Introduction
This post is a continuation of our three-part series, wherein we explain the meaning of the title Son of God, particularly concerning Jesus’ divinity and how we ought to respond as created humans. This time, we will look at Jesus as our righteous substitute. We will consider what the Bible reveals to us regarding Jesus as God’s Son, and we will begin to examine His nature. Since we believe that the Bible is God’s inerrant Word, we will reference Bible passages to make our case.
Jesus is our Righteous Substitute
Did you know that Jesus is described as “righteous” (morally perfect) in Surah Maryam (19:19)? Who else in the Qur’an is described in such pure terms? No one, of course. Why do you think that is? You may also know that the Qur’an says that “no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another” (Q 6:164). How interesting. While we would respectfully disagree with most of what the Qur’an says concerning Jesus, on this point it does seem much closer to the Christian doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement. You see, the Bible teaches that only a sinless person could bear the sins of another.
The Bible also reveals to us that this person is God’s perfect Son, Jesus
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21; cf. Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:21-24). Jesus declared that, unless you believe that He is God, you will die in your sins (John 8:23-24). Dear friend, if you fail to correctly understand the purpose of Jesus’ birth and the problem of your sin, you will one day stand before God and He will reject you for denying Jesus, your only means of salvation. The apostle Paul declared that “... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)—that includes you!
The Nature of the Son of God
Jesus’ title, Son of God, is much more than Jesus’ name; it also describes His nature. In the Bible we read that although Jesus “... was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6ff). Did you catch that? Jesus possessed the power and authority to humble Himself, in setting aside His glory which He had with the Father and to come to earth and to die for sinners. That makes Jesus equal to God. While we are aware that Q 4:157 appears to deny the death of Jesus, we submit to you that this ayat puts the Qur’an in contradiction with documentable history, as well as even the most sceptical scholars. Furthermore, why is there no meaningful tafsir or commentary to be found anywhere in the Hadith literature, as to what Mohammad interpreted this ayat to mean? Careful consideration leads one to conclude this to be a problem, because it is not clear – is it not claimed that the Qur’an is “clear”?
Moreover, the Qur’an (Q 112:3) claims that “He begets not, nor was he begotten." Islamic commentary says that this means to worship [Allah] alone and to join none in worship with [Allah]. Yet Psalm 2:7 describes Jesus being begotten of God; not created, begotten. This is a problem. Both sources could logically be wrong, but they cannot both be right. So, let us consider what the Bible says. Firstly, Psalm 2 communicates that the Messiah relates to God as his Son. Moreover, this passage in Psalm 2 is quoted by the New Testament writers in relation to Jesus’ birth (Hebrews 1:5-6) and his resurrection (Acts 13:33-34). Indeed, in Matthew 3:17, God the Father declared concerning Jesus, “This is my beloved Son.” You see, Jesus did not become the Son of God when he came to earth; he has instead always been God’s Son, for all eternity. In eternity past, God declared that Jesus was His royal Son – that’s past, present and future (meaning that Jesus is also the eternal King). Again, rather than biological sonship which all Christians would reject outrightly, we believe that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one in essence, yet distinct in personhood. This is what God teaches in His Word (the Bible). Jesus has always been God.
Conclusion
We shared last time that, while the meaning is much deeper than this, what we can say is that the term ‘Son’ is used in part to help us in our limited human understanding to comprehend that Jesus Christ came from God. John 1:18 says this of Jesus: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made him known.” Did you catch that? Jesus is at the Father’s side; Jesus is God. Again, this fact must be grappled with, to understand the reality of who Jesus is and what our response ought to be. Please do also read part one on this topic and sign up to receive our Newsletter. In our final part discussing the divine title, ‘Son of God’, we will examine the Apostle Paul’s testimony where he addresses the Areopagus (Acts 17), and we will answer the question, “What is the nature of Jesus?” Meantime, we would like to leave you with three questions:
Thanks for reading. Until next time, God bless you!
Bibliography:
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al-Misri, A. i. N., 1994. Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law. Beltsville(Maryland): Amana Publications.
Al-Qaradawi, Y., 1999. The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam (Al-Halal Wal Haram Fil Islam). Indianapolis: American Trust Publications.
Bible, T. H., 2007. The MacArthur Study Bible. ESV ed. Wheaton(Illinois): Crossway.
Bible, T. H., n.d. Bible Gateway. [Online]
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[Accessed 8 February 2023].
Guillaume, A., 1982. The LIfe of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah. Karachi: Oxford University Press.
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McAuliffe, J. D., 2014. The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an. 8 ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mohamed, I. A., 2015. God's Love For Muslims. London: The Metropolitan Tabernacle.
Pickthall, M. M., 2005. The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an. 2 ed. London: De-Luxe Printers Ltd.