The resurrection of Jesus, whether God still speaks today, and the significance of "Son of
God"
TL;DR:
This page describes how historic doctrines regarding Jesus’ divinity, His resurrection, and the nature of God’s revelation differ from the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. Biblical testimony unmistakably identifies Jesus as both fully God and fully human — not a created being, but the incarnate Lord who conquered death.
- The Scriptures declare that God raised Jesus bodily from the dead. It was not a "spirit" resurrection.
- "Son of God" refers to Jesus' nature rather than to an ancestral relationship, just as "Son of Man" means He was fully human.
- While we now have the Bible to read, God still speaks or communicates to human beings as
He once did.
My responses to a Jehovah's Witness
"As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures." —
Acts 17:2 (2011 NIV)
Excerpts from email exchanges I had with a Jehovah's Witness
- Jehovah's Witness question: Since Jesus died and you are teaching
that Jesus is God, isn't that saying God died? So, if that's the case, who resurrected him? Did a
dead person resurrect himself?
- My answer: I understand that Jehovah's Witnesses believe that human
beings cease to exist at death and that "resurrection" means to be recreated from
Jehovah's memory. Do I correctly understand what you have been taught on that?
Let's look at some scriptures that show that our Lord Jesus Christ did not cease to exist when He
died but which indicate that He was raised immortal in the same physical body that died on the
cross.
The second chapter of John's Gospel recounts a conversation
between Jesus and some unnamed Jews. In this passage, John quotes what Jesus said and then
notes the response of those Jesus was speaking with. John then explains what Jesus meant and
how Jesus' disciples understood what He meant. The passage says:
"The Jews then responded to him, 'What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?'
"Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.'
"They replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?'
"But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken."
— John 2:18-22 (2011 NIV)
In this episode, the Jewish leaders asked Jesus for a sign demonstrating His authority to act as He had in the temple. Jesus' reply anticipated the death and resurrection of His body and attributed to Him the authority to raise it again.
Isn't a clear implication of being able to raise himself from
the dead that, even after death, Jesus would continue to have a conscious existence? If Jesus continued to have a conscious existence after the death of His body, then perhaps other people would not cease to exist at death either. Other passages connect salvation with faith in Christ and teach that all people will face God's judgment. Matthew 25:46 describes the final contrast: "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (2011 NIV)
Jesus claimed (and John affirmed) that His resurrection
would be bodily and continuous with the body that was crucified. Jesus said,
"Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again."
John defines "this temple" as His body. Therefore, Jesus declared—and John affirmed—that His resurrection would be bodily and continuous with the body that had been crucified. So, Jesus' resurrection is a bodily resurrection. It is
not a "spirit" resurrection. There is also the passage in Luke 24:38-39 where the resurrected Jesus
assures His disciples:
"Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my
hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and
bones, as you see I have."
— Luke 24:38-39 (2011 NIV)
By saying that He will raise Himself from the dead, Jesus
is also claiming to be God Almighty. Although prophets were used by God to resuscitate people
who had died, the power to raise someone to immortal life belongs to God alone. Scripture attributes Jesus' resurrection to the Father (Acts 2:24; Romans 10:9), to Jesus Himself (John 2:19; John 10:17-18), and to the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11). Together, these passages affirm the work of the triune God in the resurrection.
In John 10, Jesus explains how it is possible for him to die and yet raise himself from the dead.
Because He was Yahweh,
Jesus had the power to raise His
physical body from the dead. He declares:
"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up
again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it
down and authority to take it up again."
— John 10:17-18 (2011 NIV)
I realize all this sounds different from what you are
being taught by the Watchtower Society. However, don't you think that when eternal life is on
the line, one should be willing to follow the Scriptures no matter where they lead?
- Jehovah's Witness question: Did you know that God no longer
speaks to us today now that we have the Bible to read? Why would He need to repeat Himself by
speaking to us directly?
- My answer: I do not believe that God ceased communicating with people when the biblical canon was completed. He still speaks as He has spoken throughout the centuries.
Throughout the history of God's interaction with human beings, He has both spoken and has
used written records. The biblical record is the story of the Creator God interacting with His
creation. You may think He has changed and does not currently interact with us, but I do
not!
- Jehovah's Witness question: Didn't the religious leaders execute Jesus
because He said He was God's Son? Look at John 19:7: "The Jewish leaders insisted, 'We have a
law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.'" (2011 NIV) What
part of this scripture don't you understand?"
