Topic: Jesus Christ, the literal Son of the living God:

Isaiah 7:14 > Luke 1:30-32, 35 > Mormon 5:14 > Matthew 16:13, 16, 27 > Doctrine and Covenants 93:2-5 > John 1:14 > John 3:16 > John 5:26 > John 20:21 > The Acts 3:13, 26 > Romans 15:6 > Matthew 9:6 > Matthew 13:41 > Galatians 4:4, 6 > 1 John 4:10, 14 > John 17:3 > 1 Nephi 10:17 > 1 Nephi 11:7, 18, 21, 24 > Alma 34:2 > Matthew 3:17 > Matthew 17:5 > Mark 9:7 > Luke 9:35 > 2 Peter 1:17 > 2 Nephi 31:11 > 3 Nephi 11:7 > Doctrine and Covenants 93:11-17 > Joseph Smith History 1:17

As we learned from the previous two Scripture Trains, one of the most important things we must do is come to know God and Jesus Christ, whom He sent (John 17:3). The New Testament teaches that a Son was to be born of Mary, we know Him as Jesus Christ. Who is His Father? The answer to this question begins in the Old Testament. The prophet Isaiah prophesied much of Jesus Christ, to include his birth, life, atonement, death and resurrection. In chapter 7 of Isaiah the 14^th verse, we learn that a virgin would conceive, bear a son and call His name Immanuel. In the Hebrew Immanuel means, “With us is God”. So, this male child, born to a virgin would be a God. Moving forward to the New Testament, Luke chapter 1 verses 30-32 and 35, Luke teaches us of the angelic visit to Mary; he teaches that He, this male child, “Shall be called the Son of the Highest”. Then Luke states what will happen to Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” I do not believe that God is in the business of deceiving His children or making statements that are confusing, misleading or not understandable. If God states that Jesus is His Son then that is who He is. The prophet Mormon in the Book of Mormon and Matthew in the New Testament states that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Let us examine two words in this passage. First, ‘Christ’: In the Greek, Christ means ‘anointed’ and in the Aramaic, ‘Messiah’, which Jesus is also known by, also mean ‘anointed’. If so, who anointed Him and when was He anointed? The second word I would like to examine is ‘living’. God, Jesus Christ, prophets of God have all used the word ‘living’ to describe God the Father. Referring back to my statement that I believe God does not set out to mislead, deceive or confuse us, I believe that the term living is to be interpreted just as we would define it, with a couple of refinements. To live means to have life. If I say someone is alive then his body and brain must meet some certain scientific standards. We might say that his brain is active controlling the vital functions of the body, blood is being pumped through his body by his heart; his lungs are drawing breath and oxygen is being exchanged in the lungs. We might also extend this definition to say that he walks, talks, sees, hears, eats, drinks and so forth. If God is living then He must mean it to be defined in a way that we would similarly define it. God is a living being. In other words if we were to see Him we would see Him as a living being, He would meet our simple definition of living. He would be standing or sitting, He may be conversing with us with His mouth, looking at us with His eyes, hearing us with His ears. Being a resurrected and perfected being there will be things about Him that are different than us, but I contend that if we were to see Him there would be no doubt in our minds that we would describe Him as a living being just as we would describe any living being with whom we may chance to meet. Therefore, God, a living being, is the Father of Jesus, His Son, just as I am the father of my son. Again, no intent to deceive, mislead or confuse. We must admit then, that it was the living God who anointed His Son to be the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

In the Doctrine and Covenants section 93 verses 2 through 5 and in John chapter 1 verse 14, Jesus makes it very clear in His revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith and John makes it clear in his writings that Jesus is the true light that came into the world, a light that we should follow. So, if He is the true light, then we must be able to trust completely and have full faith in all that He and the Father say. He and the Father are completely united, so much so, that they say they are one. The Father gave His Son of His fullness, therefore it is just as if the Son became the Father. In our earth lives, we see how sons become like their fathers even to the extent that the son acts in the name of his father because the father has given to his son his fullness. We may call that a bequeath-ment, a birthright, an inheritance.

Turning to a verse of scripture that we are all familiar with, John chapter 3 verse 16, John states that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. To beget means to become the father of; so, we could restate this verse saying, “That God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that He fathered.” Jesus is the Son of His Father. Continuing in this vain, John teaches in chapter 5 verse 26 that God the Father has life in Himself; He is a living being! As a living being, he gave life to His Son so that He could have life in Himself. God the Father is immortal, so the life that He gave His Son is immortal life. His mother, Mary, was mortal and the life she gave her Son, Jesus, is mortal life. Thus Jesus inherited both immortality and mortality, meaning that no one could take His life from Him, but rather He would have to lay His life down, or voluntarily give it up, thus putting into effect the mortality that He inherited from His mother.

Jesus came to earth to do the will of His Father. He teaches in John chapter 20 verse 21, that He sent His servants just as His Father sent Him; we see Jesus use the same statement referring to His sending His Disciples out as the Father sending Jesus into the world in John 3:16. In The Acts chapter 3 verse 13 and 26, we see that God glorified Jesus in allowing Him to be taken by the wicked and complete His divine mission. Also in this verse, we see that all knew Jesus as the Son and God as the Father. There was never any question among the disciples. So glory be unto God, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Romans 15:6. The passages of scripture listed in this scripture train testify to the Son-ship of Jesus Christ. An interesting thing to make note of is that in many of these verses, particularly Matthew chapter 9 verse 6 and chapter 13 verse 41, Jesus refers to Himself as the ‘Son of Man’ reaffirming that God is a glorified and perfected man in whose likeness and image we were created.

In this Scripture Train from Galatians chapter 4 to Alma chapter 34, we find many verses of scripture that testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He was sent of God.

In the remaining verses beginning with Matthew 3:17 and ending with Joseph Smith History 1:17 we read accounts of the Father introducing His Son to those who may be witnessing the event taking place. Why would the Father introduce Jesus Christ as His Son if He were not? Does God lie? Of course not, He is a God of truth and it is His intent to bring us all back to His presence through His Son, Jesus Christ, the literal Son of God in the flesh.