God the SonThe Bible reveals that God is a triune being, a singular divine essence existing in three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This understanding of God’s makeup is known as the Trinity, and a brief examination of that doctrine can be found here. How the Trinity works as a state of being surpasses our limited understanding, but scripture offers a glimpse into its internal order and the characteristics of each Person. This is most clearly understood in the context of God’s work of human redemption, and the Person we most closely associate with redemption is God the Son, because it is through His work that an individual is "saved", or spared God's judgment.
Who is the Son? Scripture tells us that He is the exact representation of God’s nature, uncreated but eternally "begotten" of God the Father. Continuous divine generation is a mystery that defies any human explanation; nevertheless theologians have gotten as far as to suggest that the Son exists as the Father’s perfect idea or awareness of Himself. In theory this perfect self-awareness of the Father is so perfect as to be its own divine Person indistinguishable from the Father*, necessarily radiating the same divine essence, and fully and equally God without division, separation or change. Augustine summarized:
Therefore, having deigned to send us the Son, let us not imagine that it is something less than the Father that is sent to us. The Father, in sending the Son, sent His other self.**
While the explanation reflects the earnest assertions of historical creeds and confessions, it also represents human understanding of the mystery of God’s being and is ultimately insufficient. As Charles Spurgeon said, "Deity is not to be explained, but to be adored." A definitive ontological explanation of God the Son will not be in the offing here because it simply cannot be given. Instead we should focus on what scripture allows us to more readily see regarding the Son through the lens of redemption.
In eternity past, God determined that humanity would be redeemed from sin. This consensus agreement between the Father, Son, and Spirit prescribed an order of operation that reflects the fundamental workings of the Trinity and the eternal natures of each Person. In the work of redemption the Father determines that it will happen, the Son accomplishes it through substitutionary atonement, and the Spirit applies it to the believer.
In accomplishing the work of redemption the Son demonstrates His eternal, filial relationship to the Father. The Father initiates the act of grace, sending the Son into the world for the task. The Son submits, willingly setting aside the fullness of divine privilege to take on human form as Jesus of Nazareth. As Jesus, He lives out a perfectly sinless life and presents Himself as an unblemished sacrifice, laying down His physical life to satisfy God’s perfect justice and atone for sin once for all time. He does this in perfect obedience to the Father’s will.
This filial relationship has been the same from everlasting to everlasting; the Sonship of the second Person of the Trinity did not begin at the incarnation or at any other point in time. Scripture attests that He was the Son prior to entering human history as Jesus (Gal 4:4-6, Jn 3:31-34, Jn 16:28, Jn 17:5, Heb 1:2, 1 Jn 4:10, 1 Jn 4:14), and as God is
immutable, He is indeed the Son eternally.
His relationship to the Father as the only begotten serves as the model for how the redeemed relate to God as adopted children. Throughout the gospels and especially in the book of John, we see that Jesus is obedient and faithful to the Father, trusts and depends on Him and echoes His nature. He does not act in deference to His own will, but to
that of the Father. Obedience is a hallmark of Christ's sonship and a key element of His example to us. Love is the motivation for it.
“So that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.” — John 14:31a
Love and obedience go hand in hand (Jn 14:15, Jn 14:21, Jn 14:23-24, 1 Jn 5:3, 2 Jn 1:6). The obedience Jesus demonstrated in His earthly ministry was the visible expression of the Son’s love for the Father, and a believer’s obedience to Jesus reflects that greater example. If we truly love God, we too will pursue a filial relationship with Him. We will seek out and obey His direction in our lives so that we might align with His will. Doing the Father's will validates the faith that binds believers to Jesus as the firstborn among many brethren.
Faith is the key. A person’s obedience to God’s commandments is only meaningful when rooted in a sincere love for Him. The obstacle is that man does not naturally love God and therefore he does not naturally obey Him. It is only by God's extension of the gift of faith that any may come to know, love, and want to please Him. We must always remember that it is not the obedience practiced by a believer that unites them to God; rather it is the testimony to a true faith that makes the relationship possible.
It is through Jesus Christ, the eternal Son incarnate, that the living God has fully revealed Himself and through whom we also may receive adoption as sons. Wholly and fully God, He is the focal point of redemptive truth, accomplishing eternal salvation for all who will believe, and worthy of your obedience, love, and worship.
Reference and suggested reading:
* Sproul, R.C.; "The Holy Spirit" (Lecture 1: The Breath of Life)
** Augustine of Hippo; Tractates on the Gospel of John (XIV); c. 416
Athanasian Creed; c. 500
Murray, John; Redemption Accomplished and Applied; 1955
Nicene Creed; c. 325Image:
Dore, Gustave "The Transfiguration" (Mat 17:2-3), La Grande Bible de Tours, 1866
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Most scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB)
