Son of God ≠ God

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is called “the Son of God,” a title signifying the Messiah, the King of the Jews. In Jewish tradition, this title denotes one who has a special relationship with God, used for angels, the nation of Israel, or righteous individuals without implying divinity.

In Christianity, however, the “Son of God” becomes a central title for Jesus Christ, which Christians utilize to try to signify his unique relationship with God the Father. From this title, Christians have distorted the meaning to extrapolate the claim that Jesus was both fully divine and fully human, sent to save humanity, underscoring His divine nature and integral role in the Trinity.

The question then arises: Did Jesus intend for this title to denote divinity, as later Christian interpretations suggest, or did he mean for it to be understood in its original Jewish context?

If this was the case, Jesus, addressing a Jewish audience, would have clarified any redefinition of this title. Instead, he instructs his disciples to follow the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, indicating no issue with their understanding of the Law, only with their application. This suggests that Jesus accepted the traditional Jewish interpretation of “Son of God” and did not intend to redefine it as implying divinity.

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. – Matthew 23