Luke 9:35

[arapahoepark]

What is meant in verses like the above that Christ is 'the chosen one'? I know he is the firstborn/firstfruit which means he was before creation, so does He being the chosen one mean the same thing or something similar?

 

[Peairtach]

A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." (NIV)

And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. (KJV)

It says He was chosen in the NIV but not in the KJV.

Christ in His humanity was chosen.

E.g.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.(Is 42:1)

 

[Contra_Mundum]

A non-disputed text would be Lk.23:35, "And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" Or the "Elect One." Is.42:1 has already been mentioned. See also 1Pet.2:4; cf. Is.28:16.

Going back into the OT types, we find Jacob/Israel is God's elect (a point Paul picks out to demonstrate the doctrine of personal election, Rom.9). But Jacob (and after him the earthly nation) is only foresignifying the one, true Israelite--the Christ. On the one hand, Jacob is like all of us who are totally unworthy of divine election. The Christ is the only one who is actually worthy of such an election. On the other hand, all the imperfect OT types of "chosen men" at their best point to the hope in one who really will be what they (along with the rest of us) cannot be in fact.

Because of the worthiness of Christ to be elected, all the unworthy who are elect-in-Christ will participate in his resurrection and life, Eph.1:4.