God the Son
GOD THE SON BEFORE THE INCARNATION (1)
God the Son
GOD THE SON BEFORE THE INCARNATION (1)
As we study together, we will see that Jesus of Nazareth is both the Son of God and God the Son. This may seem like a foregone conclusion, but it is astonishing that out of the billions of people on earth, many have not accepted the Christian belief that Jesus is deity. Notice the following statistics:
These statistics bring the deity of Jesus into sharp focus. They also raise some pertinent questions: Why do billions of people not know the story of Jesus? Why have they not heard about Him? Of course, the major answer to each of these questions lies in the lack of mass global evangelism and missionary work.
The next two questions provide the challenge with which we will struggle in this study: (1) Why do many who have heard of Jesus not believe in Him; (2) Why do many who do accept Him as God’s Son not accept Him as God the Son?
The answers to these questions will vary from person to person. Some will be superficial, but others will go beyond that, revealing an agony brought about by confusion. This confusion concerning Jesus may result from a faulty or untimely teaching process. The tragedies of cults like that of Jim Jones years ago naturally raise skepticism regarding the truth about Christ among many people who might otherwise be receptive to a clear, reasoned presentation of who Jesus is and what His teachings involve.
Another reason many do not believe in or accept Jesus may be the difficulty we have in explaining His uniqueness. We may have faith in Jesus. We may be sincere in our attempts to convince someone else about Him. However, our concept of Jesus may be hazy or shallow. We may have trouble with difficult questions about Him. Our faith in Jesus, especially if it is “secondhand,” may simply not be deep enough to answer the probing questions of skepticism. This is not to say that we would deny our faith. It simply means that we may not have the resources or the maturity of faith that would enable us to fill the void in the life of one who is searching for answers about Jesus.
Consider this: You have conjured up the courage to ask a friend to attend worship service with you next Sunday. Suppose your friend says, “Lately I have thought a lot about turning to God and worshiping Him. However, you Christians have three gods. If I am anything religiously, I am a monotheist. I believe in one god. I can’t accept your belief in three gods.” What is your reaction? How do you reply? How do you verify what you say?
You are not alone if this question presents a problem for you. In fact, the church during the second and third centuries struggled to explain to Jews and pagan idol worshipers how Christianity stood for a monotheism that could speak of God the Father and God the Son.
Since our concept of God ultimately determines our religion, we sincerely invite you to join in our present examination of God the Son. The early church realized that they had to convince the people of their day that Christianity had a monotheistic view of God that included God the Son and God the Father. If they did not, Christianity would lose its truth, power, uniqueness, and relevance.
One has a tendency to think of Jesus in terms of His ministry on earth. The announcement by the angel Gabriel reminds us that this male child was not one of ordinary birth. His birth was accompanied by the good news that God’s Messiah had arrived. It was an occasion for praise and glory to God. All the surrounding details of Jesus’ birth come to mind.
It was a time when wise men paid homage to One Who was wiser than they. The one glimpse of Jesus’ boyhood reveals to us His innate wisdom as He amazed the experts of Judaism with His questions and answers in the temple. The one concise statement of His human growth from childhood to manhood emphasizes His wisdom and favor with God and man.
Have we ever pondered the implications of this stress on the wisdom of Jesus? Have we caught His profound insight when He stated at the beginning of His personal ministry that His baptism was “to fulfill all righteous”? Have we noticed that His method and ability to withstand all of the temptations at Satan’s disposal was through marvelous knowledge and instant use of God’s Word? Have we been taken aback by the lofty wisdom – wisdom rising above human capacity – that is expressed in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”? Of course we have! Jesus’ wisdom shines in His every word, action, and attitude.
This demonstration of wisdom by Jesus was inevitable. Can water cease being wet? Can fire cease being hot? Can God cease being wise? Of course, the answer to these questions is “No!” It is the nature of water to be wet and fire to be hot. It is also God’s nature to be wise. In all eternity and time, God has never committed a foolish act or said a foolish word.
As we continue our study of the Trinity, we will see how Jesus – God the Son – manifested the wisdom and power of the Father, even before His birth into our world.
The Son as the Wisdom of the Father: To appreciate fully the wisdom of the Son, we must first see Him as the wisdom of the Father. The wisdom of the Father is first made manifest to us in creation. Out of infinity came God the Son, the expression of God that brought into being the universe, our world, and time.
It is necessary for us to pause and remind ourselves that it is beyond the limits of the human mind to probe into what lies behind creation and time. The highly developed human intelligence has an intense curiosity and considerable capability to work with available data. This effort often brings wonderful benefits to humanity. However, if data are lacking, speculation may lead to wrong conclusions and dire consequences. Speculation is ill-advised concerning what may lie beyond time and creation.
