The Father Sent His Son so We Can Have Holy Spirit, Part 2

In Part 1, I told you about serving in my church and seeing the paintings of the Father, His Son, and the “Holy Ghost” above the altar. And we looked at what the scriptures say about the Father. The gospels, the Book of Acts, and the epistles written to the Church show that “the Father” is Almighty God, the Creator of the heavens and earth—Who loves us and  wants to know us intimately as His children. Now we will look at what the Bible has to say about His Son, our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son. He is the promised “seed of the woman” who would redeem mankind from their sin.

Genesis 3:15:
And I will put enmity between thee [Satan as the serpent] and the woman, and between thy seed [the seed of the serpent] and her seed [the seed of the woman]; it [the seed of the woman] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Here is the great conflict that would lead to our redemption. Jesus Christ was the seed of the woman. Yet, biologically women have no seed. The seed (sperm) comes from the male parent. This is a figure of speech showing that the Messiah would be conceived of a virgin.  That is exactly what happened with Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:31,35:
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

“His Son” in the New Testament

God, our Father, has a lot to say in the New Testament about His Son, Jesus Christ. The only use of “his Son” in the gospels tells God’s purpose for sending Jesus Christ into the world.

John 3:17:
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Peter boldly declared at Solomon’s Porch that God had raised Jesus Christ from the dead and sent him so that people could turn from their iniquities.

Acts 3:13,26:
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

The Book of Romans is the first of seven epistles in the Bible written to the Church. It opens with the gospel, the good news of God, concerning Jesus Christ, our lord. Paul gave his all spiritually to make known this good news of Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:3,9:
Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.

We were reconciled to God and saved by the death and accomplishments of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:10:
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Every born-again believer is jointly-formed to the image of Jesus Christ. We have God’s incorruptible seed (I Peter 1:23) and are sons of God. Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brothers.

Romans 8:29:
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Our faithful God has called us to share fully in what Jesus Christ has done for us.

I Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul knew that it was “Christ in” him, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Galatians 1:16
To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.

God sent Jesus Christ at just the right time to redeem us from our sins. Now we too have “Christ in you,” the gift of holy spirit. As God’s sons, we can call Him “Daddy.”

Galatians 4:4-6:
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba [“Daddy”], Father.

Jesus Christ is now seated at the right hand of God. We joyfully await his return for us, knowing that he will rescue us from future tribulation and wrath.

I Thessalonians 1:10:
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

God spoke by the prophets at various times and in different ways. Ultimately, He sent Jesus Christ to fully make known the heart of the Father.

Hebrews 1:1,2:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

We have a full-sharing relationship with our heavenly Father by way of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ. It is the blood (his accomplished works for us on the cross) of Christ that cleanses us from all sin.

I John 1:3,7:
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

God’s commandment is simple: get born again by believing on Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9,10) and love each  other with His love that is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit we receive (Romans 5:5).

I John 3:23:
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

True love is that God sent His Son to pay for our sins.

I John 4:10:
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

God testified of Jesus Christ, and when we believe on Christ, we have eternal life.

I John 5:9-11:
If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

Jesus Christ fully declared the true God, our heavenly Father. We are in His Son, Jesus Christ, and therefore have eternal life!

I John 5:20:
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

“The Son” in Matthew, Mark, and Luke

Many of the uses of “the Father” in these gospels that we saw in Part 1 correspond to uses of “the Son.”

Matthew 11:27:
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

As we saw in Part 1, there appears to be another use of “the Father” in Matthew 28:19, but the original texts read “in my name.” So the only use in Matthew 11:27 shows that it is “the Son” who reveals God as the Father.

Jesus Christ was not only God’s Son by divine conception. He also was the son of Mary, through her ancestors Abraham and David. Because of this, he was a son of Adam, or “the Son of man.” Matthew mentions all of these relationships.

