[Donald Ward] Let's title the sermon, Jesus, the Son of God.

What did Jesus emphasize most during His earthly ministry? The dominant category in Jesus' life was to worship God – give Him His proper praise, reverence, respect. But the dominant category that He emphasized over and over again was that He, Jesus Christ, was the Son of God, and that He directed His teaching toward becoming a son of God in the Kingdom of God. Now, you may say, I've heard that a million times. I hope you have – or more – but do we really understand all of the implications of it – that He was the Son of God and He came to reconcile us to the Father so that we might become sons of God? Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and the overarching, dominant aspect of His mission was to make it possible for us to become the sons of God.

The other aspects of His mission were based on the fact that He was the Son of God, and that He wanted us to become sons and daughters of God. The exact terminology – the exact name, son of God, appears 47 times in scripture. The one and only time in the Old Testament is found in Daniel 3:25, where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in the fiery furnace, and they kept increasing the heat, because nothing was happening to them. They made it seven times hotter and they looked in. It says:

Daniel 3:25 – I see now four men and one likened to the Son of God.

The other times – the other 46 references – 45 of them are to the Son of God – the devine Son of God – and the other is to a human being.

After Jesus was baptized, a voice came from Heaven stating – and let's turn there and see about that voice – go to Matthew, chapter 3. Matthew, chapter 3 – the first part of the chapter – describes John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for the first coming of Jesus Christ, that he was out there baptizing those who had repented. And Jesus came to him and asked him to baptize Him. Jesus asked John the Baptist to baptize Him. Of course, at first, John resisted, but then he relented. If you look at Matthew 3:16…

Matthew 3:16 – 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.”

In the next chapter, we find that Satan is tempting Jesus Christ. And the first two temptations are based on this – that is, if you be the Son of God…. So let's continue there in chapter 4:

Matthew 4:1 – Then was Jesus led up – after He was baptized and this voice came from Heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” – Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested – tried – of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered. And, of course, this, to a large degree, doesn't…it shows that Satan doesn't really understand spiritual things, because when you fast for the right motive – the right reason – then are you drawn nearer – closer – to God, and you have more spiritual strength, as it were, than you have at any other time. So Satan says, “Oh, He's fasting forty days. I guess He's just about starved to death. He's so weak I could probably really get to Him now.” And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If thou be the Son of God – IF you be the Son of God… See, that's what the voice from heaven declared. “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, “It is written” – see, here you see the power of the word of God. (And once again – John 6:63 – The words I speak, they are spirit and they are life. The word of God and the Spirit of God are equated.) So one of the great ways to foil the tempter, to defeat him, to turn him back, is through the word of God. So Jesus says, “It is written, thou shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and sets Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, “If thou be the Son of God….  “Now, I heard this voice saying, ‘This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’ Well, if you are the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you, and in their hands, they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said unto him, “It is written again, ‘You shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

So here comes the devil and tempts Him with the lust of the flesh – He was hungry – the lust of the eyes – He could see the kingdoms of the world – and the pride of life – “Oh, I'll be something great.” And in every case, He defeated Satan by the word of God.

The great controversy among the Jews was whether Jesus was the Son of God. Was He the prophesied Messiah? Now there are many prophesies concerning the Messiah. Let's look at, probably, one of the best known – it's also mentioned in Acts 3 – and that is Deuteronomy 18:15.

Deuteronomy 18:15-16 – The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of your brethren, like unto me – unto him ye shall listen. Who raises Him up? The Eternal your God. Yahweh Elohim raises Him up and sends Him to you. According to all that you desire of the LORD your God, in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And we go on down to verse 20:

V-20-22 – But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if you say in thine heart, “How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. Of course, one of the signs of Jesus Christ coming at the end of this age is false prophets, and people running to and fro, and especially, making merchandise of the times in which we live in. And people are gullible enough to believe a lot of this stuff that is put out there with regard to end times.

Look at Psalm 2 – another prophecy concerning Jesus Christ as the Son of God. In Psalm 2, once again, you notice what it says here in Psalm 2, and verse 7.

