The Sonship of Jesus: Luke | Cross & Crescent Ministries

The Sonship of Jesus:

Luke

Question: Does the Gospel of Luke identify Jesus as God’s Son?

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Overview

The Sonship of Jesus is taught throughout the Gospel of Luke. Those who refer to Jesus as the Son of God or accuse Jesus of claiming to be God's Son are as follows.

God, The Father (3:21-22 & 9:28-36)

The Angel Gabriel (1:26-38)

Jesus (10:22, 20:9-19 & 22:66-71)

Satan & Demons (4:1-13, 4:40-41 & 8:26-33)

The Jewish Religious Leaders (22:66-71)

It should be noted that the Sonship of Jesus (as well as the Fatherhood of God) has nothing to do with physical, biological or sexual procreation. A Son of God, according to the Bible, is someone who represents God and acts with the authority of God, and this is applied to humans and angels. Simply put, God is a Father because God has sons and daughters, and the sons and daughters of God are those who represent God and act with the authority of God.

References to the Sonship of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke are especially significant when contrasted with the Quran. The Quran (although claiming to be a continuation of the religion of Jesus) states that it is highly inappropriate to associate Allah with Fatherhood or to suggest that Allah has children in any sense (2:116-117, 5:18, 6:100-101, 17:110-111, 19:88-95, 21:25-28, 25:1-3, 39:4, 72:1-5 & 112:1-4), and this is explicitly denied when applied to the relationship between Allah and Jesus (4:171 & 9:30). In short, the Quran denies the religion of Jesus by denying the Sonship of Jesus and the Fatherhood of God.

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Bible Passages - God, The Father

Luke 3:21-22

(21) When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened (22) and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Luke 9:28-36

(28) About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. (29) As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. (30) Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. (31) They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem. (32) Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. (33) As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters - one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

(34) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. (35) A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” (36) When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Bible Passages - The Angel Gabriel

Luke 1:26-38

(26) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, (27) to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (28) The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”

(29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (30) But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. (31) You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. (32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, (33) and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

(34) “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

(35) The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (36) Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. (37) For no word from God will ever fail.”

(38) “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Bible Passages - Jesus

Luke 10:22

(22) All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Luke 20:9-19

(9) He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. (10) At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. (11) He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. (12) He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

(13) “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

(14) “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ (15) So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? (16) He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”

(17) Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? (18) Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

(19) The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

Luke 22:66-71

(66) At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. (67) “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, (68) and if I asked you, you would not answer. (69) But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”

(70) They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”

He replied, “You say that I am.”

(71) Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”

Bible Passages - Satan & Demons

Luke 4:1-13

(1) Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, (2) where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

(3) The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

(4) Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

(5) The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. (6) And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. (7) If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

(8) Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

(9) The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. (10) For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; (11) they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

(12) Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

(13) When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Luke 4:40-41

(40) At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. (41) Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

Luke 8:26-33

(26) They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. (27) When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. (28) When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” (29) For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

(30) Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. (31) And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

(32) A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. (33) When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

Bible Passages - The Jewish Religious Leaders

Luke 22:66-71

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, (68) and if I asked you, you would not answer. (69) But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”

(70) They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”

He replied, “You say that I am.”

(71) Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”

Quran Passages

The Quran 2:116-117 (Abdul Haleem)

(116) They have asserted, ‘God has a child.’ May He be exalted! No! Everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him, everything devoutly obeys His will. (117) He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth, and when He decrees something, He says only, ‘Be,’ and it is.

The Quran 2:116-117 (Sahih International)

(116) They say, "Allah has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him,

(117) Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.

The Quran 4:171 (Abdul Haleem)

(171) People of the Book, do not go to excess in your religion, and do not say anything about God except the truth: the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was nothing more than a messenger of God, His word, directed to Mary, a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers and do not speak of a ‘Trinity’ - stop [this], that is better for you - God is only one God, He is far above having a son, everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him and He is the best one to trust.

The Quran 4:171 (Sahih International)

(171) O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, "Three"; desist - it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.

The Quran 5:18 (Abdul Haleem)

(18) The Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of God and His beloved ones.” Say, “Then why does He punish you for your sins? You are merely human beings, part of His creation: He forgives whoever He will and punishes whoever He will. Control of the heavens and earth and all that is between them belongs to Him: all journeys lead to Him.”

The Quran 5:18 (Sahih International)

(18) But the Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of Allah and His beloved." Say, "Then why does He punish you for your sins?" Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination.

The Quran 6:100-101 (Abdul Haleem)

(100) Yet they made the jinn partners with God, though He created them, and without any true knowledge they attribute sons and daughters to Him. Glory be to Him! He is far higher than what they ascribe to Him, (101) the Creator of the heavens and earth! How could He have children when He has no spouse, when He created all things, and has full knowledge of all things?

