How Can the Son of God Also Be God?
Recently when I was in Israel, a Jewish friend of mine asked me the following question…."How can the Son of God also be God?" I had an answer in mind but also wanted to check with some Jewish believers who I know to help me formulate my response in a way that would help someone with the background of my friend. I was told that this answer should be very helpful, so I would like to share it with you with the hope that it will help others, too.
First, a person has to understand the composite oneness of Elohim. The Creator has multiple aspects. He has judgment (El - this is the Will of God), mercy (YHVH - this is the Word of God), and power (Ruach HaKodesh - this is the Spirit of God). The Rabbis say that if Elohim would have created the universe by Judgment alone, nothing would endure. If He would have created it by mercy alone, it would be chaos. Therefore, He created it with both judgment and mercy. This would have been done through the power of the Spirit. Genesis 1:2, "and the Ruach HaKodesh was hovering over the surface of the waters". Then Elohim (the Will of God) said (the Word of God), "Let there be light" (accomplished by the Power of the Spirit of God).
The Son of God is not a foreign concept in Judaism. Proverbs 30:4 says this about the Creator… "Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son's name? Surely you know!"
This is the understanding of the Word of God becoming flesh (humanity) and dwelling among us....the Son of God, but not giving up His deity to become a human.
When you and I were conceived, we were made in the image and likeness of our father and mother so we are completely human with a spirit that won't ever die. Our body is temporary but our spirit is eternal. When Adam was formed from the elements (dust) of the earth, his body was formed as a human and God's Spirit was implanted into him by God. He was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 5:1). Therefore, Adam was called the Son of God. However, Adam's spirit had a beginning - initiated by the Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of God). It had a beginning but does not have an ending. Therefore, he was not God - he was a creation of God. Later, Adam and Eve would sin against the Creator which would then separate not only their spirit but also the spirit of all humanity from the Spirit of God because we are created in the image and likeness of Adam and Eve (Genesis 5:3).
In Yeshua's case, He was formed in a similar manner as Adam in that one of Miriam's embryos was fertilized (given life) not by a human male but by the power of the Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) which then formed a human body. Therefore, Yeshua had a human mother and a heavenly father. Miriam was overshadowed by the Ruach HaKodesh (breathed into) so He would be like His parents - Son of Man (like Miriam) and also Son of God (YHVH or Jehovah).
Yeshua's body (which would be the perfect sacrifice for sin because He was sinless) would be all man - human. His Spirit would be all God because it was eternal - it had no beginning and no ending. In this way it was different than Adam's experience. This was actually God living as a human. The Word (YHVH - mercies of God) became flesh and dwelt among us. This was the requirement written in the Word, the Mosaic law (Elohim's contract with humanity) that the life of the flesh is found in the blood (Lev. 17:11).
Mosaic law would require a blood sacrifice of an innocent animal without imperfections to atone for the sins of humanity. Animals would be a temporary substitute, but ultimately the Judgment of El would require a human sacrifice to accomplish the goal of paying the price for human sin as shown in Genesis 22 with the Akedah. When Abraham was required to sacrifice Isaac and was bringing him to the place of sacrifice, Abraham told Isaac that YHVH would provide Himself the lamb for the offering (Genesis 22:8). Abraham was stopped by the Angel of the Lord before he carried out the deed, and Yeshua would ultimately become the substitute to complete this requirement of the Will of Elohim for the payment of sin.
You might ask if there is something in the Tenach to support the idea that God can become a human? Most certainly!
Question - who or what existed before time and the universe were created? Answer - God. Only God is eternal - without beginning or ending.
Psalm 72:17 says, "...before the Sun was, His name was there".
Micah 5:2 says, "But as for you Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Here it clearly states that there will be a ruler in Israel Who will have existed for eternity. One translation ends this verse by saying, "before the foundation of the earth". This ruler is not only a human, but must also be God to fit this description. Therefore, Yeshua can be the son of man (be a human) and also be the Son of God (be divine).
Daniel 7:13-14,
13; I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming, (this is Yeshua on resurrection day)
And He came up to the Ancient of Days (this is the Father - the judgment, Will of Elohim)
And was presented before Him.
14; And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the people, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
This ruler will be like a Son of Man. Yet, He will rule over an everlasting kingdom that would never be destroyed - the everlasting Kingdom of God.
This is the picture of the Yom Kippur service where the High Priest enters into the presence of the Almighty in the Holy of Holies to present the blood sacrifice as payment for the sins of the nation of Israel. This launched the Kingdom which would never be destroyed (Dan. 2 and Dan 7). Isaiah told us how this would be accomplished (Is 53) and what sort of death the Messiah would need to suffer (Ps. 22).
The point here is that the Torah and Tenach certainly show us that the Almighty Creator would become a man in order to pay the price for our sins, so that our spirit could, once again, be united with the Spirit of the Holy One. If He would not have done that, our only destiny would be membership in the Kingdom of Darkness and ultimately suffer the fate of its leader - HaSatan. We would have no hope. Thanks be to Yeshua that He did the Will of the Father and gave His life for the payment of our sins.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given one commandment to maintain their perfect relationship with Elohim - don't eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Now, we are given one commandment to restore the relationship that was lost when Adam and Eve disobeyed that commandment - believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God and that His sacrifice is the payment for your sins.