Does this mean we are insulated in a capsule of ignorance regarding what may lie beyond creation and time? Yes, if we insist upon relying solely on our own limited resources and capabilities. No, if we will humble ourselves and accept what God has revealed to us in His creation, Son, and Word. In nature, Jesus, and the Bible, we find evidences of God’s power, person, and will. These evidences came from “beyond” and give us insight into the significance of reality and the eternal nature of what lies outside history and time.
We look back to the primordial state. We do not use a huge telescope. Allan Sandage has probed deep space as far back as 6 billion light years. However, our reference points to infinity. We reach for what was before the “beginning” of our universe and time.
The Son As Taught in the New Testament: We do our search for what was before the “beginning” by examining what God revealed “last” in order to understand better what He revealed “first.” We will do this by examining the New Testament perspective of Jesus as the wisdom of God before the creation.
The New Testament points out that the wisdom of God existed before time began and was inseparable from the crucified “Lord of glory”: “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’ For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:6-10).
This amazing truth was not known until the Apostolic Age because it was God’s revealed “mystery” that had been “hidden” in the past. This revealed secret opens up windows of wonder for us. The preceding passage points out a bridge extending from before time to the cross of Christ. When this bridge had its “grand opening,” the wisdom of God was made apparent in Jesus.
Further identification of Jesus as the wisdom of God is pointed out in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Colossae. They were being troubled by some teachers advocating a “wisdom” that minimized the Person and the work of Christ, especially in creation and redemption. Paul responded by insisting that the mystery of God, now revealed, is “[Christ,] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).
When Paul spoke this way about Christ, he was not saying that Christ is merely the repository for God’s wisdom. Paul was proclaiming that as God, Jesus is God’s wisdom now fully revealed. Paul had already pointed out that Christ is the very image of God. In addition, Paul had stressed the preexistence to creation of God’s Son. In one of the most exalted passages about Christ in all the Bible, Colossians 1:16-17a, Paul states the following: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things.”
The Son described in Colossians as the creative wisdom of God is not merely the Son of God; He is God the Son. As such, “in [Christ] all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). The Greek word pleroma (“fullness”) is found earlier in the Colossian letter: “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him [Christ]” (Colossians 1:19).
In other words, the essence of God dwells in Christ. The essence of God is spirit (John 4:24). Colossians 2:9 is the one and only place in the New Testament where the Greek theotes (“Godhead,” KJV; “Deity,” NIV) appears. The full nature (essence) of deity in the totality of God is seen in Christ. This, of course, is an eternal relationship, which, in the context of Colossians, includes the historical Jesus.
The Son As Reflected in Redemption: To consider Jesus as the wisdom of God is not our usual beginning point. Most of us were first introduced to Jesus as the Son of God, Who, in Person, manifested the love, mercy, and grace of God the Father. The extent of the Father’s love for us was demonstrated in His offering His Son on the cross for our redemption. Then, as we surrendered to Jesus, He became our Savior as we were raised with Him in baptism through faith in the power of God, Who raised Jesus from the dead (Colossians 1:21-23; 2:12). This was the good news, the gospel of Christ. As we look further concerning Christ, we find that He shows us more than God’s love, mercy, and grace. He is also God’s wisdom made clear to us.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he reminded them that the wisdom of God is not apparent to many because they are not looking for it in the right place. The Jews were infatuated with signs. They wanted to see miracles (Matthew 12:38-39). The Greeks were indeed seeking wisdom, but largely through the medium of philosophy, which Paul described as “the wisdom of the world.” Against this background Paul then stated: “But we preach Christ crucified . . . the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Thus, through God’s plan of salvation for us, Christ “became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30b). Therefore, in His redemptive work, the Son reflects the wisdom of the Father.
The Son As Displayed in Creation: God has never performed a foolish act or said a foolish word, because He is omniscient, all-knowing. It is His nature to be all-wise, just as it is His nature to be all-powerful. Therefore, it should not surprise us to see God’s wisdom in Jesus, His Son. He is the appearance (revelation) of God’s wisdom that was with Him in eternity, in creation, and is now revealed in history.
Now that we have observed the wisdom of God “up close” in Jesus, let us look “far back” to that momentous event of creation. Wisdom was there! Does that surprise us? Certainly not! In view of God’s nature (being all-wise) and in light of the later revelation of God’s wisdom in Jesus (the New Testament), we would indeed be astounded if we did not find wisdom present even before creation.
The Son As Described in Proverbs 8:22-31: Proverbs 8:22-31 makes the following points: (1) Out of the vast expanse of space the wisdom of God began to stir and take “center stage” (v. 22); (2) Wisdom has eternally been at the forefront of God’s deeds, including the creation (v. 23); (3) God’s wisdom was eternally actualized even before creation (vv. 24-26); (4) As an active participant with the Lord, wisdom characterized the various phases of creation (vv. 27-30a); (5) The harmony of God’s wisdom and work in the creation of the world and mankind brought forth delight and joy (vv. 30b-31).
