Matthew 5; Luke 6

SON OF GOD

“It does not appear from the Gospels that our Lord frequently applied this title to Himself though we often find it used by others in speaking to Him. But there is ample proof that He claimed to be the Son of God in a sense that was true of Him and of no one else. He speaks of Himself as Son of God, and of others as sons of God, but there is not a single passage in which the sonship of others is spoken of as being the same thing as His own. So, too, He speaks of ‘my Father’ and ‘your Father,’ but never of ‘our Father.’ (The Lord’s Prayer is no exception, as it was intended for the disciples’ use.) There is a consistency in scripture, ancient and modern, that Jesus Christ is literally the Son of God the Father, being the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. (See Jacob 4:5; D&C 20:21; Moses 6:52, 54, 57.)”

Bible Dictionary, Son of God

SON OF MAN

“A title of our Lord, found in the Gospels about 80 times, used by Him in speaking of Himself but never used by anyone else in speaking of Him, though we see from Acts 7:56 that Christians did apply it to Him soon after His Ascension. In the Old Testament the expression ‘son of man’ is frequently used to denote simply ‘a man.’ The expression is found 90 times in the book of Ezekiel, where the Lord uses the term for the prophet.

The main ideas that probably underlie the title as applied to our Lord are (1) lowliness, humility, and suffering; (2) honor and dignity, as head and founder of the kingdom of God, and judge of all men; (3) the thought of Him as the representative or ideal Man, chosen by our Lord as expressive of His headship over the whole human family.

Latter-day revelation confirms the special meaning and sacredness of this phrase when used as a name of the Savior.”

Bible Dictionary, Son of Man

SON OF GOD

“Old Testament scripture teaches that the Son of God is a kingly figure who has been chosen, established, ordained, and begotten of God, as seen in Psalm 2:6-7: “I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” Since God is the true King of heaven and earth, then the Son of God is the prince regent, or the King acting in His stead.”

Taylor Halverson, https://www.ldsliving.com/son-of-man-or-son-of-god-two-crucial-names-for-christ-we-keep- misunderstanding/s/86748

SON OF MAN

“A cursory reading of the phrase ‘Son of man’ would lead us to think that this phrase refers to any regular human being. The lower-case version of this phrase 'son of man’ does mean a human (see for example Psalm 8:4; 144:3).

However, the real meaning of ‘Son of man’ (with ‘Son' capitalized and ‘man' lowercase) is a heavenly character that comes down from on high to rid the world of wickedness, bringing peace and justice.

The first time ‘Son of man’ appears in scriptures is when the wise Daniel saw ‘in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed’ (Daniel 7:13-14). We learn from this scripture that the Son of man comes down from the heavens and brings with Him the power of everlasting dominion.

Many Jews understood that the Son of man would be a conquering hero from heaven. However, the Jews, including some of Jesus’s disciples, couldn’t comprehend how such an unassailable hero could simultaneously be so humble and meek. Wasn’t the Son of man come to destroy the sinners?

Yes, the Son of man is a heavenly figure who comes to earth to bring peace by ridding the world of wickedness. However, the Son of man is not simply a violent, conquering hero. He is also the humble Son of God who can heal.”

T Taylor Halverson, https://www.ldsliving.com/son-of-man-or-son-of-god-two-crucial-names-for-christ-we-keep- misunderstanding/s/86748

JESUS

“When Jesus speaks of Himself as ‘Son of man,’ He is referring to His heavenly and divine attributes and that He has come to earth to establish justice and peace by abolishing wickedness. When Jesus is called the 'Son of God,’ He is referring to His earthly human attributes as a King who has been empowered by the Heavenly King (God Himself) to demonstrate the realities of God’s kingdom through power, healing, miracles, and glory”

Taylor Halverson, https://www.ldsliving.com/son-of-man-or-son-of-god-two-crucial-names-for-christ-we-keep- misunderstanding/s/86748

MATTHEW 5:2

“And he opened his mouth, and taught them saying, Blessed are they who shall believe on me; and again, more blessed are they who shall believe on your words when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe on your words and come down into the depth of humility and be baptized in my name; for they shall be visited with fire and the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.”

Joseph Smith Translation

THE BEATITUDES

“The Beatitudes embody ‘the constitution of a perfect life.’ This view of the Beatitudes makes it impossible to regard the attributes described therein as anything but the most profound expression of discipleship, ones that cannot be arrived at in a moment. Rather, these characteristics are developed after a person is baptized and receives gift of the Holy Ghost, after a significant price has been paid, and after a period of loyalty to the Lord and service to his Church have been offered.”

Andrew Skinner, The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, pg. 338