Quora Answer: If Jesus (a.s.) is Not the Son of God, Why Did He Say He Was?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “If Jesus (a.s.) is not the Son of God, why did he say he was?”

Jesus (a.s.) never called himself “Son of God”.  In the canonical gospels, the expression, “Son of Man” occurs 81 times in the Greek text, and is used only in the sayings of Jesus (a.s.).  Jesus (a.s.) specifically referred to himself as “Son of Man”.  “Son of Man” appears 30 times in the Gospel according to Matthew, 14 times in the Gospel according to Mark, 25 times in the Gospel according to Luke, and 12 times in the Gospel according to John.  Before its use in the canonical gospels, there are no records of “Son of Man” used in any surviving Greek texts of antiquity. 

In contrast, in every instance that “Son of God” is used, Jesus (a.s.) never said it.  In the Gospel according to Matthew: 

Matthew 14:33

³³ And the ship’s crew came and said, falling at his feet, “Thou art indeed the Son of God.” 

³³ οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες: ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ. 

³³ Qui autem in navicula erant, venerunt, et adoraverunt eum, dicentes: Vere Filius Dei es. 

Matthew 16:15-16

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “And what of you? Who do you say that I am?”  ¹⁶ Then Simon Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

¹⁵ λέγει αὐτοῖς: ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι; ¹⁶ ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπεν: σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. 

¹⁵ Dicit illis Jesus: Vos autem, quem me esse dicitis?  ¹⁶ Respondens Simon Petrus dixit: Tu es Christus, Filius Dei vivi. 

Matthew 27:41-44

⁴¹ The chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him in the same way.  ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “he cannot save himself. If he is the king of Israel, he has but to come down from the cross, here and now, and we will believe in him.  ⁴³ He trusted in God; let God, if He Favours him, Succour him now; he told us, ‘I am the Son of God.’”  ⁴⁴ Even the thieves who were crucified with him uttered the same taunts. 

⁴¹ ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἐμπαίζοντες μετὰ τῶν γραμματέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων ἔλεγον: ⁴² ἄλλους ἔσωσεν, ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι: βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ ἐστιν, καταβάτω νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ πιστεύσομεν ἐπ' αὐτόν: ⁴³ πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, ῥυσάσθω νῦν εἰ θέλει αὐτόν: εἶπεν γὰρ ὅτι θεοῦ εἰμι υἱός.  ⁴⁴ τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ οἱ λῃσταὶ οἱ συσταυρωθέντες σὺν αὐτῷ ὠνείδιζον αὐτόν. 

⁴¹ Similiter et principes sacerdotum illudentes cum scribis et senioribus dicebant: ⁴² Alios salvos fecit, seipsum non potest salvum facere: si rex Israël est, descendat nunc de cruce, et credimus ei: ⁴³ confidit in Deo: liberet nunc, si vult eum: dixit enim: Quia Filius Dei sum.  ⁴⁴ Idipsum autem et latrones, qui crucifixi erant cum eo, improperabant ei. 

Matthew 27:54

54 So that the centurion and those who kept guard over Jesus with him, when they perceived the earthquake and all that befell, were overcome with fear; “No doubt,” they said, “but this was the Son of God.” 

⁵⁴ ὁ δὲ ἑκατόνταρχος καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ τηροῦντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἰδόντες τὸν σεισμὸν καὶ τὰ γενόμενα ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα, λέγοντες: ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος. 

⁵⁴ Centurio autem, et qui cum eo erant, custodientes Jesum, viso terræmotu, et his quæ fiebant, timuerunt valde, dicentes: Vere Filius Dei erat iste. 

And in the Gospel according to Mark: 

Mark 1:11

¹¹ There was a Voice, too, out of heaven, “Thou art My Beloved Son; in thee I am Well Pleased.” 

¹¹ καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν: σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν σοὶ εὐδόκησα. 

¹¹ Et vox facta est de cælis: Tu es Filius meus dilectus, in te complacui. 

Mark 3:11-12

¹¹ The unclean spirits, too, whenever they saw him, used to fall at his feet and cry out, ¹² “Thou art the Son of God”; and he would give them a strict charge not to make him known. 

¹¹ καὶ τὰ πνεύματα τὰ ἀκάθαρτα, ὅταν αὐτὸν ἐθεώρουν, προσέπιπτον αὐτῷ καὶ ἔκραζον λέγοντες ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.  ¹² καὶ πολλὰ ἐπετίμα αὐτοῖς ἵνα μὴ αὐτὸν φανερὸν ποιήσωσιν. 

¹¹ Et spiritus immundi, cum illum videbant, procidebant ei: et clamabant, dicentes: ¹² Tu es Filius Dei. Et vehementer comminabatur eis ne manifestarent illum. 

Mark 9:6

⁶ And a cloud formed, overshadowing them; and from the cloud came a voice, which said, “This is My Beloved Son; to him, then, listen.” 

