or the Messiah is. “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make Thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call Him Lord, how is He his son?” (Matthew 22:41-45). The position of the Messiah is at God’s right hand.
The fact that Jesus Christ is at the “right hand of God” was a sign to the disciples that Jesus had indeed gone to heaven. In John 16:7-15, Jesus told the disciples that He had to go away and He would send the Holy Spirit. So the coming of the Holy Spirit in the upper room on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) was proof positive that Jesus was indeed in heaven seated at the right hand of God. This is confirmed in Romans 8:34 where the Apostle Paul writes that Christ is sitting at God’s right hand making intercession for us.
Therefore, what we can say is that “God’s right hand” refers to the Messiah, the LORD Jesus Christ and He is of equal position, honor, power and authority with God (John 1:1-5). The fact that Christ is “sitting” refers to the fact that His work of redemption is done and when the fullness of the gentiles is brought in (Romans 11:25), Christ’s enemies will be made His footstool as the end of the age comes, all prophecy is completed, and time is no more.
4). COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN
Daniel 7 is a very important chapter as it shows the Messiah coming to establish His kingdom over all the earth. This will occur at the glorious Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. When studying this chapter, it is very clear that at the Lord’s Second Coming He does not return by Himself. He returns with whom the Bible refers to as the “Clouds of heaven.” This verse follows:
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” (Daniel 7:13)
The “Clouds of heaven” is a very important and symbolic term because Daniel used it, and Jesus quoted it to the high priest. The high priest understood what the Lord Jesus was saying. He understood because the use of this phrase was in part what caused him to charge the Lord with blasphemy and then crucified. John, in the book of Revelation, also applied this term to the Lord Jesus’ Second Coming.
“Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. And all the families of the earth will mourn over Him. This is certain. Amen.” (Revelation 1:7 HCSB)
The Bible leaves no doubt what are the “Clouds of heaven.” This phrase was first used by the prophet Daniel. When he first mentions this term, he also tells what are the “Clouds of heaven.” The “Clouds of heaven” are the innumerable number of believers who are in heaven with the Lord Jesus and return with Him. They are returning with Him as He sets up His kingdom over all the earth.
Daniel, in chapter 7, gives a rare glimpse of heaven in the Old Testament. He actually sees events taking place before the very throne of God. He refers to the holy God of Israel as the Ancient of Days. He sees God on His throne. Everything about God is like fire. His throne and the area surrounding Him appeared on fire.
Daniel saw something else around the throne and that was a countless number of believers. The believers were recorded as thousand times thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand around the throne. This is a huge number that is beyond description. These are the are the redeemed believers that are in heaven with the Lord Jesus. This huge numbers of believers before the throne of God are the “Clouds of heaven” which return with the Lord Jesus.
Thus, the “Clouds of heaven” are the enormous number of believers who are in heaven at the time of the awesome Second Coming of Jesus Christ. They then accompany Him at His return. The verses to show God’s throne and this huge number of believers follow:
Daniel 7:9 “…the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (10) A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”
The single most important question to answer is how was Jesus answer of Mark 14:60 blasphemy?
Confessing to being the Messiah alone was not blasphemous. Threatening the temple was not in itself blasphemy.
The answer lies in the secondary questions of how was using the Title “Son of Man” of Himself so provocative and how did it establish His divinity?
According to Psalm 110 the Messiah is to share YHWH’s throne, sitting at His right hand. By referring to Daniel 7, Jesus isn’t predicting an imminent descent on a cloud for Caiaphas to see Him sitting on a physical throne, He is predicting End Time events using references loaded with meaning. These show beyond doubt that Israel’s God had exalted Jesus to share His throne.
This was the real reason for the blasphemy charge. What Jesus had done was juxtapose the very two texts – Psalm 110 and Daniel 7 – that within the Jewish world of His day, could be used to indicate His enthronement alongside YHWH.
MAKE NO MISTAKE: #JESUS_is_GOD
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