Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleThe Son Made, The Son Declared
Bible TextRomans 1:3-4
Synopsis The Lord Jesus Christ was made the Son of man but he was always the Son of God. Listen.
Date29-Apr-2018
Series Romans 2018
Article Type Sermon Notes
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: The Son Made, The Son Declared (32 kbps)
Audio CD Quality Listen: The Son Made, The Son Declared (128 kbps)
Length 36 min.
 

Series: Romans

Title: The Son Made, the Son Declared

Text: Romans 1: 3-5

Date: April 29, 2018

Place: SGBC, NJ

 

The apostle Paul said the gospel of God is: Romans 1: 3: Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4: And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

 

Subject: The Son Made, the Son Declared

 

Proposition: The Lord Jesus Christ was made the Son of man but he was always the Son of God.

 

You hear me call Christ the GodMan.  That is who God’s Son Jesus Christ our Lord is. He is both God and Man in one person.  But be sure to make this distinction, he is “made” of the seed of David according to the flesh; and “declared” the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

 

THE SON MADE

 

Romans 1: 3: Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh

 

Here, we are talking about the Son of God, coming down and taking a human, fleshly nature—“he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh

 

My son has often asked me, and other young people have said, “I don’t understand. I am confused when you speak of Christ appearing in the old testament when he was not born until years later.”  So I want to be as clear as possible. It will take the Holy Spirit of God to make any sinner receive the things of God. But I want to be crystal clear.

 

Jesus Christ our Lord is God—the gospel is “the gospel of God,…Concerning his Son.”  From eternity, before he ever made the world, Christ is the second person in the trinity, the Son of God.  But he could never redeem and save fallen, sinful, guilty, condemned men unless he became a man capable of laying down his life, shedding his own blood and dying. Therefore, the Son of God became the Son of man.

 

As the Son of man he was “made.”  God prepared a body for his Son. Christ said that. He said, “a body hast thou prepared me.” (Heb 10: 5)  That is what the Holy Ghost declared to Joseph, when Mary was found with child having never known a man.  Notice, Joseph was the son of David so that just as our text says, Jesus Christ our Lord was “made of the seed of David.”

 

Matthew 1: 20…behold, the angel of the Lord…said [unto], Joseph, thou SON OF DAVID, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is OF THE HOLY GHOST. 21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22: Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

 

Christ is the Word who is the eternal Son of God.  He is the eternal Lord who said of himself through Isaiah, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”  Then in the fullness of time,

 

John 1:14: The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us….

 

Galatians 4: 4: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

 

As the Son of man, he was “made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” It means he was born of the house and lineage of David. God promised King David that according to the flesh, the Christ would be his Son.

 

2 Samuel 7: 12: And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

 

Notice the wording of Psalm 132: 11:

 

Psalm 132: 11: The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body WILL I set upon thy throne.

 

The LORD—the Son of God—was the fruit of David’s body. He was the Son of God who was made flesh and now sets upon the throne of David in heavenly Jerusalem ruling his kingdom in heaven and in earth. The Holy Spirit used the apostle Peter to tell us David spoke of Christ.

 

Acts 2: 29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30: Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that OF THE FRUIT OF HIS LOINS, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, he would raise up CHRIST TO SIT ON HIS THRONE; 31: He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

 

Therefore in Matthew 1, we read the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ and we see he is the Son of David as God declared,

 

Matthew 1: 1: The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, THE SON OF DAVID, the son of Abraham…6: And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7: And Solomon begat Roboam;…16: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

 

So the Lord Jesus Christ was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” He was the Son of God from eternity. But he was made the Son of man.  In the flesh, as the Son of man, he was from the house and lineage of David, the heir of David’s throne. So he is David’s son and David’s Lord.

 

THE SON DECLARED

 

Romans 1: 4: And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

 

Christ was made the Son of man but he was not made the Son of God. He was “declared to be the Son of God.” This is because he is and always was the Son of God without beginning or ending.  He is God, he said, “I and my Father are one.” (Jn 10: 30)  This is why Isaiah makes the distinction, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” (Is 9: 6)  He is the Son that God gave to lay down his life for his people.

