The Messiah's Secret - Jesus God's Son
Luke 9: 28-36. Colossians 1: 9-26.

Theme series: The Existence of God - God the Father - Jesus the Son of God - God the Holy Spirit

Last week Rev Chris Casey spoke on the doctrine of God the Father. He gave us three headings: care, compassion and commitment.

We encounter a God who cares, a Father who sees his children from both as a mother and a father. He pointed to the scriptures that captures the maternal side of God. “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you, you shall be comforted in Jerusalem “ Isaiah 66: 13.

The compassion of God in a Father’s love sent His Son into the world to die in order to save us and bring us home like the forgiveness in Jesus’ parable ‘The Prodigal Son and thirdly God’s commitment to us, in His love, like the love of a Father that disciplines His child to keep them on the right path.

This week we are looking at the doctrine of Jesus the Son of God

Jesus the second person of the Trinity and of one substance with the Father.

The Second  of the 39 Articles of Religion Doctrines of Church of England

The Son which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, and one of substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the blessed virgin, of her substance, so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and manhood, were joined together in the one person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.

The Son the Word of the Father

John the apostle identified Jesus as the Word. John wrote in his gospel Chapter 1: 1 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” the Word  brought forth life

 It’s no co-incidence in Genesis Moses wrote, “And God said ‘Let there be light’ and there was light. And God said, ‘Let there be a vault between the waters and let it separate the waters from the waters. And so, 'God said'  at the beginning of each day,His Word brought forth life.  Genesis 1: 3 -31.

The writer of Hebrews 1: 5.”God’s Son upholding the universe by the power of his Word.” The universe has natural laws: it takes the earth a year to travel around the sun and a month for the moon to travel around the earth, they are in a fixed orbit and so proving the existence of a supreme deity, God.

John also wrote that his followers had handled the ‘Word of Life.’

1 John 1: 2 

So therefore, Jesus is God’s Word clothed in the flesh

At his word Jesus commanded the storm to cease, the elements responded to his command and at his word he recreated the flesh of the lepers and other miracles and healing.

God gave the people evidence at the Transfiguration that Jesus is His Son,

The presence of Moses’ would confirm that it was God’s audible voice they heard.  We read in Exodus 19: 9,

 “And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Lo, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you for ever.” What they heard, verse 19 “the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in a voice.” NIV Bible

Elijah’s presence at the Transfiguration

Jesus in conversation with Elijah and Moses was heard to speak of his departure at Jerusalem, his death, resurrection and his ascension into heaven. Elijah was translated into heaven on a whirlwind,

 When the disciples made it known what they had seen and heard  God speaking in an audible voice, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him," combined with Moses’ and Elijah’s  presence would bring many to believe that Jesus is God’s Son.

Jesus Word in us is one of our great strengths, we find in his Word, wisdom and understanding that touches our everyday life. We should speak his words into all our situations, whether it’s illness, tensions, accusations or when we are full of Joy. Be still and know that I am God.” “Do not be afraid,” When your in a fix turn to Philippians 4: 6 “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” “All things are possible to them that believe.”

Godhood and manhood joined together in the one person

The Son of God being born of a woman, Mary the mother of Jesus giving him his human nature, her substance.

But life is in the blood and I believe that Jesus’ genes that produced his blood came from God His Father. Leviticus 17: 11 Jesus’  blood had no imperfections 

It took the perfect blood of God’s Son Jesus to satisfy the legal requirements of the law.

Hebrews 9: 14 “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

Just as God acts upon Jesus’ words he also acts upon his blood, His life laid down to be the final sacrifice under Jewish Law for the forgiveness of sin.

The parallel between the function of our blood in our body and the blood of Jesus saving us from sin, is  amazing. Our blood circulates around our bodies sustaining life in us.

A single red cell collects oxygen from the lungs and offloads it to a single tissue  giving energy and heat to the tissue, the red cell then  takes from the tissue waste and disposes of it through the lungs.

Through faith in the blood of Jesus, the love of God powerfully transforms our nature and takes away our sin, like the waste from the tissue.

The Article speaks of being one substance

Jesus prayer ²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17: 20, 21.

VISUAL AID  The 3-IN-ONE 

The love of the Father lubricates the soul and transforms it.

The Son cleanses and removes the stains of guilt and sin and reconciles us to His Father.

The Holy Spirit  by enabling us to overcome temptations, therefore, prevents sin.

When the soul has been transformed, its' nature changes. The will and the mind conform to the new nature. Under law the soul is trained to comply to God's laws. Under grace the soul feels how God feels about sin, the law is written in the heart.

"When a (Christian) Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show what the law requires is written upon their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Romans 2: 4-16.                                            

At the transfiguration Jesus’ countenance changed.

In our reading Luke records that the disciples Peter, James and John saw a change in the person of Jesus, The appearance of his countenance was altered.

They also witnessed a change in Jesus countenance after his resurrection.

I’ve witnessed many times seeing in ordinary Christians their countenance change when they shared with me their faith.

When a person comes to faith in Jesus their countenance changes: a brightness appears on the face which brightens up their whole appearance. A radiant smile that speaks of a transformed heart God’s Son presence within having been translated into His kingdom. The disciples had a glimpse into God’s dimension at the Transfiguration.

And so it’s by simple faith that we believe that Jesus is God’s Son, and God will confirm this truth to us