What does “the Son” mean?
Perhaps it would be best to start to say what it does not mean. It does not mean that the Son is part of the Father. Jesus showed us this many times by using the same term with the religious leaders, the Pharisees. Jesus stated that their father was the Devil and that they do the works of their father. Jesus knew that the Devil was not their fleshly father but their spiritual father. Just as the Pharisees were not a literal part of their father, Jesus was not a literal part of his father but his Son. The Pharisees were sons of the Devil. Interesting how even the “lie” has the Devil as it’s father. The “Lie” was personified by Jesus as being a son of the Devil too. So, just because someone is “the Son” or “a son” of someone, does not mean that they are literally.
44 You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.
To see an explanation of the relationship between the father and Son see “the Father” page.
Jesus told others that he is the Messiah (Christ), Son of God, and Son of Man.
36 do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.”
Even Jesus’ enemies used his words as an excuse to have him killed. Before Pilate, they exclaimed that because Jesus made himself the Son of God, he was liable to death. They used the worst charge against him. If Jesus ever claimed or if his enemies thought that Jesus was claiming to be God, they certainly would have used that as a charge against him.
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”
Jesus showed his adversaries that the Messiah (the Son of Man, the Son of God) was not the Almighty God, Yahweh.
From “the Father” page:
Jesus made it clear that the Father is Yahweh and that he is the Messiah:
Jesus questioned his disciples who they thought he was. Peter said, “The Messiah.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus, when talking to the woman at the well, openly revealed that he was the Messiah (Christ):
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
When Jesus questioned the Pharisees at Matthew 23:41-45, he identified the Father of the Messiah as Yahweh, and the Lord of king David, as the Messiah. Jesus quoted this psalm of ancient king David recorded at Psalms 110:1. In the original or even the slightly older manuscripts, the first occurrence of the title “Lord,” in Psalms 110:1, is actually Yahweh. Some translations use the English version of God’s name, Jehovah, some use Yahweh. Other translations will capitalize “LORD” to indicate that this is the Almighty God, Yahweh (Psalms 83:18). The Psalms originally have the name of the Almighty hundreds of times. It was man thoughts to remove it, not the Almighty’s. He had it placed there in the first place.
18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalm 100:1 (DARBY) Notice placement of the Divine name;
110 Jehovah said unto my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put thine enemies [as] footstool of thy feet.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
44 “‘The Lord [Yahweh] said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’
45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” – Italics added to reflect original wording of Psalms 110:1.
Notice the relationships here. Jesus asked the Pharisees who the father of the Messiah was. Jesus then says that King David, speaking by the spirit, called the Messiah “Lord.” Jesus identifies the “Lord,” in Psalms 110:1 as the Messiah and the Lord of King David. Jesus was trying to show the proof that the Messiah’s Father was not David but Yahweh, in a spiritual sense.
There are numerous records of people calling Jesus, “the Son of God,” with the exception of those who were supposed to be versed in the Law, the Pharisees. Even demons being cast out would proclaim that he was the “Son of God,” “Holy One of God,” or “Son of the Most High God” (Mark 5:7-8). Jesus even called himself the Son of God in John 10:36. This did not mean that he was the Most High God. People could be called Gods. Just because people can be called God, does not mean that they are the Most High God, Jehovah.
7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don’t torment me.” 8 For he said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
33 In the synagogue there was a man who had an unclean demonic spirit, who shouted in a loud voice, 34 “Yaah! What do you want with us, Yeshua from Natzeret? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!”
41 also demons came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But, rebuking them, he did not permit them to say that they knew he was the Messiah.
36 do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’
Interestingly, Yahweh made Solomon a son of his, when Solomon started to rule as Yahweh’s anointed one, as king of Israel. Compare that with when Yahweh gives his Anointed One the nations as an inheritance and he (Jesus) starts to rule:
Through Nathan, the prophet, Yahweh told king David that one of David’s sons would build a house for him and that Yahweh would become his father and Solomon would become his son:
1 Chronicles 17:13; 22:7-10 (WEB);
13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him that was before you;
7 David said to Solomon his son, “As for me, it was in my heart to build a house to the name of Yahweh my God. 8 But Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ‘You have shed blood abundantly, and have made great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of peace. I will give him rest from all his enemies all around; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for my name; and he will be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.’
2 The kings of the earth take a stand,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let’s break their bonds apart,
and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens will laugh.
The Lord will have them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his anger,
and terrify them in his wrath:
6 “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”
7 I will tell of the decree.
Yahweh said to me, “You are my son.
Today I have become your father.
8 Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance,
the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.
The Son is just that, the Son of the Most High, Yahweh (Jehovah).