THE DOCTRINE OF

THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD

A Look at what the Bible Says

When Peter said to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” the second phrase in his statement, the phrase which characterizes the Messiah as, “the Son of the living God” was not an idea unique to Peter, but was commonly believed by the Jews at that time (Matthew 16:16). We know that because Caiaphas the high priest used virtually the same phrase when he said, “I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God,” (Matthew 26:63). As we examine other passages of Scripture that relate to Peter’s statement it will become clear that the Jews not only looked forward to Christ’s coming, they also believed that He was true God, equal with the Father, and the Savior of the world.

[NOTE: The Hebrew word, “Messiah” which means, “Anointed” was translated into the Greek as, “Christ” and that word came into the English as another name for Jesus. In order to emphasize the Old Testament basis of Peter’s statement, I have chosen to use the word, “Messiah” where other translations traditionally use the word, “Christ”.]

THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD

Matthew 16:13-18 When Jesus arrived in the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do men say that I the Son of man am?… And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus said to him, You are blessed, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven.… that is the foundation on which I will build my church; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

John 11: 27 She said to him, Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.

Matthew 26:63-65 Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus then replied, It is as you say: nevertheless I am telling you, That after this you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy; why do we need any more witnesses? look, now you have heard his blasphemy.

Mark 14:61-64 Jesus remained silent, and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy: what do you think? And they all condemned him as worthy of death. [See Daniel 7:13-14.]

[COMMENT: Christ’s church is founded on the fact that He is the Messiah foretold in prophesy, the Son of the living God. In the verses given above, we have the high priest using the phrase, “the Messiah, the Son of God, or “the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed,” both of which mean the same thing, and both of which may have been used during the interrogation. The fact that Christ’s claim to be the Messiah, the Son of God was condemned as blasphemy reveals the fact that the Jews regarded the Messiah as divine. And, they got that doctrine straight from the Old Testament.]

THE DIVINE MESSIAH

Psalm 2:2-12 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together, against the LORD, and against his Messiah,… I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way… Blessed are all those who put their trust in him.

Isaiah 7:14 Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [which being translated means, God with us].

Isaiah 9:6-7 Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, when I will raise to David a righteous Branch, who will reign as King and prosper, and will execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely: and this is the name by which he will be called, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you will come one who will rule in Israel for me; whose origin is from long ago, from everlasting.

[COMMENT: These verses tell us that the Messiah is a Son whom God Himself has “begotten,” (Psalm 2:2,7) a virgin born Son who is “God with us,” (Isaiah 7:14) a human child who is “the Mighty God,” (Isaiah 9:6) “Jehovah Our Righteousness,” (Jeremiah 23:6). A child who will be born in Bethlehem, yet has always existed even “from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).]

EQUAL TO THE FATHER

1 John 4:9 And God has shown his love for us, by sending his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Romans 8:15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Malachi 2:10 Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one God created us? why then does every man deal treacherously against his brother, thus profaning the covenant of our fathers?

John 8:41-42 Then they [the Pharisees] said to him, We are not born as a result of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor did I come on my own, but he sent me.

John 5:17-18 But Jesus said to them, My Father has worked until now, and I work. Therefore the Jews tried all the harder to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but had also said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

[COMMENT: When the New Testament writers tell us that Jesus Christ is the “only-begotten” Son of God, they are only telling us what the Old Testament teaches (1John 4:9, Psalm 2:7). At the same time, when we who trust in Christ are called the sons of God we know that we are not the sons of God in the same sense that Christ is the Son of God. We are adopted sons, Christ is the “only begotten Son” (Romans 8:15, 1John 4:9). The passages given above tell us that the Pharisees made the same distinction. Even though Malachi spoke of God as our Father, (Malachi 2:10) and the Pharisees said that God was their Father, (John 8:41) when Jesus said that God was His Father they accused Him of blasphemy because He said that He was the Messiah, and they knew that the Messiah was True God, equal to the Father (John 5:17-18).]

SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

John 4:42 They [the Samaritans] said to the woman, We no longer believe because of what you said: but we have heard him ourselves, and know that he really is the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Isaiah 49:5-6 The LORD who formed me from the womb to be his servant, and to bring Jacob back to him, says,… I have also made you a light for the Gentiles, that you might be my salvation to the most distant parts of the earth.

Isaiah 54:5 Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He will be called the God of the entire earth.

John 1:29,34 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.… this is the Son of God.

1Timothy 4:10 Yea, it is for that that we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

1John 4:14 And we have seen and bear witness that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

[COMMENT: When the Samaritans said that Christ was “the Messiah, the Savior of the world,” they were only saying what the Old Testament teaches (John 4:42). The Messiah was sent to be God’s “salvation to the most distant parts of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). He is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He is the living God, who is the Savior of all men (1Timothy 4:10). He is the one sent by the Father “to be the Savior of the world” (1John 4:14).]

John 11:25-27 Jesus said to her [Martha], I am the resurrection, and the life: he who believes in me will yet live, even though he is dead: And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.

John 20:30-31 Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, that are not written in this book: But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name.

1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God: and every one that loves him who begat loves him also that is begotten by him.

[COMMENT: Martha’s response to Jesus’ question tells us that she equated believing that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world [as a Savior],” with believing that He is “the resurrection, and the life” and that whoever lives and believes in Him “will never die”. All who believe that, trusting in Him for salvation, are born of God (1John 5:1).]

THOSE WHO DENY CHRIST

John 10:24-33 The Jews gathered around him, and said to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you did not believe… you do not believe, because you are not my sheep… I and my Father are one. Then the Jews again picked up stones to stone him. But Jesus said to them, I have shown you many miracles from my Father; for which of those miracles do you stone me? The Jews replied, We do not stone you for any miracle; but for blasphemy; because you, who are a man, claim to be God.

1 John 2:22-23 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Messiah? He is an antichrist, who denies the Father as well as the Son. Whoever denies the Son, does not have the Father: but he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

[COMMENT: The Bible not only tells us that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” (Matthew 16:16) and thus equal to God, (John 5:18) but in John 10:30 Jesus tells us that He and the “Father are one,” giving us the doctrine of the Trinity. We are also told that anyone who denies that Jesus is the Messiah (and thus both true God, and the Savior of the world) is an antichrist, who by denying the Son has denied the Father as well, thereby rejecting the true God (1John 2:23).]

CONCLUSION

Christ has founded His church on the fact that He is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). His church is founded, not on simply attributing that title to Him, but on everything that being the Messiah entails. It is founded on the fact that He is both true man, the child who was born of a virgin, (Isaiah 7:14) born in Bethlehem, (Micah 5:2) and yet who is also true God, “the mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) whose origin is from long ago, “from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). And, it is founded on the fact that He is the, “Savior of the world” (John 4:42).

[NOTE: only two of the Jewish groups or sects existing at the time of Christ have survived to the present day.

1- The first is the Pharisees who rejected Christ. All modern Jewish sects trace their roots back to the Pharisees and keep alive many of their traditions. Since they reject Christ they are antichrist, (1John 2:22) and the wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost (1Thessalonians 2:16).

2- The second group consists of those Jews who did accept Christ as the Messiah. These are the Jews who spread palm branches before Jesus when He entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21:8). These are the Jews who were baptized by the thousands following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41 and 4:4). These Jews continued to worship in the Temple, (Acts 3:1-8 and 21:26) and, as the Old Testament taught, accepted foreigners into their ranks on an equal basis as fellow citizens of Israel (Ezekiel 42:22-23, Isaiah 56:3-7, Ephesians 2:19). Those who constitute this second group are the true Jews, the true children of Abraham, the true house of Israel, God’s chosen people and the “apple of His eye” (Galatians 3:29, Zechariah 2:8-11, 2Thessalonians 2:13).]

 By Gary Ray Branscome