• “the Son of God”: Matthew 4:3,6; 14:33; 26:63; 27:40,43,54 (“the son of the living God”-Matthew 16:16)
• “the son of Abraham”: Matthew 1:1
• “the son of David”: Matthew 1:1; 12:23; 21:9,15; 22:42
• “the Son of man”: Matthew 8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8,32,40; 13:37,41; 16:13,27,28; 17:9,12,22; 18:11; 19:28; 20:18,28; 24:27,30,37,39,44; 25:13,31; 26:2,24,45,64

In Mark, the only uses of “the Father” and “the Son” occur together. They show that only the Father, not angels or even Jesus Christ, knows when certain future events will occur.

Mark 13:32:
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Jesus Christ’s relationships as a son are also shown in Mark. As God’s Son, he is called the son of the “Blessed.” He is also noted as being the son of his mother, Mary.

• “the Son of God”: Mark 1:1; 3:11; 15:39
• “the son of the Blessed”: Mark 14:61
• “the Son of David”: Mark 12:35
• “the son of Mary”: Mark 6:3
• “the Son of man”: Mark 2:10,28; 8:31,38; 9:9,12,31; 10:33,45; 13:26,34; 14:21,41,62

Similarly in Luke, the only uses of “the Father” and “the Son” occur together. Like Matthew, the only uses of “the Son” show that Jesus Christ is the one who reveals the Father to us.

Luke 10:22:
All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Jesus Christ’s relationships as a son are shown in Luke. As God’s Son, he is called the son of the “Highest.”

• “the Son of God”: Luke 1:35; 3:38; 4:3,9,41; 22:70
• “the Son of the Highest”: Luke 1:32
• “the Son of man”: Luke 5:24; 6:5,22; 7:34; 9:22,26,44,56,58; 11:30; 12:8,10,40; 17:22,24,26,30; 18:8,31; 19:10; 21:27,36; 22:22,48,69; 24:7

“The Son” in John

We have seen in Part 1 that “the Father” is used seventy times in the gospel of John. This is also the gospel where “the Son” is most used.

God, the Father, loves His Son, Jesus Christ, and has given him authority. When we believe on the Son, we have everlasting life.

John 3:35,36:
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

With the greatest of humility, Jesus Christ realized that without God, he could do nothing. Of course he could have done many things without seeking God’s help and guidance—Jesus Christ had free will. But he always chose to do the will of the Father. Jesus Christ is our great example of how to live each day. God gave Jesus Christ authority to judge and to give life. We should honor the Son, who faithfully carries out the will of His Father!

John 5:19-27:
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

God’s will is that everyone who learns of Jesus Christ should believe on him unto everlasting life.

John 6:40
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is the one who makes us free indeed.

John 8:35,36:
And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The Father is glorified when we ask for His help in the name and authority of His Son, Jesus Christ.

John 14:13
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

The gospel of John also shows Jesus Christ’s relationships as a son. As Joseph’s adopted son, Jesus Christ was considered the son of Joseph by those who did not know of or believe his divine conception.

• “the Son of God”: John 1:34,49; 5:25; 9:35; 10:36; 11:4,27; 19:7; 20:31 (“the son of the living God”-John 6:69)
• “the son of Joseph”: John 1:45; 6:42
• “the Son of man”: John 1:51; 3:13,14; 5:27; 6:27,53,62; 8:28; 12:23,34; 13:31

My Beloved Son in Whom I Am Well Pleased

God declared his great pleasure in His beloved Son when he was baptized, and again later when he was transfigured before Peter, James, and John.

Matthew 3:16,17:
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 17:1,2,5:
And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
While he [Peter] yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Jesus Christ always pleased the Father. He carried out God’s master plan for our salvation and tasted death for every man. He is the captain of our salvation who made it available for us to be God’s sons. We are his brethren, and Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call us that!

Hebrews 2:9-11:
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.

So, Who Is the Son?

Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son by divine conception, the “seed” of the woman promised to Adam and Eve. He was in God’s foreknowledge before the foundation of the world, but he was born–came into existence–at the right time to save us.

I Peter 1:20:
Who verily was foreordained [proginōskō, foreknown by God] before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

We have seen in Part 1 that the Father is our mighty God Who makes us His children. In Part 2, we saw that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the captain of our salvation. In Part 3, we will see that it was through the works of God’s Son that we have the gift of holy spirit. God is Spirit, and we can worship Him in spirit and in truth.