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Here, it is evident that there is more in this title "The Son of God" than may at first
appear. Earlier in the Gospel of Matthew a deeper depth is sounded, for the Saviour
made it very evident that there was a profounder mystery attached to the Person of the
Son, than was attached to the Person of the 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" (Matt. 11: 27).
Again, not only is equal honour to be given to the Father and to the Son, but the
solemn words are added:
"He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him"
(John 5: 23),
showing that it is impossible to by-pass in any way, either by worship, doctrine or
preaching, the peculiar office of the Son of God. This title "Son" is found in a variety of
associations.
(1)
"The
Son" as in Matt. 28: 19.
(2)
"The
Son of God" as in Matt. 4: 3.
(3)
"The
Son of David" as in Matt. 9: 27.
(4)
"The
Son of Man" as in Matt. 8: 20.
(5)
"The
Son of the Highest" as in Luke 1: 32.
(6)
"My
Beloved Son" as in Matt. 3: 1.
(7)
"His
Only begotten Son" as in John 3: 16.
Here are the seven distributions of the title "Son", the number seven being suggestive.
We must now acquaint ourselves with the way in which the title "The Son of God"
occurs, notice the occasions where it is balanced by the title "Son of Man" and also
examine carefully the references to the "Begotten" Son. All this is not to be conducted
out of mere curiosity; truth, vital truth is at stake, and the Person of the Son is central in
the inquiry. The earliest reference to the Son of God is in Luke 1: 35. In answer to
Mary's problem, the angel Gabriel said:
"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."
After this we learn that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, until the
time for the birth of John the Baptist to take place, when she returned to her own house
(Luke 1: 56). John the Baptist was called "The prophet of the Highest" (Luke 1: 76), in
contrast with Mary's Son Who should be called "The Son of the Highest". When the
days were accomplished (or filled up) that she should be delivered, Mary brought forth
her first born Son (Luke 2: 6, 7). While therefore there is a marked difference between
John the Baptist and the Saviour, there is no difference in the time and process of their
birth. John had a human father, Jesus had no human father, but both had a human
mother, and the Child of Mary is called "The Son of God". In all, there are twenty-seven
occurrences of the title in the four Gospels, one in the Acts, fifteen in the epistles and