The Quran 6:100-101 (Sahih International)

(100) But they have attributed to Allah partners - the jinn, while He has created them - and have fabricated for Him sons and daughters. Exalted is He and high above what they describe.

(101) [He is] Originator of the heavens and the earth. How could He have a son when He does not have a companion and He created all things? And He is, of all things, Knowing.

The Quran 9:30 (Abdul Haleem)

(30) The Jews said, ‘Ezra is the son of God,’ and the Christians said, ‘The Messiah is the son of God’: they said this with their own mouths, repeating what earlier disbelievers had said. May God confound them! How far astray they have been led!

The Quran 9:30 (Sahih International)

(30) The Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allah"; and the Christians say, "The Messiah is the son of Allah." That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved [before them]. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded?

The Quran 17:110-111 (Abdul Haleem)

(110) Say [to them], ‘Call on God, or on the Lord of Mercy - whatever names you call Him, the best names belong to Him.’ [Prophet], do not be too loud in your prayer, or too quiet, but seek a middle way (111) and say, ‘Praise belongs to God, who has no child nor partner in His rule. He is not so weak as to need a protector. Proclaim His limitless greatness!’

The Quran 17:110-111 (Sahih International)

(110) Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way.

(111) And say, "Praise to Allah, who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need of a] protector out of weakness; and glorify Him with [great] glorification."

The Quran 19:88-95 (Abdul Haleem)

(88) The disbelievers say, “The Lord of Mercy has offspring.” (89) How terrible is this thing you assert: (90) it almost causes the heavens to be torn apart, the earth to split asunder, the mountains to crumble to pieces, (91) that they attribute offspring to the Lord of Mercy. (92) It does not befit the Lord of Mercy [to have offspring]: (93) there is no one in the heavens or earth who will not come to the Lord of Mercy as a servant - (94) He has counted them all: He has numbered them exactly - (95) and they will each return to Him on the Day of Resurrection all alone.

The Quran 19:88-95 (Sahih International)

(88) And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son."

(89) You have done an atrocious thing.

(90) The heavens almost rupture therefrom and the earth splits open and the mountains collapse in devastation

(91) That they attribute to the Most Merciful a son.

(92) And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son.

(93) There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant.

(94) He has enumerated them and counted them a [full] counting.

(95) And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.

The Quran 21:25-28 (Abdul Haleem)

(25) We never sent any messenger before you [Muhammad] without revealing to him: ‘There is no god but Me, so serve Me.’ (26) And they say, ‘The Lord of Mercy has taken offspring for Himself.’ May He be exalted! No! They are only His honoured servants: (27) they do not speak before He speaks and they act by His command. (28) He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede without His permission - indeed they themselves stand in awe of Him.

The Quran 21:25-28 (Sahih International)

(25) And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."

(26) And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, they are [but] honored servants.

(27) They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command.

(28) He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive.

The Quran 25:1-3 (Abdul Haleem)

(1) Exalted is He who has sent the Differentiator down to His servant so that it may be a warning to all people. (2) It is He who has control over the heavens and earth and has no offspring - no one shares control with Him - and who created all things and made them to an exact measure. (3) Yet the disbelievers take as their gods things beneath Him that create nothing, and are themselves created, that can neither harm nor help themselves, and have no control over death, life, or resurrection.

The Quran 25:1-3 (Sahih International)

(1) Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner -

(2) He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and who has not taken a son and has not had a partner in dominion and has created each thing and determined it with [precise] determination.

(3) But they have taken besides Him gods which create nothing, while they are created, and possess not for themselves any harm or benefit and possess not [power to cause] death or life or resurrection.

The Quran 39:4 (Abdul Haleem)

(4) God could have chosen any of His creation He willed for offspring, but He is far above this! He is the One, the Almighty.

The Quran 39:4 (Sahih International)

(4) If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen from what He creates whatever He willed. Exalted is He; He is Allah, the One, the Prevailing.

The Quran 72:1-5 (Abdul Haleem)

(1) Say [Prophet], ‘It has been revealed to me that a group of jinn once listened in and said, “We have heard a wondrous Quran, (2) that gives guidance to the right path, and we have come to believe it - We shall never set up partners with our Lord - (3) and that He - exalted be the glory of our Lord! - has neither spouse nor child. (4) Outrageous things have been said about God by the foolish among us, (5) although we had thought that no man or jinn would [dare to] tell a lie about Him.

The Quran 72:1-5 (Sahih International)

(1) Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an.

(2) It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone.

(3) And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son

(4) And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah an excessive transgression.

(5) And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie.

The Quran 112:1-4 (Abdul Haleem)

(1) Say, ‘He is God the One, (2) God the eternal. (3) He begot no one nor was He begotten. (4) No one is comparable to Him.

The Quran 112:1-4 (Sahih International)

(1) Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,

(2) Allah, the Eternal Refuge.

(3) He neither begets nor is born,

(4) Nor is there to Him any equivalent."