Psalm 2:7 – I will declare the decree: the Eternal has said unto me, “Thou art my Son. This day have I yalad you – that is, begotten you, or brought you to birth. Yalad corresponds to gennao in the Greek, and when used to the mother, it means to bring to birth, and when used to the father, it means to beget or to engender life. We covered this last week. The apostle Paul equates this Psalm here with Jesus Christ being resurrected from the dead. We will look at that in Acts, chapter 2.

In Acts, chapter 2. I said 2 – that's not what I want. Acts 13. In Acts, chapter 13…this is one of the three great sermons in the book of Acts – Peter's sermon on Pentecost, Acts 2; Stephen's sermon, Acts 7; and now this sermon in Acts 13. Paul here, preaching to the detractors of his day, he basically recounts the history of Israel – summarizing it – bringing it up to the time of Christ and His crucifixion. We break in on the thought here in verse 27:

Acts 13:27-34 – For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning Him. Well, if you had really believed the scriptures, as Jesus says in John 5 – Moses wrote of them, that's what he says – then you would have believed Me – that is, believed Jesus. And though they found no cause of death in Him, yet desired they Pilate that He should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree, and laid Him in a sepulcher. But God raised Him from the dead: And He was seen many days of them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers – remember the promise in Deuteronomy 18:15? – God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, “Thou art my Son, this day have I gennao you” – in this case, it means to bring forth, to bring to birth – and as concerning that he raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, He said on this wise, “I will give you the sure mercies of David.”

Now, you go back to Psalm 2, once again, and in verse 2, there is this promise of the Messiah – the Anointed One – or at least, the Anointed One is named  Anointed One, or Son of Oil. And so the Jews knew quite well – those who had studied the scriptures at all knew quite well – that it was prophesied that a messiah would come and he would be Son of God. But so many of them were looking for a great military/political leader to restore to them the fortunes that they had under David and Solomon. Today, the Jewish nation looks for a great political leader. And one of the things that Zionism is all about is making Israel the preeminent nation on the face of the earth. And don’t you forget it. That’s one of the things that it’s all about.  In Psalm 2, and verse 2:

Psalm 2:2-3 – The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from me.” So eventually all the nations are gathered together at Armageddon to fight the battle at the great day of God Almighty.

At Jesus' trial, you can understand from these scriptures…just give you a little background there. There are over sixty prophesies concerning the Messiah would come on the scene. And the purpose of the Messiah coming on the scene, they really didn't understand, and even the apostles, after being with Jesus for three and a half years, didn't really get it until the very end – and basically, the day of Pentecost, when they were really able to get it.

So, let's look there, for just a moment, at Luke 24, where after Jesus was resurrected, that He appeared to them at least three times. The interesting part here is what I’ve just said – with regard, do you really get it? Do you really understand what this is all about? The apostles were taught by Jesus Christ for three and a half years. Now notice this, in Luke 24. We’ll start in verse 44:

Luke 24:44-53 – And he said unto them, “These are the words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you – you already heard this, but apparently you didn't understand it – that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me” – the – what is called the tripartite division of the Old Testament – the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. He opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. Brethren, the Word of God is being spoken to you every Sabbath day. And I hope that you're not here just for the fellowship, though that's important, or for the anything else you want to name, except the very core. Yes, all those other things are important, but the core of what this is all about – why God sent this Son of God to the Earth and the importance of it. And we're going to pursue that as much as we can here this afternoon in the time that we have. And said unto them, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you. But tarry you in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high. That power comes from the Holy Spirit. And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And of course, a similar account is given of Jesus' ascension in Luke, chapter 1…I mean Acts, chapter 1. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

Now when Jesus was on trial – I want to just go to Matthew 26 – we see here, from various sources, that they were expecting Messiah. From the Old Testament, we have read it. We see Jesus Himself prophesying of it, reading it, and talking about it, and saying, “You didn't get it, but now I'm opening your eyes so you will get it.” In Matthew 26, and verse 63 where Jesus is on trial. He's appearing before the high priest. And they knew that the prophesy is in the Bible, in the Old Testament, that the Messiah would come – the Anointed One – and verse 63:

Matthew 26:63 – But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether you be the Christ, the Son of God.” Of course, Jesus had already confirmed to him – to them – that He was the Son of God.

