There is only one God, but He manifests Himself to Christians as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; these three are collectively referred to as the Trinity. However, what does it mean to be a “Son of God”?
Different meanings of the concept “son of God”
The term “son of God” is used in the Bible in a number of ways:
- Given that all living things are products of God’s creative activity, they can all be referred to as his offspring. Luke 3:38 refers to Adam as “the son of God” in this manner. Both Acts 17:28 and Malachi 2:10 convey the same message. Their attitude toward God should be based on the universal fact that all people are inherently God’s children.
- Second, the term “son of God” might refer to a unique, affectionate bond. Israel is frequently referred to in the Old Testament as God’s firstborn (see, for example, Exodus 4:22). It was the chosen people of God. Christians are referred to be God’s children in the New Testament (see John 1:12, Romans 8:14, 8:19, Galatians 3:26, and 4:5–6).
- Angels are referred to as “sons of God” in a few different passages (Job 1:6, 38:7). They are spiritual entities that were made with the intention of reflecting God.
- The [Davidic ruler] is referred to as the “son of God” in 2 Samuel 7:14. This alludes to his status as the Messiah. This son of David ought to rule like God, with honesty, morality, and fairness.
- The term “son of God” has a deeper theological meaning that is revealed in the New Testament. Only Jesus Christ is covered by this interpretation (Matthew 16:16, Mark 1:1, Hebrews 4:14). Because He is God and possesses divine nature, He is the Son of God. He was the Son of God from the beginning of time and took on human form in order to save people and reveal God to them. Take John 1:1, 1:14, and 1:18 as examples. For this reason, according to John 20:28, Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13, and 2 Peter 1:1, Jesus is revered as God.
Jesus Christ is recognized as the ultimate Son of God
Jesus refers to Himself solely as “Son” or “Son of man” rather than as the “son of God.” However, He is acknowledged as the Son of God on a number of occasions:
- Both during his baptism (Mark 1:11) and during his transfiguration (Mark 9:7), a voice from heaven addresses Jesus as the “Son of God.” He is [the Messiah] and Savior because of his sonship.
- According to Matthew 4:1–7, the temptations target Jesus with the presumption that He is the Son of God. Satan is aware that Jesus is able to summon angelic support.
- Demons acknowledge Jesus as the divine Son, endowed with authority over demonic spirits (Mark 3:11; 5:7).
- Jesus is acknowledged as the Son of God by those who witness his miracles and hear his teachings (Matthew 14:33; 16:16).
- Because Jesus answers the high priest’s query about whether He is “the Son of the Blessed” or “the Son of God,” He is finally condemned to death (Matthew 26:63, Mark 14:61, Luke 22:70). Since Jesus elevates Himself above God, claiming this title for Himself is blasphemous.
Thus, God Himself, demons, and people alike acknowledge Jesus as the ultimate Son of God. The generic meaning of “someone created by God” or “someone loved by God” is not close to this.
The Son of God is of the same nature as God the Father
The Son of God has existed from eternity. God created the world, and when He did so, all three members of the Trinity were present. In Genesis 1:26, God uses the pronoun “we”, showing us that all three members of the trinity were present before creation. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 – further on in this chapter it becomes clear that this Word is Jesus). The Athanasian Creed expresses this as follows: “the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal.”
The Son of God acts like God
Being called someone’s son, often has to do with “acting like someone”. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” This means: if you make peace, you are acting like God who is the supreme peacemaker. So at least on that axis, you belong to God’s family. You are his son. The same line of reasoning is found in John 8, where Jesus argues with the Pharisees. They claim to be Abraham’s children, but Jesus says: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did … You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:39, 44). This is one more meaning of Jesus being the supreme Son of God: in everything He is acting like God the Father, He is fulfilling His will completely (see for example John 5:19; 5:26; 5:30; 20:21).
The Son of God is the Savior of humanity
God The unique responsibility of rescuing the world from sin fell to the Son. He was born into the world under unusual circumstances since his mother, Mary, was a virgin and the infant was conceived inside her by the Holy Spirit of God (Matthew 1:18-21, Luke 1:26-38). He accepted the penalty for everyone’s sins on his own. He received the penalty of death that was deserved for us, but since He was without sin, death had no power over Him. After 40 days, [He resurrected from the dead] and made his way back to heaven. A lovely summary of this can be found in John 3:16: God loves the world so much that he offered his one and only Son, so that anybody who believes in him shouldn’t