- My answer: Many first-century Jews would have understood the phrase "Son of God"
as a messianic title expressing Jesus' unique relationship with the Father. In the passages under discussion, it also points beyond biological ancestry to His divine identity. "Son of Man" likewise affirms Jesus' humanity while evoking the exalted figure in Daniel 7:13-14.
Jesus was fully human and fully God. Both statements are true; one cannot be accepted while the other is rejected.
Scripture presents Jesus as making claims that His opponents understood as claims to divine status and authority. A few chapters
earlier in John, there is this passage:
Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
"We are not stoning you for any good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
— John 10:32-33 (2011 NIV)
Jesus' divine identity is also reflected in Matthew 16:16, Matthew 26:63-65, and Luke 22:70-71, as well as in the passage from John that you quoted. In the Gospel accounts, the Sanhedrin regarded Jesus' messianic claims, His unique relationship with the Father, and the divine authority implicit in His words as blasphemous. To Jews, there was only one God:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the
Lord is one." — Deuteronomy 6:4 (2011 NIV)
Was Jesus crucified because He claimed to be a superangel? No. The Jewish leaders of His day understood Him to be making claims to divine status and authority. Merely claiming to be an angel or archangel would not, by itself, appear to have constituted the blasphemy charge described in these passages. The Gospel accounts indicate that the Jewish leaders regarded Jesus' claims as sufficiently serious to seek a Roman sentence of execution.
The English phrase "Son of God" may not always communicate clearly what first-century Jews
would have understood when they said "Son of God."
The English words can make us think of "son" as something totally separate. However, think
about the phrase "Son of Man," which was also used for Jesus. Does "Son of Man" mean Jesus
was not really human? No. "Son of Man" affirms Jesus' humanity, but it is also a messianic title rooted in Daniel 7:13-14. When applied uniquely to Jesus in these passages, "Son of God" points to His messianic identity and His unique sharing in the Father's divine nature. It does not describe biological ancestry.
In both titles applied to Jesus—"Son of God" and "Son of Man"—the word "Son" refers to identity and relationship, not biological ancestry. These titles carried scriptural and cultural associations that may not be immediately apparent to twenty-first-century English-speaking readers.
The separation between the early Christians and the synagogues developed gradually and varied from place to place. The New Testament indicates that conflict sometimes arose because Christians proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah and accorded Him divine honor and authority, not because they portrayed Him as merely an "almost divine" created heavenly being subordinate to Yahweh. Saul, who later became Paul, persecuted Christians because he regarded their proclamation about Jesus as a serious threat to the faith he was defending. Nothing in the account suggests that he persecuted them for teaching that Jesus was the archangel Michael.
What "Son of God" Means
When the Bible refers to Jesus as the "Son of God," it says something profound. Here are some key ideas expressed by those few words:
- Unique Relationship with God
The title "Son of God" emphasizes Jesus' unique and intimate relationship with God the Father. Ordinary human sonship often describes a biological or adoptive family relationship. "Son of God," when applied uniquely to Jesus, affirms that He shares the Father's divine nature (as, for instance, in John 10:30: "I and the Father are one"). This parallels Jesus' title "Son of Man." That title is used of Jesus more than 80 times in the Gospels and also appears in Acts, Hebrews, and Revelation. It affirms His humanity while also recalling the exalted figure in Daniel 7:13-14.
- Messianic Role
In Jewish thought, "Son of God" was a title for the Messiah, the Anointed One sent by God to fulfill His promises and establish His kingdom. Jesus the Christ was the promised Messiah, Lord, and Savior.
- Divine Authority
Referring to Jesus as "God's Son" underscores His divine authority to teach, perform miracles, forgive sins, and bring salvation. It stresses that He was much more than a prophet or teacher.
- Eternal Preexistence
"Son of God" also highlights Jesus' preexistence and divinity, as affirmed in John 1:1-14, where He is described as the "Word" (Logos) who was with God and was God and who became human flesh.
- Obedience and Mission
As the Son of God, Jesus is depicted as the one who perfectly obeys the Father’s will, even to the point of sacrificing Himself for humanity’s redemption.
Common Misunderstandings
Some interpret "Son of God" as implying a biological relationship or inferiority to God. However, the Bible teaches that Jesus is coequal and coeternal with the Father. His title "Son of Man" affirms His full humanity and recalls the exalted figure in Daniel 7:13-14. His title "Son of God" expresses His messianic identity, unique relationship with the Father, and divine nature.
The "sonship" of Jesus is both a mystery and a foundation of faith for Christ-followers. Sonship highlights Jesus' divine nature, His earthly mission, and His role in our salvation.
— Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu
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