Copyright © 2006 By Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.
Catechism Of The Catholic Church Reprinted With Permission.
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God’s Truth From The Catechism Of The Catholic Church – cont.
437 To the shepherds, the angel announced the birth of Jesus as the Messiah promised to Israel:
"To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
32
From the beginning
he was "the one whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world", conceived as "holy" in
Mary's virginal womb.
33
God called Joseph to "take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Spirit", so that Jesus, "who is called Christ", should be born of Joseph's spouse
into the messianic lineage of David.
34
438 Jesus' messianic consecration reveals his divine mission, "for the name 'Christ' implies 'he
who anointed', 'he who was anointed' and 'the very anointing with which he was anointed'. The one
who anointed is the Father, the one who was anointed is the Son, and he was anointed with the
Spirit who is the anointing.'"
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His eternal messianic consecration was revealed during the time of
his earthly life at the moment of his baptism by John, when "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and with power", "that he might be revealed to Israel"
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as its Messiah. His works
and words will manifest him as "the Holy One of God".
37
439 Many Jews and even certain Gentiles who shared their hope recognized in Jesus the
fundamental attributes of the messianic "Son of David", promised by God to Israel.
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Jesus
accepted his rightful title of Messiah, though with some reserve because it was understood by
some of his contemporaries in too human a sense, as essentially political.
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440 Jesus accepted Peter's profession of faith, which acknowledged him to be the Messiah, by
announcing the imminent Passion of the Son of Man.
40
He unveiled the authentic content of his
messianic kingship both in the transcendent identity of the Son of Man "who came down from
heaven", and in his redemptive mission as the suffering Servant: "The Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
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Hence the true meaning of his
kingship is revealed only when he is raised high on the cross.
42
Only after his Resurrection will
Peter be able to proclaim Jesus' messianic kingship to the People of God: "Let all the house of
Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you
crucified."
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III. THE ONLY SON OF GOD
441 In the Old Testament, "son of God" is a title given to the angels, the Chosen People, the
children of Israel, and their kings.
44
It signifies an adoptive sonship that establishes a relationship of
particular intimacy between God and his creature. When the promised Messiah-King is called "son
of God", it does not necessarily imply that he was more than human, according to the literal
meaning of these texts. Those who called Jesus "son of God", as the Messiah of Israel, perhaps
meant nothing more than this.
45
442 Such is not the case for Simon Peter when he confesses Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the
living God", for Jesus responds solemnly: "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my
Father who is in heaven."
46
Similarly Paul will write, regarding his conversion on the road to
Damascus, "When he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his
grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the
Gentiles. . ."
47
"And in the synagogues immediately [Paul] proclaimed Jesus, saying, 'He is the Son
of God.'"
48
From the beginning this acknowledgment of Christ's divine sonship will be the center of
the apostolic faith, first professed by Peter as the Church's foundation.
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443 Peter could recognize the transcendent character of the Messiah's divine sonship because
Jesus had clearly allowed it to be so understood. To his accusers' question before the Sanhedrin,
"Are you the Son of God, then?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am."
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Well before this, Jesus
referred to himself as "the Son" who knows the Father, as distinct from the "servants" God had
earlier sent to his people; he is superior even to the angels.
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