وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

The relation of Christ's Sonship to the Godhead is mentioned in the Book of Isaiah who said: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Is. 9:6). In the same prophecy we find both terms 'Son' and 'Mighty God, and the word
'Wonderful' reminds us of the Lord's words to Manoah, Samson's father: "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?" (Jud. 13:18)

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


The relation between Christ's Sonship to the Godhead is also mentioned in the Book of Proverbs, which says: "Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name and what is His Son's name, if you know?" (Prov. 30:9) Here, the Scripture does not refer to an ordinary son of God's children but an Only Son, distinguished from all others because He is of the same Nature and Essence with God.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


There is a profession of Christ's Sonship to God in the miracle of walking on the sea. This miracle implies His Divinity because it is a miraculous dominion over nature. The Lord Jesus Christ walked on the water in a wonderful miraculous way the disciples had never seen. Then St. Peter said to Him: "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." When the Lord permitted him, Peter walked on the water by the power of the Lord, then doubted and sank, and the Lord saved him. What happened after that? The Gospel says: "Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God'" (Matt. 14:25-33). Did the disciples mean by the word 'Son' ordinary sonship like the rest of God's children? This is impossible because walking on water and allowing one's disciple to walk on water is not an aspect of being one of God's children. That is why the disciples worshipped Christ while using the expression 'Son of God. Their worship was a profession that Christ is the Son of God and that His Sonship is unique and of extraordinary miraculous dominion over wind and water.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


Nathanael also professed that Christ is the Son of God whose Sonship is of miraculous and mighty Divinity. The Lord said to Nathanael: "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you" (Jn. 1:48). When Nathanael realized the power of the Lord to know the unseen whether He saw him just before Philip called him, or knew a hidden incident in his past, he replied saying: "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!" (Jn. 1:49) Of course Nathanael did not mean the ordinary sonship but he meant the Sonship which has the Divine quality, of knowing the unseen. The Lord Jesus Christ accepted this confession from Nathanael and in order to confirm his belief, added: "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these... hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man" (Jn. 1:50,5 1).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


The belief of the centurion in Christ as the Son of God happened after a miracle. The Gospel according to our teacher St. Matthew says: "Now when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!"' (Matt. 27:54); (Mk. 15:38,39) When they saw the miracle of the earthquake and the darkness that came over the whole earth from the sixth hour (midday) until the ninth hour, they believed and said: "Truly this was the Son of God!" They meant the Sonship which has dominion over nature and that is why the Gospel says: "they feared. " Maybe their faith was strengthened when they saw blood and water coming out of His side when the soldier pierced Him (Jn. 19:34).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


The miracle of the Lord's Baptism made John the Baptist testify that Christ was the Son of God. He said: "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God' (Jn. 1: 33,34). This Sonship to God, to which John the priest and prophet testified, is not an ordinary sonship but a Sonship which implied His Divinity, and was declared after a miracle. That was why John the Baptist said on the same occasion: "This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me"' (Jn. 1:30), and it is known that Christ was born six months after John the Baptist.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

A confession of Christ's Sonship to God came after the miracle of giving sight to the man born blind. After performing the miracle, the Lord met the man born blind and said to him: "'Do you believe in the Son of God?' He answered and said, 'Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him? 'And Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.' Then he said, 'Lord, I believe!' And he worshipped Him" (Jn. 9:35-38). This discourse was not about a common sonship shared by all people, otherwise the man born blind would not have asked: "Who is He, Lord?" If it were an ordinary sonship, the man born blind would have said: "We are all God's children. 1, even 1, am a son of God." But it was a Sonship which needed faith and a miracle, and resulted in the man born blind worshipping the Lord as the Son of God. What adds to the importance of this miracle is that it carries a declaration from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself that He is the Son of God, as well as a call from Him to all people to believe in this.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

Belief in Christ's Sonship to God needed preaching and interpretation. This appears explicitly in the incident of the Ethiopian eunuch who was met by Philip while reading Isaiah's prophesy about Christ. He could not understand the meaning of what he was reading, so Philip explained the chapter to him and preached Christ to him. The Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip to baptize him and Philip replied: " 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God " (Acts 8:2737). Common sonship does not need any explanation or interpretation or preaching because it is common to all.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

The same may be said about Martha who professed her belief after the Lord had explained to her that He is the resurrection and the life, saying: "'He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live'... She said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world (Jn. 11:25-27). Of course Martha meant a special Sonship which has a miraculous quality ascertained by the clause "who is to come into the world" which means that He is not of this world, but has come into it.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III



Christ's Sonship was declared by the Lord Jesus Himself on more than one occasion. It is clear from His call to the man born blind to believe in the Son of God (Jn.9:35-37). And also from His words to the angel of the church in Thyatira in the Book of Revelation where He says: "These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like aflame of fire, and His feet like fine brass" (Rev. 2:18). It is also plain in all the Lord's discourses about the Son of God.