Jesus Came to Be God’s Son (Advent 13, 2024)

Hebrews 5:5 “In the same way, Christ did not take on Himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to Him, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.”

God’s Son??? It’s inheritance and appointment language. Jesus is not a created being. Jesus is eternally God and the quotation of Psalm 2:7 in the original Hebrew means something more along the lines of being appointed, enthroned, or installed as Messiah.

In context of this passage in Hebrews, the author is making it clear that Jesus didn’t decide one day to take authority and glory for Himself, proclaim Himself to be our high priest, but rather, God appointed Him (“You are my Son”) for that purpose.

It would have been clear to the New Testament audience to whom the Letter to the Hebrews was written. They would have understood it from 2 Samuel 7 (particularly verses 8-14) and the idea of raising up, inauguration, appointing, and installation of the ultimate Davidic King. It would be made much more evident to today’s audience by seeing the various places Psalm 2:7 is quoted Hebrews 1:5, 5:5, and important context Acts 13:33.

To be clear: it has nothing to do with the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
being a begotten or created being
(no matter how many or what other religions argue otherwise).

He was incarnated, adding humanity to His already existent deity, but even that was necessary if Jesus were to be appointed as the perfect mediator between man and God.

Questions for further thought:

When you see passages quoted from the Old Testament do you read them, maybe get a bit confused, or see them and blip over them, like “blah, blah, blah”?

Why do you think it’s important to study the Old Testament Scriptures in their context?

Christology (what you believe about Jesus) determines your faith. If you don’t believe He’s God, or think He’s only partly a god, or just like us only risen to godhood, it totally changes the source of Christianity and the foundation of your faith. How do those things change the meaning of His birth and the power of the Cross for us?

Prayer: Help us, Father, to know who Jesus is…without question or confusion, without distortion or reduction, and without misunderstanding or mistake. We want to know Jesus and be more like Him. We praise You and thank You for His willing submission to add humanity to His deity and appointment to carry both identifications faithfully to the Cross on which He was crucified. We praise You that He is Risen and is at Your right hand and is interceding for us! By Your grace, may we hold tight to Your Word which tells us who Jesus is, allowing us to know Him more and more. We love You. Amen.

===

By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Visitation Principles” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:

“From the Jews for the World” was the theme of last Advent’s devotional series. It is archived beginning December 3, 2023, and explored how Jesus’ Jewish heritage was necessary for the salvation of Gentiles, too.
“Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.