⁶ οὐ γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἀποκριθῇ: ἔκφοβοι γὰρ ἐγένοντο. 

⁶ Et facta est nubes obumbrans eos: et venit vox de nube, dicens: Hic est Filius meus carissimus: audite illum. 

Mark 15:39

³⁹ The centurion who stood in front of him, perceiving that he so yielded up his spirit with a cry, said, “No doubt but this was the Son of God.” 

³⁹ ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ κεντυρίων ὁ παρεστηκὼς ἐξ ἐναντίας αὐτοῦ ὅτι οὕτως ἐξέπνευσεν εἶπεν: ἀληθῶς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος υἱὸς θεοῦ ἦν 

³⁹ Videns autem centurio, qui ex adverso stabat, quia sic clamans expirasset, ait: Vere hic homo Filius Dei erat. 

And in the Gospel according to Luke: 

Luke 1:35

³⁵ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee. Thus, this holy offspring of thine shall be known for the ‘Son of God.’” 

³⁵ καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν αὐτῇ, πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι: διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον κληθήσεται, υἱὸς θεοῦ. 

³⁵ Et respondens angelus dixit ei: Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei. 

Luke 4:41

⁴¹ Many, too, had devils cast out of them, which cried aloud, “Thou art the Son of God”; but he rebuked them and would not have them speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. 

⁴¹ ἐξήρχετο δὲ καὶ δαιμόνια ἀπὸ πολλῶν, κραυγάζοντα καὶ λέγοντα ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ἐπιτιμῶν οὐκ εἴα αὐτὰ λαλεῖν, ὅτι ᾔδεισαν τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι. 

⁴¹ Exibant autem dæmonia a multis clamantia, et dicentia: Quia tu es Filius Dei: et increpans non sinebat ea loqui: quia sciebant ipsum esse Christum. 

And in the Gospel according to John: 

John 1:32-34

³² John also bore witness thus, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and resting upon him.  ³³ Until then, I did not know him; but then I remembered what I had been Told by the God Who Sent Me to baptise with water.  He Told me, ‘The man who will baptise with the Holy Spirit is the man on whom thou wilt see the Spirit come down and rest.’  ³⁴ Now I have seen him, and have borne my witness that this is the Son of God.” 

³² καὶ ἐμαρτύρησεν Ἰωάννης λέγων ὅτι τεθέαμαι τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον ὡς περιστερὰν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐπ' αὐτόν.  ³³ κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν, ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι, ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν: ἐφ' ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον ἐπ' αὐτόν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.  ³⁴ κἀγὼ ἑώρακα, καὶ μεμαρτύρηκα ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. 

³² Et testimonium perhibuit Joannes, dicens: Quia vidi Spiritum descendentem quasi columbam de cælo, et mansit super eum.  ³³ Et ego nesciebam eum: sed qui misit me baptizare in aqua, ille mihi dixit: Super quem videris Spiritum descendentem, et manentem super eum, hic est qui baptizat in Spiritu Sancto.  ³⁴ Et ego vidi: et testimonium perhibui quia hic est Filius Dei. 

John 11:24-27

²⁴ Martha said to him, “I know well enough that he will rise again at the resurrection, when the last day comes.”  ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and life; he who believes in me, though he is dead, will live on, ²⁶ and whoever has life, and has faith in me, to all eternity cannot die. Dost thou believe this?”  ²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I have learned to believe that thou art the Christ; thou art the Son of the living God; it is for thy coming the world has waited.” 

²⁴ λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ Μάρθα: οἶδα ὅτι ἀναστήσεται ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.  ²⁵ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή: ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ κἂν ἀποθάνῃ ζήσεται, ²⁶ καὶ πᾶς ὁ ζῶν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα: πιστεύεις τοῦτο; ²⁷ λέγει αὐτῷ: ναί, κύριε: ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐρχόμενος. 

²⁴ Dicit ei Martha: Scio quia resurget in resurrectione in novissimo die.  ²⁵ Dixit ei Jesus: Ego sum resurrectio et vita: qui credit in me, etiam si mortuus fuerit, vivet: ²⁶ et omnis qui vivit et credit in me, non morietur in æternum. Credis hoc?  ²⁷ Ait illi: Utique Domine, ego credidi quia tu es Christus, Filius Dei vivi, qui in hunc mundum venisti. 

John 19:7

⁷ The Jews answered, “We have our own law, and by our law he ought to die, for pretending to be the Son of God.” 

⁷ ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι: ἡμεῖς νόμον ἔχομεν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὀφείλει ἀποθανεῖν, ὅτι υἱὸν θεοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐποίησεν. 

⁷ Responderunt ei Judæi: Nos legem habemus, et secundum legem debet mori, quia Filium Dei se fecit. 

In none of these passages, did Jesus (a.s.) himself say, explicitly, that he is the “Son of God”.