When Exactly Did Jesus Become The Son of God?

[RedEye]

There seems to be a massive conflict between the gospel authors as to when precisely Jesus attained the status of "Son of God".

The gospel of Mark has Jesus becoming Son of God upon his baptism:

• Mark 1
  9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.� 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,

In this version the human-born Jesus is a victim of body invasion and his brain is taken over by the Spirit of God. (So much for human free will). The gospel of Matthew echoes this view.

Then we have Paul who has Jesus becoming the Son of God only after his resurrection:

• Romans 1
  1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Next we have the gospel of Luke which has Jesus being appointed as the Son of God at his birth:

• Luke 1
  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.

Finally, we have the gospel of John which has Jesus as the Son of God right from the very beginning of everything:

• John 1
  1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
  ...
  14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So there we have four wildly conflicting versions of when Jesus attained the status of being the Son of God in the New Testament. They can't all be correct. So, if you are a Christian, which of these "divinely inspired" writers is correct and how did the others get it so badly wrong?

[rikuoamero]

I'm chiming in to say...that I don't agree with OP. I'm looking at Mark 1, and my reading of it doesn't demand that Jesus not be the Son of God (whatever exactly that is) prior to the baptism. Nor do I view it as a taking over of his will. Verse 12 can mean that the Spirit told Jesus to go to this place, gave orders from the Father. Or it could mean like the Goa'uld from Stargate SG-1.

The Romans 1 quote is clear from what I see. The appointment to this title of Son of God is something that happened and apparently can only happen via a resurrection.

Luke 1 though doesn't mean that the Son of God title is given at birth. I am aware of stories in the bible of individuals not being named until years after their birth, although the specific individuals escape me for the moment.

As for John 1, that seems pretty clear to my eyes. This word thing, the Logos, is the Son of God, right from the very beginning.

[RedEye]

I'm chiming in to say...that I don't agree with OP. I'm looking at Mark 1, and my reading of it doesn't demand that Jesus not be the Son of God (whatever exactly that is) prior to the baptism. Nor do I view it as a taking over of his will. Verse 12 can mean that the Spirit told Jesus to go to this place, gave orders from the Father. Or it could mean like the Goa'uld from Stargate SG-1.

The Romans 1 quote is clear from what I see. The appointment to this title of Son of God is something that happened and apparently can only happen via a resurrection.

Luke 1 though doesn't mean that the Son of God title is given at birth. I am aware of stories in the bible of individuals not being named until years after their birth, although the specific individuals escape me for the moment.

As for John 1, that seems pretty clear to my eyes. This word thing, the Logos, is the Son of God, right from the very beginning.

A thoughtful post. I'll take conflict between any two of the accounts. That is enough for the OP question to still be posed.

[1213]

If Jesus was already the Son of God then he was already divine. You would need to explain why the "spirit thing" would need to descend upon him and why it would then direct him to do things. It makes no sense unless Jesus did not become the Son of God until that moment (when the Spirit entered him).

Upon is not within?

But what do you think, disciples of Jesus are also children of God, are they also divine? What does it mean to you?

It's the logical conclusion if an outside entity enters your body and then takes over. The Spirit "sent him out into the wilderness". How is that not body/mind invasion?

Bible doesn’t say the spirit invaded body or mind.

You ignore "by his resurrection from the dead". He had to have died and been resurrected first. This could not be more clear.

The meaning is, that Jesus was raised from the death, proclaims he is son of God.

[RedEye]

If Jesus was already the Son of God then he was already divine. You would need to explain why the "spirit thing" would need to descend upon him and why it would then direct him to do things. It makes no sense unless Jesus did not become the Son of God until that moment (when the Spirit entered him).

Upon is not within?

I'm fairly sure that the Spirit descended on him for a reason (and that reason was not to just take a quick peek). Don't you?

But what do you think, disciples of Jesus are also children of God, are they also divine? What does it mean to you?

As far as I know Jesus is the only one appointed "Son of God". Are there more that I should be aware of?

It's the logical conclusion if an outside entity enters your body and then takes over. The Spirit "sent him out into the wilderness". How is that not body/mind invasion?

Bible doesn’t say the spirit invaded body or mind.

Yeah, it does. How else did it control where Jesus was to go next?

You ignore "by his resurrection from the dead". He had to have died and been resurrected first. This could not be more clear.

The meaning is, that Jesus was raised from the death, proclaims he is son of God.

I fail to see any rebuttal to my argument there. Sorry.

[07-07-07]

Jesus was the Son of God before the earth was made by the Godhead (The Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit).

[RedEye]

Jesus was the Son of God before the earth was made by the Godhead (The Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit).

Okay, you're going with gJohn. Now explain how the other gospel/epistle authors got it so badly wrong if they too were divinely inspired. This was the question in the OP.

[1213]

As far as I know Jesus is the only one appointed "Son of God". Are there more that I should be aware of?

According to the Bible, many have been called son of God in the Bible.

I said, "You are gods, All of you are sons of the Most High. Nevertheless you shall die like men, And fall like one of the rulers."
Psalms 82:6-7

It happened, when men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them, that God's sons saw that men's daughters were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives of all that they chose.
Genesis 6:1-2

And Jesus came to give the words that could turn us to children of God:

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name:
John 1:12

Yeah, it does. How else did it control where Jesus was to go next?

I don’t think Bible means it controlled Jesus. I have understood it led and Jesus followed.

[RedEye]

As far as I know Jesus is the only one appointed "Son of God". Are there more that I should be aware of?

According to the Bible, many have been called son of God in the Bible.

I said, "You are gods, All of you are sons of the Most High. Nevertheless you shall die like men, And fall like one of the rulers."
Psalms 82:6-7

It happened, when men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them, that God's sons saw that men's daughters were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives of all that they chose.
Genesis 6:1-2

And Jesus came to give the words that could turn us to children of God:

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name:
John 1:12

Read my words again. See the bolding above.

• John 3:16 ESV
  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
  
  1 John 4:9 ESV
  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
  
  John 1:14 ESV
  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
  
  John 3:18 ESV
  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Take your pick. Do you want to go with your poetic references (mainly in the OT) or the unwavering statements made by the author of John?

Yeah, it does. How else did it control where Jesus was to go next?

I don’t think Bible means it controlled Jesus. I have understood it led and Jesus followed.

• Mark 1:12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,

Where are the words "led" and "follow" in the text?

[07-07-07]

Jesus was the Son of God before the earth was made by the Godhead (The Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit).

Okay, you're going with gJohn. Now explain how the other gospel/epistle authors got it so badly wrong if they too were divinely inspired. This was the question in the OP.

There's nothing to explain. Your lack of understanding is meaningless.

[JehovahsWitness]

Yeah, it does. How else did it control where Jesus was to go next?

I don’t think Bible means it controlled Jesus. I have understood it led and Jesus followed.

• Mark 1:12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,

Where are the words "led" and "follow" in the text?

Do you interpret the text to mean that Jesus body and mind were under the control of an an external force over which he (Jesus) had no control, and as of that moment, much like a subject of hypnosis, Jesus had no way to exercise his own will or make any decisions for himself?