Basic HTML Version
Gospel according to John distinctly asserts that the Word existed ‘in the beginning,’ and
that this Word is the Son, Who ‘became flesh and dwelt among us.’”*
ln addressing the Father in His prayer in John 17 He says, “Thou lovedst Me before
the foundation of the world.” Accordingly in the timeless past the Father and the “Son”
existed in that relationship, a relationship of love, as well as of absolute Deity. In this
passage the “Son” gives evidence that there was no more powerful plea in the Father’s
estimation than that coeternal love existing between the Father and Himself.
The declaration “Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee,” Ps. 2:7, quoted in
Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5, refers to the birth of Christ, not to His resurrection. In Acts
13:33 the verb “raise up” is used of the raising up of a person to occupy a special position
in the nation, as of David in verse 22 (so of Christ as a Prophet in 3:22 and 7:37). The
word “again” in the
KJV
in v. 33 represents nothing in the original. The
RV
rightly omits
it. In v. 34 the statement as to the resurrection of Christ receives the greater stress in this
respect through the emphatic contrast to that in v. 33 as to His being raised up in the
nation, a stress imparted by the added words “from the dead.” Accordingly v. 33 speaks
of His incarnation, v. 34 of His resurrection.
In Heb. 1:5, that the declaration refers to the Birth is confirmed by the contrast in
verse 6. Here the word “again” is rightly placed in the
RV
, “when He again bringeth in the
Firstborn into the world.” This points on to His second advent, which is set in contrast to
His first advent, when God brought His Firstborn into the world the first time (see
FIRSTBORN
).†
So again in Heb. 5:5, where the High Priesthood of Christ is shown to fulfill all that
was foreshadowed in the Levitical priesthood, the passage stresses the facts of His
humanity, the days of His flesh, His perfect obedience and His sufferings.
-
7 "
In the NT this is a designation of Christ, almost entirely confined to the Gospels.
Elsewhere it is found in Acts 7:56, the only occasion where a disciple applied it to the
Lord and in Rev. 1:13; 14:14 (see below).
“Son of Man” is the title Christ used of Himself; John 12:34 is not an exception, for
the quotation by the multitude was from His own statement. The title is found especially
in the Synoptic Gospels. The occurrences in John’s gospel, 1:51; 3:13, 14; 5:27; 6:27, 53,
62; 8:28 (9:35 in some texts); 12:23, 34 (twice); 13:31, are not parallel to those in the
Synoptic Gospels. In the latter the use of the title falls into two groups, (a) those in which
it refers to Christ’s humanity, His earthly work, sufferings and death, e.g., Matt. 8:20;
11:19; 12:40; 26:2, 24; (b) those which refer to His glory in resurrection and to that of
His future advent, e.g., Matt. 10:23; 13:41; 16:27, 28; 17:9; 24:27, 30 (twice), 37, 39, 44.
While it is a messianic title it is evident that the Lord applied it to Himself in a
distinctive way, for it indicates more than Messiahship, even universal headship on the
part of One who is Man. It therefore stresses His manhood, manhood of a unique order in
comparison with all other men, for He is declared to be of heaven, 1 Cor. 15:47, and even
* From
Notes on Thessalonians,
by Hogg and Vine. pp. 46. 47.
† The Western text of Luke 3:22 reads “Thou an My Son, this day have I begotten Thee,”
instead of “Thou an My beloved Son. in Thee I am well pleased.” There is probably some
connection between this and those early heresies which taught that our Lord’s deity
began at His baptism.