This passage gives a breath-taking picture of the Lord, wisdom, eternity, time, and creation. In this passage, do we see Jesus as an active participant in creation? Does the wisdom of Proverbs 8:22-31 equal that of Jesus of Nazareth? Consider the following:
The Son of God was to be called Jesus at His birth (Matthew 1:21; 2:23). Therefore, one would not expect to find the name Jesus in Proverbs 8. Biblical writers are very cautious with their words when writing about God’s creation. For example: How long does one read before one finds any biblical writer using the name Jesus to describe the role of God’s Son in creation? The activity of God’s Son in creation was a mighty work He performed ages before He was called Jesus.
Another feature of Proverbs 8:22-31 is that wisdom was spoken of as feminine. Why was God’s wisdom described as feminine? One reason rests in the very nature of language. The word wisdom is feminine gender in Hebrew (hokmah) and in Greek (sophia). Therefore, a discussion of wisdom in biblical contexts often used feminine gender (Proverbs 9:1-6). In Proverbs 1:20-33, wisdom invited the “foolish ones” (pthayim, v. 22) to partake and warned in graphic terms against rejecting her. Proverbs 3:13-18 spoke of the blessings of wisdom, “for she is more profitable than silver, and yields better returns than gold” (v. 14). It is also noteworthy that folly, wisdom’s opposite, was also spoken of in the Bible as feminine in gender (Proverbs 9:13ff).
Personification is also a feature in Proverbs 8:22-31. In this passage, wisdom is not only described as feminine; she is personified as a being from eternity. Therefore, she predates the creation and participates in it. A personification is the representation of a being, thing, or abstraction with anthropomorphic (human-like) traits. This is very common in the poetic literature of the Bible, such as Proverbs and Psalms.
Personification is still a favorite literary device. Joyce Kilmers’ well-known poem, “Trees,” is a good example. He extols a tree as an inspiring example of God’s creative genius and power. He describes a tree as a female with sight to look up to God, arms to lift in prayer, hair for birds’ nests, a bosom upon which snow falls, and a “hungry mouth.”
This is a straightforward personification. Trees do not get hungry. They do not have mouths. A tree cannot look, lift, or pray. However, in this poem a beautiful truth is expressed by literary feminine personification. It does not disturb the reader that practically everything said in this poem about a tree, including its gender, is impossible. We know that Kilmer was using poetic license to convey a deep truth, which he emphasized at the close. From a literary point of view, there is a parallel between what was expressed in Proverbs 8:22-31 and Kilmer’s poem. Both poets described God’s creative work through a series of feminine personifications with oblique, symbolic language. In both poems, the reader sees a truth that lies beyond their actual statements. In “Trees” we are made aware of the beautiful harmony between God and His magnificent creation. In Proverbs 8:22-31 we note the joy, delight, uniqueness, and wisdom of God in His handiwork. The writer of the Proverbs passage did not attempt to make God’s wisdom feminine any more than Kilmer was trying to make a tree feminine!
The Son As Affirmed in “Progressive Revelation”: New Testament teachings associate Jesus with the wisdom of God. The truths found there show that the wisdom of God is eternal and was active in the creation. Obviously, from the perspective of the New Testament writers, the eternal wisdom of God we see so actively engaged in God’s creation is God the Son. How privileged we are to see through the eyes of men who were given such deep insight by the Holy Spirit! Through them we see truths that even prophets and angels could not fully discern (1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:19-21). Does this mean that God practiced “progressive revelation”? Yes, it does! If the language of the Bible means anything at all, we see God more fully in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. The progressive revelation of God and His will for us is found in the Scriptures and is restricted to the Scriptures. This is affirmed in both Testaments (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19). Examples of God’s concern about His revelation and His Word are frequent.
Therefore, when we read Proverbs 8:22-31 we realize what the writer expressed. He described in poetic language an attribute of God, wisdom that characterized His creative work. We do not assume that the poet’s God-inspired mind led him to think of “God the son” or “the second person of the Trinity”! On the other hand, many Old Testament writers, including poets and prophets, expressed truths that later would be expanded to reveal even more profound truths.
Through progressive revelation, the writings of the God-inspired writers of the New Testament enable us to see more than what the Proverbs writer saw in the passage under study. We see what he saw. We also see wisdom as the very nature (essence) of God expressed as a Person – not merely as a poetic personification of an abstract concept (wisdom). In other words, we see God the Son reflecting God’s wisdom in creation. One author has said: “. . . the very origins and the authority of Wisdom suggest more than a personified order of creation. Wisdom is somehow identified with the Lord. The call of Lady Wisdom is the voice of the Lord; she is the revelation of God, not merely the self-revelation of creation.”
Christ, as the wisdom of God, reflects that wisdom in the creation and the redemption of the world. These associations are in the Bible so that we can profit from them. Christians, like Paul, can infer that Christ is God’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24).
