Monday’s thoughts
“Jesus God’s Son”
This is the most recognized title given to Jesus and the one that is most hotly contested. Some want to make this title a defining ascription to determine if one is Christian or not. It is said, “If you do not believe that Jesus is the ‘Son of God’ you are not a Christian.” The larger question, and the most interesting question pushes us to ask the relationship of Jesus to God and the relationship of each of us to God. In other words we might conclude that Jesus is “the Son of God”, but what does that say about us? Are we sons and daughters of God?
Mark ends his gospel narrative portion that tells of Jesus death with the witness of the Roman guard who is standing at the foot of the cross. Mark 15:33-39, “When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ Then Jesus gave out a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly, this man was God’s Son!’”
If we look at the footnote at the bottom of the page of most Bibles you see an alternative translation of that last phrase. It says, “Truly, this man was a son of God.”
Is Jesus to be thought of as “The Son of God” or “A son of God”? Are we also to be thought of as “sons and daughters of God”
This will be the issue next Sunday and I’d appreciate your insights. If Jesus is The Son of God, what does that mean to us? If we are able to think of ourselves, also, as “sons and daughters” of God, what does that say of us?
Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. Click on the blank space and my email address will pop up.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