 

This distinction is important because he was always God. He was always the second person in the trinity. He was always the Son of God. God gave his only begotten Son. But he was God before he came. He made the world, he made the woman in whose womb he took flesh, he made David. He often appeared in the old testament as he did to Moses in the burning bush.  It was he who wrestled Jacob and gave his life and faith and a new name. This distinction is so important because as Christ said “before Abraham was I AM

 

 Therefore, he was “declared to be the Son of God with power”.  What does it mean “with power?”  The gospel is the power of God. (Rom 1: 16; 1 Cor 1: 18) We see why.  Through the gospel, Christ himself preaches to us and declares that he himself is the Power of God.

 

1 Corinthians 1: 24: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

 

Hebrews 1: 2: [God] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds

 

The Son of God spoke to us when he walked this earth as the Son of man preaching the gospel to us.  He speaks to us now from his throne in glory as the gospel is preached unto us.  And what does he declare?

 

Matthew 28: 18: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ALL POWER is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 

Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER

 

Matthew 11:27: ALL THINGS are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever THE SON WILL REVEAL HIM.

 

John 5: 25: Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD: and they that hear shall live. 26: For as the Father hath life in himself; SO HATH HE GIVEN TO THE SON TO HAVE LIFE IN HIMSELF; 27: And hath GIVEN HIM AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT ALSO, BECAUSE HE IS THE SON OF MAN

 

What does it mean when it says all authority was given to him because he is the Son of man?  As the Son of God he had all power always. He is God.  But now he has all authority to execute judgment and give life as the Son of Man, as the GodMan, Mediator.

 

Then notice, the works he did when he walked this earth declared him “the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness.”  The Father gave the Spirit unto the GodMan without measure.  This is how he was able to finish the works God gave him to do.  And those works declared him to be “the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness.”  He said,

 

John 5: 36: I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that THE FATHER HATH SENT ME.

 

 

John 17: 1: These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify THY SON, that THY SON also may glorify thee: 2: As thou hast given him POWER OVER ALL FLESH, that HE should GIVE ETERNAL LIFE to as many as thou hast given him.

 

Also, Christ’s resurrection declared him the Son of God—he was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”

 

According to or by the Spirit of holiness he was justified in all his claims to be the Son of God when the Spirit raised him from the dead.

 

1 Timothy 3: 16: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,…

 

Not only that, he was declared to be the Son of God because he raised himself from the dead

 

John 10:17: Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I MIGHT TAKE IT AGAIN. 18: No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, AND I HAVE POWER TO TAKE IT AGAIN. This commandment have I received of my Father.

 

So all these things is what is meant when it says “he was declared the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.”

 

WHY THE GODMAN?

 

Why is it so important that he be both God and Man?  He must be God and Man in order to obtain salvation for his people as our great High Priest and that he might be able to comfort us since he has suffered as we suffer.

 

Hebrews 2: 9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. [that the Father gave to him] 10: For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11: For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12: Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13: And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. 14: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15: And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16: For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 17: Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18: For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

 

Hebrews 5: 1: For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 2: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 3: And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 4: And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 5: So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6: As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 7: Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8: Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9: And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

 

As the GodMan he was able to lay down his life and suffer and die in place of his people. 

 

As the GodMan—because he is God eternal—the redemption he accomplished for his people is eternal. Our redemption can never be undone.  He creates his people anew better than we were created in Adam. We could fall in Adam but Christ brought in everlasting righteousness, eternal redemption for his people so that we can never again be lost.

 

As the GodMan he has been touched with all the same infirmities that we suffer, so he able to succor- or comfort us—and because he has all power he is able to make sure we are comforted.

 

As the GodMan he everlives to make intercession for us with God.

 

Hebrews 4: 14: Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Amen!