Saul, who became the apostle Paul, was persecuting and killing people who believed that Jesus was the Son of God. But note one of the first things that Paul did after he was struck down on the road to Damascus – one of the first things that Paul did after he was struck down on the road to Damascus. Why was he on the way to Damascus? He was on the way to Damascus, because Antioch and Damascus…there were, in Syria, two strongholds for Christians. And he wanted to go there, haul them off – let's go to Acts, chapter 9 – and put them in prison, or worse yet, beat some. Apparently, some were put to death. They put Stephen to death, and Saul was there beholding that. They laid them – the clothes of Stephen – at the feet of Saul, who became Paul. In Acts, chapter 9, and verse 19, we break in on the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul. And what did he do after he was converted? We’ll see it right here.

Act 9:19-22 – And when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples, which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.  So he goes from killing people who were preaching that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, to himself preaching that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said, “Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came here for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?” But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

See, Paul reasoned with them out of the scriptures. He went to these prophesies about how that God would send the Son of God, the Messiah, to them. And how, that through Him, that was the only way that they could be saved out of their sins. Paul tells us that through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, He – Jesus – became the Son of God – not just a begotten Son of God. While He was here on Earth, He was the begotten Son of God.

Now you look at Romans, chapter 1. So many people who want to say now we're born again now. Even – it doesn't say – that Jesus was born again, in the final sense, until He was resurrected from the dead. And we're going to read this verse, right here, right now. We're going to read two – Romans, chapter 1, verse 3.

Romans 1:3-4 – Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh – according to the genealogical line, He descended from David and was a son of David according to the flesh. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. In the womb of Mary, in the flesh, while walking here upon the earth, He was the only begotten Son of God. Now He is the Son of God. The firstborn from the dead – Revelation 1, and verse 5 – the firstborn from the dead.

Christ’s preaching was theocentric. What does that mean? Theo for God and centric for center of. Christ's preaching was theocentric. What does that mean? He emphasized entering into a relationship with the Father and becoming a son of God. When Christ spoke of Himself, He spoke of Himself in relationship to the Father. He came to reconcile us to the Father. Don't jump to any conclusions until you hear the whole thing.

No man can come to Christ, except the Father draw him. The Bread of Life chapter…let's read this –  John 6:44. We're going to begin now to see the reciprocal action between the Father and the Son. You can't really know the Father apart from the Son, and you can't really know the Son apart from the Father. The Father initiates the action. How does He initiate it? Well, it's initiated through the preaching of the word of God. “The words I speak, they are spirit and they are truth.” “How shall they hear without a preacher? How shall he preach unless he be sent?” One of the purposes of the church is to go out and to preach the gospel. And God, through His Spirit, can convict that person and draw him or her to Jesus Christ.

John 6:44. No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent Me, draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. So the Father initiates the action and of course the word, as we have said, has to be preached.

Romans 10:17 – Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. “How shall he preach unless he be sent?” “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good tidings.”

Now look at John 14:6. Once again, the Father and the Son work harmoniously together in the salvation process. You can't…we have people who just over-emphasize one or the other. Of course, we still have those who are still looking for the Messiah. In John 14, verse 6:

John 14:6. Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” And we’ve just read that no man can come to the Son unless the Father draw him. So you have this reciprocal action between the Father and the Son. And one of the great keys, of course, is that the gospel has to be preached – the word of God. What are the two convicting agents? The word of God and the Spirit of God. How shall they hear without a preacher? So the preaching of the gospel – the preaching of the word of God – is so important.

Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, deeply desires that people come to the Father and become the son of God – become a son of God, a daughter of God. Jesus deeply desires that. Jesus' principal mission was to pay the penalty for sin. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

So we look at Romans 5 now, and we verify from scripture what we’ve just said – this principal mission of reconciling us to the Father. Remember when He was calling out the disciples? One says, “Behold, the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.” Romans, chapter 5, beginning in verse 6:

Romans 5:6-11 – For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. He died for sinners. He died for murderers, thieves, adulterers, any kind of sin that you want to name. He died for all. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no, not one.” That's quoting various passages in Romans 3. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure, for a good man some would even dare to die. “Oh, I'd give my life if he's as good of a person.” But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood – the blood…life is in the blood. His life essence was given, His body and blood – a whole sacrifice – we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies – enemies of whom? The Father – we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Now, I'm not going to turn to all these scriptures, but you should know them, or they'll come to mind when I mention them. You remember on the night when Jesus was crucified – and we'll be reading from John 13 through John 17 on Passover evening – and in John, chapter 16, beginning in verse 7 or 8 – along in there – He says, “For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. So He had to go away, so the Holy Spirit could come. Now John 14:23 says that we both will make our abode in him – or, in you – that God the Father and Jesus Christ abides in us. And verse 11:  And not only so, we joy in God through our Lord, Jesus Christ. So that life essence – that is what will be preserved, as Romans 8:11 says, the same Spirit that dwells in us, He will use to raise us from the dead.

So Jesus Christ came, and upon repentance, faith in the sacrifice of Christ, and baptism, we are reckoned to be sinless. And the Father, then, begets us with His Spirit, and we know well the laying on of hands. The Father begets us with His Spirit. That's why He's called the Father, because He engenders the new life within us. The Father is the one who begets us with the Eternal Spirit. The Spirit that we have in us is the Spirit from the Father and the Son. The Spirit proceeds from the Father – John 15:26, and the Son plays a role in sending it to us. The Father and the Son live within us. That's John 14:23. The Son can say that “I give them life,” because no human can have eternal life apart from the Son. Listen to what I am saying. The Son can say that “I give them life,” because no human can have the eternal Spirit apart from the Son. We have to be reconciled to God the Father in order to receive the Holy Spirit. We cannot be reconciled to God the Father apart from the sacrifice of Christ. So, we can't have eternal life apart from Christ, according to the scripture. Yet the Father is the one who begets us, so the Son can say that “I give them life,” because no human can have eternal life apart from the Son and no human can have eternal life apart from the Father.
So, let's look in John 10. Once again, this reciprocation between the Father and the Son, if we could really come to understand it…oh, if the whole world could understand the whole package of what we see to some degree, and we hope to increase our understanding in it. In John, chapter 10, the first part of the chapter is taken up with Jesus Christ saying that He is the Good Shepherd, and that He is the door, and no man can enter into the sheepfold apart from the door. And we pick it up in verse 20:

John 10:20-30 – And many of them said, “He hath a devil, and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” Others said, “These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?” And it was at Jerusalem, the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him, “How long do you make us to doubt? If you be the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you believed not. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of Me. But you believe not, because you are not of My sheep. As I said unto you, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow  Me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.’” See, “I give them eternal life.” It's not that He does it unilaterally, but it's a part of the total process. No man can come to the Son, unless the Father draw him, and then the reciprocation is, as we read from John 14, and verse 6, that no man can really come to the Father, unless the Son is involved in it. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” No man can pluck them out of His hand. And notice what He says. “My Father, which gave them me” – the Father has played a role in it – “My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all – and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and my Father are one.”

Now we need to discuss this verse 30, because the Trinitarians and the One God people, as they like to call themselves, I guess, use this verse to try to argue that there is like one entity, just separate manifestations, or different manifestations, depending on the situation. And the focus here – “I and My Father are one” – now what does that mean? Well, in the Greek, there are three different words, depending on the gender, that are used for one. In the masculine gender, it is heis – H-E-I-S – almost like ice – heis, which in the masculine gender, which means numerically one. There is the feminine gender, which is mia – M-I-A – the feminine gender – meaning one – basically in the cardinal sense, as in numerically one. And then, there is hen, which is neuter – H-E-N. And it means one in essence – one in essence. So, when He says, “I and My Father are hen,” they are one in essence. They are distinct. They are distinct entities, but they are one in essence.

I'll read here from some of the commentaries or dictionaries. The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible states that the masculine heis must be distinguished from the neuter hen. Heis means numerically one – which we said – while hen means one in essence. So this, John 10:30 means one in essence. If the Greek word in this verse were heis, it would have denoted one person – “I and My Father are one and the same.” But that is not the word. It is hen instead of heis.

Barnes Notes – quote: “the word translated one is not in the masculine, but in the neuter gender. It expresses union, but not the precise nature of the union. It may express any union and the particular kind intended is to be inferred from the connection.” See, there is one Spirit – the same spirit that's in God is in Christ is in us. An erroneous application of heis could lead one to conclude that Christ and the Father are numerically one. See that's what the Trinitarians and the One God people would have you to believe. But, as Jesus was talking here on the earth, He was referring to His Father, who is in Heaven. The Father was in Heaven, He was on the Earth. The Jews realized that divine unity that was being described. No one can be snatched out of Christ's hand, because the Father has given them to Him – to Christ – and so they tried to kill Him. Because He, in essence, was saying that “I am of God” –   His very name Emmanuel, God with us. So once again we emphasize the goal. The goal is to become the begotten and then born son of God in resurrection.

Now continuing here in John, chapter 10, we read verse 30, explained the one – it's hen, in the neuter – meaning one in essence. If you just can remember that. The Greek word is hen – H-E-N – neuter – one in essence, not numerically.

V-31-38 – Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works have I shown unto you from my Father. For which of those works do ye stone me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we stone you not, but for blasphemy and because that you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “Ye are gods?” ’ If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came – and the scripture cannot be broken – say you of him, whom the Father has sanctified, and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do, though you believe not Me, believe the works – that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in him.” They are of the same essence, the same mind, the same goals in view.

Once again, the goal is to become the begotten and born son of God. Let's note back in Daniel – Daniel prophesied of this great event. What great event? That is, being born into the family of God. The book of Daniel – whether it would be in the canon – was in great dispute for decades. Because of so many Messianic prophesies in it, the Orthodox Jews did not want to see it in the Bible. Here is one of the clearest views of the resurrection that you'll find in the Old Testament – in Daniel chapter 12. See, this is where God wants all of us to be at the right time, the right place when that time comes. And at that time – what time? – when the events of chapter 11 are taking place. The events of chapter 11, to a large degree, especially those last couple of verses there, have to do with end times – the beast planning his tabernacle in Jerusalem. You notice verse 45:

Daniel 11:45 – …and he – the beast power – shall plan the tabernacle of his palaces between the seas and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him.

Daniel 12:1-5 – And at that time shall Michael stand up – the great prince which stands for the children of thy people – and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book – that is, the Lamb's book of life. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake – theywillberesurrected – some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. See, that's why often I say, “…glorious, radiant spirit beings in the Kingdom of God. And they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. And during that time of the great tribulation there will be those who will give powerful testimony. You know, when Satan is cast down, he's before – as you heard in the sermonette about slander – well, Revelation 12:10 says that Satan is before the throne of God, slandering the people of God night and day. And when he is cast down he goes about to destroy them and they overcame him three points: by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they love not their lives unto the death. So during that time – of this great trouble such as never was, some…and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood…. And he goes on describing other events. But here you see many that sleep shall awake to everlasting life.

You look at John, chapter 1. We're talking about, “How do you become a son of God.? The dominant theme that Jesus Christ came for was, He, as the Son of God, could bring us into the family of God as sons of God. Jesus Christ became the Son of God how? By the resurrection from the dead. In John, chapter 1, verse 12:

John 1:12-13 – But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name – which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And we have already read Romans, chapter 1, verses 3 and 4. He became the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead. We have referred to Revelation 1:5 – that He is the firstborn from the dead – He, being Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ, in effect, He ushered in a new order of beings. There had never been a being who had lived in the flesh, that died, and was resurrected as a spirit being – being equated with birth. Angels were created – in whatever order they were created – and they were never promised to sit on the right hand of God, as it says in Hebrews 1.

