Page 192 - Bible Writers Theology Original

176 ♦ Bible Writers'Theology Chapter Seven
There is another interesting fact to consider. Whenever Jesus declared that God was His Father, or that He and His Father are one. His claim to be the Son of God very often fueled the anger of the unbelieving Jews, who would consider it as unforgivable blasphemy, and often tried to stone Him. On the other hand, calling Himself Son of Man allowed Him to display, almost unhindered, the very signs of omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience that were the exclusive prerogatives of the Almighty God Himself. In this
display of power and authority, the Jews were left to wonder, and criticized Christ less than before. This aspect is vividly illustrated in the following pas sage: "Jesus answered them. Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of these works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God" (John 10:32-33). The wonderful truth is that God was manifested as God-Man, and had all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily, forever (Revelation 1:8,11,17-18). He is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending, "For with God nothing
shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). The proclamation of this good news is at the very heart of the New Testament.
As we now examine some of the most significant passages in the gospels making mention of the Son of Man, the title is, in many cases, associated withsovereignactsandaffirmationsofauthoritywhichqualifydeity. Heis none other than Immanuel, the Almighty God manifested in His own
flesh, "full of grace and truth," accomplishing his saving and redemptive work among men as God-Man (Isaiah 7:13-14; 9:6; John 1:14).
It was fully legitimate for Jesus to declare while on earth, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven" (John 3:13). For the Son of Man is the
omnipresent God manifested as God-Man. Who else can at the same time be in heaven and on earth, since God had declared that there is none beside
him? (See Isaiah 43:11; 44:6,8.) It is not the declaration of the Son of Man that makes him omnipresent, but He makes the declaration because of this inher ent divine attribute.
In the same manner, the risen Christ will also say to the apostle John, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore..." Revelation 1:18). This is God the Father, the Almighty, the Alpha and
Omega speaking. The Apostle Paul expressed magnificently what he clearly understood. "Wherefore he saith. When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that
descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he
might fill all things)" (Ephesians 4:8-10). This revelation had inspired the
Psalmist David long ago to say, "God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye