S OF CHRIST.

IV.--CHRIST THE SON OF GOD.

"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. xvi. 16).

"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth
in him and he in God" (I. John iv. 15).

"And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth
that Jesus is the Son of God?" (I. John v. 5).

In one sense all men are sons of God. In a much dearer sense all
Christians are sons and daughters of the Almighty. But the relationship
of Christ to the Father is infinitely above this. He is _the_ Son of
God. God is His Father by direct production, without the agency of a
human father. The same divine power that can create life through the
agency of man, can create it without such agency. Hence there is
nothing to stumble over in the idea of the miraculous conception, to
one who fully accepts the God of the Bible in the character in which He
is revealed as a divine creator. To accept God as the creator of heaven
and earth, and then stagger at His performance of any miracle is a
logical absurdity.

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God in the high sense that involved
equality with the Father. He said: "I and the Father are one." On
account of this relationship, "He thought it not robbery to be equal
with God." His enemies understood that this equality was involved in
His claim; hence they charged Him with blasphemy in making Himself
equal with God.

This was a high claim on the part of the Nazarene. He claimed to be
more than a man. When some said that He was John, or Elijah, or
Jeremiah, or some one of the prophets, they underestimated Him
according to His claim. The greatest prophet, or inspired teacher, that
had ever appeared among men, _even if raised from the dead as the
special messenger of God to His people_, could not meet the demands
involved in the claim of Jesus, that He was the Son of God.

This high claim had to be sustained by two distinct lines of
testimony--miracles and a sinless life. The purpose of miracles is to
establish the claims of the miracle-worker and to glorify God. The
miracles of Jesus establish His divine mission and claim to the
Messiahship. No man could do the miracles He did "except God be with
him;" and God would not be with one who was advocating false claims.
The enemies of Jesus understood this; hence they said: "God heareth not
sinners." Miracles are the substratum of the foundation underlying our
faith.

While the divine claim