It was the Son that created in Hebrews 1 and Colossians 1. As to being Son in the eternal state, He says, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world”; again, “I leave the world, and go to the Father.” You have no Father if you have no Son. If I do not know Him as Son when He came into the world, I have no mission from God at all. You get, too, the “Father sent the Son.”
“Son of the Father” and “Son of God” are the same essentially, only one is personal relationship, the other nature. But there are persons who take it that Christ was only Son as come into the world. The positive answer is given in Hebrews and Colossians, that by Him, the Son, the world was made.
He is also called Son as born into this world. “This day have I begotten Thee” (Psa. 2). That is not quite the same, though the same Person, of course. He was begotten in time, as to His human estate.
But Hebrews and Colossians are conclusive. It is of immense import, because I have not the Father’s love sending the Son out of heaven, if I have not Him as Son before born into the world. The Son gives up the kingdom to the Father in 1 Corinthians 15. I lose all that the Son is, if He is only so as incarnate and [lose] all the love of the Father in sending the Son.
In Acts 13 Paul, after speaking of other things, says in verse 33, “God hath... raised up Jesus” (not “again,” which ought not to be there), and so in Acts 3:26 JND, “God, having raised up His Servant” (not Son; Peter never states that Jesus is the Son of God); so in chapter 13, “He raised Him up,” as it is written in Psalm 2. “Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee,” and then he goes on to prove resurrection by quoting another text: “I will give you the sure mercies of David.” The sureness of them is the proof they were in resurrection not dependent on failing man, and then by resurrection He was declared to be the Son of God with power.
J. N. Darby