Jesus, the Son

I recently saw a list of headlines that actually appeared in newspapers, which were funny, because they were so obvious. Here are a few:

 Study Finds Sex, Pregnancy Link, Cornell Daily Sun;
 Survey Finds Dirtier Subways After Cleaning Jobs Were Cut, The New York Times;
 Larger Kangaroos Leap Farther, Researchers Find, The Los Angeles Times;
 Alcohol ads promote drinking, The Hartford Courant;
 Official: Only rain will cure drought, The Herald-News, Westpost, Massachusetts;
 Teen-age girls often have babies fathered by men, The Sunday Oregonian;
 Fish lurk in streams, Rochester, New York, Democrat & Chronicle;
 Tomatoes come in big, little, medium sizes, The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Virginia;
 Scientists see quakes in L.A. future, The Oregonian;
 Bible church's focus is the Bible, Saint Augustine Record;
 Lack of brains hinders research, The Columbus Dispatch. What a grasp of the obvious!

I almost feel as if I am stating the obvious when I say that Jesus is the Son of God. Yet, there is so much we may learn from this simple statement. As we continue to examine the Trinity, the second Person is “the Son.” When Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was, a very revealing principle of truth was given:

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-17 ESV).

The truth that Jesus is “the Son of the living God,” fully God and fully man, has some wonderful implications for us practically:

1. First, Jesus knows. This text tells us emphatically that Jesus knows our human condition. It is not something that he has heard but something he knows. We may approach him confidently as our High Priest because he knows. He has done and experienced the same kinds of trials and challenges that we have in our lives.

2. Second, Jesus identifies with us. Only the one who resists temptation knows the full strength of it. Some say we need to experience sin in order to know what sin is. How foolish! Only he who does not yield knows the full force of temptation. Every one of the temptations we had ever had or will have, He has already faced and conquered. He is not a mere observer, but a fellow participant in life. This makes Him all the more trustworthy.

3. Third, Jesus is the means for our receiving mercy. We can appear before the throne of his grace and receive mercy. Because of who He is and what He has done, we now may have perfect assurance that mercy is available to us. He has won the victory on our behalf. Because He was human, He became the perfect sacrifice for our sin. This is how we may receive grace. It was essential that we have a “Son” revealed to us!