Son, The; Son of God
• 2 min. read • grade level: 7
That the Lord Jesus is a divine Person is of the very foundation of scripture. In the commencement of the Gospel by John is the statement “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Again, “Unto the Son He saith, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Psa. 45:66Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. (Psalm 45:6); Heb. 1:88But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8)). Baptism is “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:1919Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19)). Christ is spoken of as “the Son” in distinction from the Father, and glory attaches to Him as such. In many places, when the Lord was speaking of the Father, He spoke of Himself as relatively “the Son” (Matt. 11:2727All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (Matthew 11:27); &c). He was necessarily in the consciousness of the unity of the Godhead. Christ is also spoken of as God’s “only begotten Son” (John 1:14, 1814And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18); John 3:16, 1816For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18); 1 John 4:99In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)). The word is μονογενής, and is equivalent to the Hebrew word yachid, which signifies “only one,” and hence “darling” (Psa. 22:2020Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. (Psalm 22:20); Psa. 35:1717Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. (Psalm 35:17)). It is a term of endearment.
When the angel appeared to Mary, foretelling the birth of Jesus, he said, “That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)). Thus the word was to be fulfilled: “Jehovah hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son: this day have I begotten Thee” (Psa. 2:77I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (Psalm 2:7); Acts 13:3333God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. (Acts 13:33), where the word “again” should be omitted; Heb. 1:55For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? (Hebrews 1:5); Heb. 5:55So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. (Hebrews 5:5)). The Lord spoke of Himself as the Son of God (John 5:25; 9:3525Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. (John 5:25)
35Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? (John 9:35); and so forth.). He confessed it before the Jewish council (Luke 22:7070Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. (Luke 22:70)). Having died on the cross to work out redemption (John 17:1,41These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: (John 17:1)
4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (John 17:4); John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)), He was “declared to be the Son of God with power.... by the resurrection of [the] dead” (Rom. 1:44And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4)).