Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man:
Exhortation at the Zambian Bush Camp
From the beginning God planned to forgive men and women for sins. He promised in the Old Testament that He would do this through His own Son, Jesus Christ, who would take away the sins of all men and women who believed in him as their Saviour.
Jesus was both the son of Mary and the Son of God. When it was the right time in God?s plan for Jesus to be born, He sent an angel to talk to Mary and tell her that she was to have a baby boy. Mary was told that she must call him Jesus, which means ?God is salvation?. The angel also told her about the great work that Jesus would do:
?Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins? (Mat 1:18-21).
Jesus did not exist before this. He did not come down from heaven and change his form to become a little baby. He grew in Mary?s womb and was born like any other child: ?But you art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother?s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother?s belly.? (Psalms 22:9, 10.)
Mary was also told that her son would be the great king who would rule over Israel just as God promised to David. Through Jesus all the promises about the Kingdom of God on earth would be fulfilled: ?He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.? (Luke 1:32, 33.)
When Jesus was born, all the angels in heaven were happy and sang a song of praise to God because he had remembered His promises: ?and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men? (Luke 2:13, 14).
From his Father, Almighty God, Jesus received an understanding of God?s ways and a desire to be like his Father. From his mother, Mary, Jesus inherited a nature just like ours. He was tempted to do wrong but, unlike us, he never gave in to temptation: ?For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but he was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.? (Heb 4:15).
We are very fortunate that Jesus understands all of our problems and temptations. He can do this because he had them himself. We praise and honour him because he never gave in to temptation even though it cost him his life. God gave Jesus a great work to do. He had to show people what God is like. He did not show people what God looked like. He showed them what the character of God is like. He did this by the way he behaved and spoke to people. To help him in his work, God gave him great power to work miracles, to feed and heal people. But Jesus never misused this power. He only used it for the things God showed him to do. Some people said that Jesus claimed to be equal with God because of the work he did; Jesus always denied this and explained how everything he did came from God: ?But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. 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?? (John 5: 17-20).
Jesus was so close to his Father that he tells us, ?I and my Father are one?. They were in complete agreement about what work needed to be done and how to do it. Jesus understood the thoughts of his Father and made sure that his own thoughts and desires never got in the way of what God asked of him. Because of this, God has given him authority to judge the world: ?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? 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? (John 5:22, 23, 26, 27).
This will happen when Jesus returns to the earth as king over God?s kingdom. When he returns he will come with great power and glory. No one will doubt any more that he is the Son of God; but it will be too late then to change your mind about him. At his return he will reject those who reject him now. But he will also accept all those who accept him now as the Son of God. These are the people who will be with Jesus in his kingdom for ever.
by Bro. John Kasanda
