" The Resurrection of Jesus from the grave and His ascension were events He Himself predicted and were witnessed by His first followers. Jesus is the only person who fulfilled all the prophecies in the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3-4) about the Messiah who would come to redeem man from sin and restore him to fellowship with God. These followers faithfully attested to these events that prove Jesus' divinity and that He is the Son of God, God the Son Whom the Father has sent (1 Cor 15:5-8, Acts 1:9). They walked, ate, and talked with Him after His death and resurrection and saw Him go up into heaven. Before He went up to heaven, Jesus promised that He would return and take up all faithful believers to heaven, as He promised. He promised them new and perfect bodies, the end of suffering and the perpetual company of the Lord (Jon 14:1-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Cor 15). He assures all believers life everlasting and condemnation in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels to unbelievers (John 3:36, Matt 25:41). He also describes the torments of hell, where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 8:12)."

The first followers of Jesus were called Christians, who were the targets of persecution by Rome. These were His apostles whom He left when He ascended into heaven and they received the Holy Spirit during Pentecost, whom Jesus promised to send to bring back all His teachings and enlighten and embolden them to declare the new faith.

On his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians, Saul of Tarsus encountered the Spirit of Jesus Christ as the One he was persecuting and he was turned around. He became Paul the Apostle who later boldly preached the gospel of salvation by belief in Jesus Christ. He became the leader of the growing band of Christians, led by Peter the apostle. In his epistles or letters, Paul taught that salvation is only through faith in Jesus Christ and not by anything a man can or cannot do, it is a free gift and not as repayment for any good works, so that no man can boast for himself (Ephesians 2:8-9). He also clarified that, under the law, no man could be justified, but that by faith in Jesus Christ under grace, man can be justified (Galatians 2:16). The Jews taught that salvation could come only by keeping the law of Moses and doing good works, but Paul preached that Jesus came to abolish that law and set a man free by dying in his place and accepting His free gift of salvation. Otherwise, His death would be useless (Gal 2:21). Paul teaching resounds Jesus' command that man should believe in Him Whom God has sent (John 6:28-29). Peter said the same thing about getting saved only by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).

The title "son of God" was frequently used in the Old Testament to refer kinship, close connection or intimate relationship (Aherne 2003). Angels, pious and just persons and the descendants of Seth were called "sons of God (Job, Psalm 88, Wisdom)" and, broadly, the Israelites, God's chosen people. In other instances, kings, princes, judges and other authorities under God were also called "sons of God." But the Messiah, the Chosen one, the Elect of God, alone was referred to as the Son of God, Who would be called Emmanuel or "God with Us," also Wonderful, Counselor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, and the Prince of Peace (Is 8:8-9).

In the New Testament, the title the Son of God is applied to Jesus Christ by the gospels and the epistles and confirms His divinity, as the angel prophesied to Mary:

He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High the Holy, which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:32,35)

The title was the same as, or equivalent to, the Messiah, especially as the apostle Peter confessed "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt 16:15-16)," to which Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jona, because flesh and blood has not revealed it to you but my Father in heaven." This parallels "Thou art the Christ" in Mark 8:29 and "the Christ of God" in Luke 9:20. The three evangelists' interpretations are coherent in attributing the title to the "incarnate Son of...

God the Father's confirmation that Jesus is His beloved Son is recorded by evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke. During the transfiguration of Jesus, a voice from the cloud was heard by those present as saying that Jesus is God the Father's beloved Son and that He wants them to hear Him (Matt 8:5, Mark 9:6, Luke 8:35).
Jesus speaks of God the Father as His Father in most distinct way from the way God is the Father of others (Aherne 2003), in that He is of the same nature as His Father, His divine sonship being clearly recorded in the synoptic gospels:

Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business (Luke 2:49) but he who does the will of my Father Who is in heaven... (Matt 7:21-23)" will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven (Matt 10:32)."

His parables and prayers to God the Father also reflect that exclusive relationship whereby He is the Son of God and God the Son (John 16:1,5),.

In his epistles, the apostle Paul clearly teaches about the divinity of Jesus Christ, that He was and is the true Son of God (Aherene 2003). He wrote the epistles and preached it before the evangelists taught about it and opposing Jews could not find an inconsistency among them as ground to attack the claim.

The creation of the universe has an undeniable purpose and a Supreme Being behind. The theory that man evolved from animals has been junked by science, history and reason. Man was created in the image and likeness of God and to share His kingdom forever. Flawed man fell from divine grace and must face eternal perdition on account of sin, but God provides the way back to Him through a Messiah Who is Son, God the Son. His birth into the world was prophesied hundreds of times in the Old Testament and only Jesus Christ of Nazareth fulfilled every one of those prophecies. His life was impeccable and He preached that God the Father is His Father and Himself as the Son of God. His followers, those He healed and even His enemies confessed that He is, indeed, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of sinful man. As He Himself predicted, He suffered, died, rose back to life and ascended by His own power to heaven. Thereafter, His followers increased in number and have continued to preach His gospel of salvation through faith in Him.

Every mortal is confronted with a choice to accept or reject the offer of salvation by Jesus Christ, Who claims to be the Son of God and God the Son. The choice involves everlasting happiness or everlasting punishment and it is not a mere option that can be rationalized. Every one who accepts the offer must also place his entire trust in the saving power of the Son of God Who is God the Son to take over his entire life. He must, as the apostle Paul often stresses, "walk in the Spirit" or "walk in faith." Faith in Jesus involves the believer and Jesus Who offers to cover his sin and run his life. That leap of faith is not a merely intellectual exercise, which rational beings are already capable of, but, to a large extent, puts into operation the workings of grace by the mere assent of human will. There is nothing that man can do that will alter his sinful condition except to will his own deliverance by accepting the free offer of salvation from God the Son. Everything else is God's work and option as the trade-off.

Bibliography

Aherene, C. (2003). Son of God. The Catholic Encyclopedia volume XIV, online edition. New Advent. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14142b.htm

Beza, T. (1992). Jesus Christ the Son of God. James Clark, trans. Focus Christian Ministries Trust: East Sussex, 1992. Reformation Ink. http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/tbsonofgod.htm

Dolphin, L. (1987). Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man? The Main Mission of Jesus. http://www.ldolphin.org/accomplish.html

Haugaard, B., trans. (2000). New Testament. Revised King James version. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/7719

Humpries, P. What Does the Bile Say About Jesus Son…