The apostles – all of them – pointed the people to God the Father and Jesus Christ. Let's look at some of those scriptures now. In Romans, chapter 1…we'll hurriedly go through here. I don't know what time it is.  In Romans, chapter 1, and verse 7:

Romans 1:7 – To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Time after time in the scripture – we're just hitting some of the highlights here today – but to get you to thinking about, it's not one or the other. It’s both of them working in concert together. And at some point in eternity, before anything was created, the Word agreed to subordinate Himself to the Father, to humble Himself. And last week, we read Philippians, chapter 2, verses 5 through 12, about how He humbled Himself and took on Himself a form of a man, died the ignominious death on the stake to pay for the sins of the world.

In Romans 15:6 – we're going to thumb through here. I'm going to turn to these scriptures with you. I've got an advantage, I've got this on the table here. In Romans 15, and verse 6:

Romans 15:6. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now you look back at…hold your place…we're going to go forward from there – maybe you don't want to hold your place – whatever you want to do. In John 17, verse 3 and 4 – once again this is that last chapter that we generally read during the Passover – Jesus’ prayer. We’ll start at the beginning of the chapter, in verse 1.

John 17:1-4 – These words spoke Jesus, lifting up His eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour is come. Glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you – as you have given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as you have given Him” – see, the Father calls, they go through the process – repentance, faith in Christ, baptism, laying on of hands, living a resurrected life. And this is life eternal, that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. “That they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”So time after time, we see these two names in tandem.

Look at 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, and verse 3:

1 Corinthians 1:3 – Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God, which is given you by Jesus Christ.

Now we look at 1 Corinthians 8:6. Of course this is a very difficult one for the Trinitarians to explain.

1 Corinthians 8:6 – But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.

So then, Hebrews 1:1 and 2:

Hebrews 1:1-2 – That…in times past, different ways, God spoke to the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…through whom He made the worlds. Of course, all things were created by Him. John 1 and Colossians 1 both bring this out.

Turn to 2 Corinthians 1, and verse 2:

2 Corinthians 1:2-4 – Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort – who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

In Galatians, chapter 1 – in nearly all of Paul's epistles we see this – of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:1 – Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.

So it goes on. I'm not going to read all the salutations of Paul that has this in it. We also find this one of the more interesting ones, so look at Timothy, chapter 1. I think that's the one I want – 2 Timothy 1, and verse 2:

2 Timothy 1:2 – To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Most of these of Paul are very similar.

Look at Jude, chapter 1. Jude, one of Christ's half-brothers, wrote to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered.

Jude 1:1 – Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.

The apostle Paul preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He says that in 1 Corinthians 2, because he knew it was only through Christ that one can be reconciled to God the Father and receive the Holy Spirit.

Look at Acts 4, and verse 12. Every person in this room who attends here, young and old, should know Acts 4:12 – should have it memorized. Acts 4:12 – about this verse: one of the sayings that I use, “salvation is inclusive.” It is for all peoples, of all times, past, present, future. But it is, the way is, exclusive, there is only one way. It's not through Buddha, it's not through Sheba, it is not through Allah, it is not through Maitreya, it is not through any other one that might have the title god. It is only through Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:12 – Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. It is the name.

Note what the apostle Peter preached. 1 Peter, chapter 1. Some people get…they can't see the forest for the trees. You have to keep the big picture in mind. If people could come to understand why they were created in the first place – that because of God's love, mercy, His grace, His Divine favor – He ordained the plan of salvation and made it possible for us to enter into this relationship and this role that Jesus Christ played, and is playing – in humbling Himself, taking on the form of a man, dying for the sins of the world. Now resurrected, He is the mediator of the New Covenant, our intercessor. All of this works together. In 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 18:

1 Peter 1:18-21 – Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold – from your vain conduct received by tradition from your fathers – but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot – Who verily was foreordained – that word foreordained in the Greek is proginosko – it means to know beforehand – it was known beforehand – before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God. “Who by him do believe in God” – see, Jesus Christ reconciled us to the Father. The goal is to be reconciled to the Father, to receive the Holy Spirit, to be begotten of God's Spirit, and through God and Christ living in us, to die in the faith – or, if we're alive when Christ comes, to be caught up in the air and to be changed – to be a born son/daughter of God. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave Him glory – that your faith and hope might be in God.

