JESUS CHRIST: GOD-MAN - Vital Christianity

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"They all asked, 'Are you then the Son of God?' He replied, 'You are right in
saying I am" (Lk 22:67-70).
To believe that Jesus is the Messiah is to believe that He is "the Son of God." Martha said
to Jesus: "I believe that You are the Christ [the Messiah], the Son of God, who was to come
into the world" (Jn 11:27).
Messiahship was a central concept in Paul's theology. In his Resurrection passage (1 Co
15) Paul repeatedly draws on messianic psalms to make messianic points about Jesus. He does
this to apply to Jesus ideas which in Jewish thought belonged to Israel as a whole. Thus Paul
treats Jesus precisely as Messiah, Israel's anointed representative (Ro 9:5; 15:3,7; 1 Co 1:13;
10:4; 12:12). Paul in his writings is very clear that what God was expected to do for Israel He
had done for Jesus, raising Him to live after His persecution and execution at the hands of the
religious Jews and pagan Romans.
During Jesus' trial we get a picture of Jesus' self-understanding. According to John the
charge leveled at Jesus was that "He has made Himself the Son of God" (Jn 19:7). Matthew
points out in his gospel that the high priest said to Jesus during the trial:
"I charge You under oath by the living God:
Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God" (26:63).
Jesus replied:
"Yes, it is as you say. But I say to all of you:
In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand
of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven" (v. 64).
This declaration is as clear an affirmation of Jesus' deity as any. Some have tried to deny
this by speculating that Jesus was speaking satirically and thus saying in effect, "You said that,
not I." This is unlikely since Jesus went on to speak of His power and of His second coming.
Thus He affirmed, rather than contradicted, the statement. Jesus certainly had an ideal
opportunity to correct any misconception which may have been involved. But this He refused to
do. In fact, He could have avoided execution by denying the charge that He had claimed to be
"the Son of God." He did not do that.
This means one of two things. Either He desired to die, even though His death would
have been based on a false charge, or He did not respond because the charge brought against
Him was true.
There is no middle ground. The Jews understood too well what was claimed by Jesus.
The high priest responded: