# The Son of God, and Judaism **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 26, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759 "2008-12-26T18:39:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/21 "2008-12-27T04:03:12Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > A corollary question would be, “how will they tell?” Presumably, someone saying, “I’m here, gotta love me!” isn’t sufficient. They can tell by whether or not you rebuild the Temple and bring world peace, etc. It’s not a birth right. It’s confirmed by achievement. It’s kind of like if there’s a prophecy that a guy will cure cancer. You’re not The Guy Who Will Cure Cancer until you cure cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/22 "2008-12-27T04:08:01Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Would it matter what Joseph’s lineage was, if we take the Christian assumption that Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father? That his biological father was God himself. That’s correct. Without patrilinear descent from David, you can’t be the Messiah. That does make Matthew’s and Luke’s attempts to go through Joseph immaterial (and it can’t be passed through adoption either, which is another common apologetic). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/23 "2008-12-27T04:12:09Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Isn’t this a bit of a misnomer? “Biological father” implies some degree of genetic continuity, doesn’t it? According to the story, God may be the “father,” but not in the sense that he _actually_ impregnated Jesus’ mother, but that he caused her to be with child. That actually IS the literal claim in the Gospels. Matthew claims that Mary was literally knocked up by the Holy Ghost. It’s made clear that Joseph is not the biological father, because Joesph initially assumes she cheated on him and wants to divorce her. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/24 "2008-12-27T04:14:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The gospels don’t get into the DNA aspects, but if we put that aside, we still are left with the fact that Joseph was not the biological father. Had someone else been his father (let’s say we don’t know who), and Joseph adopted Jesus, would Joseph’s lineage be important for Jesus to claim descent from David? Adoption doesn’t count. It has to be a blood descendant of David. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/25 "2008-12-27T06:09:32Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > You’re not The Guy Who Will Cure Cancer until you cure cancer. Technically, you’re not The Guy Who Will Cure Cancer after you cure cancer either. ---
**Author:** ![HumanMonkeyGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c67d28/32.png) [@HumanMonkeyGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HumanMonkeyGod)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/26 "2008-12-27T07:54:50Z")
I’m confused. Would the messiah _know_ he’s the messiah or is he nominated? ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/27 "2008-12-27T12:11:20Z")
> [@HumanMonkeyGod](#): > > I’m confused. Would the messiah _know_ he’s the messiah or is he nominated? He wouldn’t necessarily know he was the messiah (though he might know or think it). The question (for those Jews who believe in an actual human messiah) is whether he does all of the things the Bible says the messiah will do. Once that happens, people will presumably turn around and say: “Holy cow, that dude’s the messiah.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/28 "2008-12-27T17:19:53Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Adoption doesn’t count. It has to be a blood descendant of David. Thanks. That’s what I thought. > [@Billdo](#): > > Once that happens, people will presumably turn around and say: “Holy cow, that dude’s the messiah.” Isn’t that what Hindus would say when their Messiah arrives. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759/29 "2008-12-27T17:55:19Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Did Jesus actually claim to be the literal son of God? According to Fr. Schneider who taught religion class at my High School, he did not. I would not call a Jesuit uneducated or mistaken. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-son-of-god-and-judaism/478759.md?page=1)