So the point is to lead us to God to become the sons and daughters of God. We are…in the resurrection, will be on the same plane as God. We are…He's not ashamed – that is, Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call us brothers. But, as we have noticed, and noted, Jesus did what He did to reconcile us to the Father so that we would become sons of God, not just sons of the flesh, but of the will, the spirit, and the power of God. God and Christ have worked harmoniously together in one mind and spirit in developing the great plan of salvation. Both are referred to in scripture as “our savior”.

Look at 1 Timothy, chapter 1. You would ask most people, “Well, who is our Savior?” Well, you could say, “Jesus Christ is our Savior.” But you could also say that the Father is our Savior, because the Bible says it's so – not because any man says it's so. It's what the scripture says. You have to believe the whole Bible. Paul said, “I have not neglected to declare unto you the whole council of God” – not bits and pieces, not what the tradition of the fathers might be, not what you would like to hear, not necessarily the smooth things, that it talks about in Isaiah 30, but what does the Bible say? In 1 Timothy chapter 1, and verse 1:

1 Timothy 1:1 – Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope: Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now you look at 2 Timothy 1, and verse 10. Now I could go to several scriptures. I'm just reading a couple that would say “God, our Savior.” You could go to several that say “Christ – or Jesus – our Savior.” So we read 2 Timothy, chapter 1, and verse 10:

2 Timothy 1:10 – But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Jesus Christ abolished death by paying the penalty for sin. The wages of sin is death. And He was resurrected from the dead, and now He lives to make intercession for us. He lives in us and, if we will yield to the Spirit of God, then we can be more and more like God and like Christ. In fact, Romans 8:14 says that those who are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

So, Jesus perfectly submitted Himself to the will of the Father. The great proof of being a son of God is obedience. He perfectly obeyed in everything. Acts 5:32 says that God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him.

So God's great goal, once again, is to bring all humanity into His family – for all humans who lived or ever will live to become sons of God, daughters of God – glorious, radiant spirit beings in the Kingdom of God. Yes, Jesus is the Son of God. And He made it possible, and God made it possible through Him – through Jesus Christ – for all humanity to become sons of God – not born of the flesh or the will of man, but of the will of God and the Spirit of God. The Father and the Son work together on bringing us into that family. Jesus is the forerunner and the captain of our salvation. Look at Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 1:

Hebrews 12:1-4 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not resisted – you have not resisted – neither have I – resisted sin unto blood.

And so, Jesus is the forerunner and the captain of our salvation. He showed us that the man of the Spirit can be joined with flesh and eventually be born into the family of God, This great mystery of Christ in you – the hope of glory – that's what it says in Colossians 1:27 – comes to fruition at the resurrection. Satan the devil has deceived the world into understanding properly the roles of God the Father and Christ in the salvation process.

So I hope and pray that as Jesus said to the disciples in Luke 24, that our eyes of understanding become more and more awakened to and opened to, and our minds more understanding of what God and Jesus Christ are doing in bringing us into their family – the son of God into the family of God. So we are heirs. Let's look here in Romans 8. We come to understand the import of Romans, chapter 8, and verse 17.

Romans 8:17 – And if children, then heirs – heirs of God – the same plane of existence as God – and joint heirs with Christ – if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. And therefore, He who sanctifies, and they who are sanctified, are all of one – that one spirit. Therefore, He's not ashamed to call them brethren – that's Hebrews 2:11.

And so the awesomeness of this total plan of salvation is a mind-boggling thing. “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knows us not because He knew, they knew Him not, beloved now are we the sons of God. And it does not yet appear but we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you a kingdom.”