Son of God — Unique and Beloved
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Biblical Names Provide Insights
How would you get to know a person? Ask their name? Ask them what they do or like to do?
In biblical times, names were important enough for parents to take time to think about what to name their child. They would often choose a name that meant something or was prophetic in some way.
For example, Hannah prayed to God for a son because she was barren (1 Samuel Chapter 1). When God answered her prayer, and she had a son, she named him Samuel, meaning “God hears.” So, every time she said his name, she was reminded that God hears.
Son of God
A study of the phrase “son of” shows Jesus’ human lineage. He’s a son of Abraham, of Joseph, of Mary, and of David. But let’s focus on his heavenly lineage as the Son of God.
Mark 1:1 APNT:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Luke 1:35 APNT:
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Because of this, the one who is begotten in you will be holy and will be called the Son of God.
The first thing we see here is that it is all tied in with the Spirit, which came over Mary in order for the Son of God to be born. What was born in her was holy.
Luke 3:16 APNT:
John answered and said to them, “Behold, I baptize you with water, but one who is greater than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,
John 1:33 APNT:
And I did not know him, but he who sent me [God] to baptize with water said to me, ‘Him on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain, this [one] will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
“With fire” represents acceptance. Giving him Spirit was also an acknowledgment that God accepted him.
John 20:31 APNT:
But even these [things] were written that you would believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and [that] when you believe, you would have eternal life through his name.
This is summarized in Romans Chapter 1.
Romans 1:3–4 APNT:
3 concerning his Son, who was born in the flesh of the seed of the house of David
4 and was made known [as] the Son of God by power and by the Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus Christ our Lord from the dead,
Let’s look at 1 John, where it talks about us.
Son of God: is holy, has life, has power, has acceptance, has spirit.
There was an old popular acronym, SOGWAP (Son Of God With All Power).
1 John 4:15 APNT:
Everyone who confesses Jesus, that he is the Son of God, God remains in him and he remains in God.
1 John 5:4–5 APNT:
4 because everyone who is born of God has overcome the world and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.
5 For who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Jesus’ relationship with the Father shows our relationship with the Father.
Only Begotten Son
John 3:16 KJV:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
“Only begotten Son” is a wonderful phrase that comes from the record of Isaac and Abraham in Genesis.
“Only son” is the Hebrew word yachid. This word can be translated “unique,” “unparalleled,” “incomparable,” “darling,” or “only.”
1 John 4:9 APNT:
By this the love of God toward us is known, because God sent his unique Son into the world that we would have life by him.
Isaac had a miraculous conception, as did Jesus. Abraham received Isaac back as in a figure of the resurrection.
We are unique, not because of our physical birth, but because of our spiritual new birth. We, too, have an incredible, supernatural birth.
John 1:14 APNT:
And the word became flesh and lived among us and we saw his glory, the glory as of the unique one who was from the Father, who is full of grace and truthfulness.
The Aramaic word picture for “father,” abba, is “the strong one of the house.” There are action verbs underneath an Aramaic word like “father.” In Assyrian, another Semitic language, the verb means “the one who decides.”
“People are acting as orphans because they don’t realize they have a father.” —Todd White
We have the best father imaginable—God!
Beloved Son
There are two times in the Gospels where God says, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” The first time is at Jesus’ baptism, and the second time is at the Mount of Transfiguration.
That phrase is something a father would say to a Jewish boy when he was between 12 and 14 years old at bar mitzvah. The father would place his hands on the boy’s shoulders and present him to the congregation by saying, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” That ushered the boy into his apprenticeship to learn the business of the father.
Recall when Jesus was talking with the rabbis in the temple when he was about 12 years old, and they were amazed at his understanding. Jesus said to his parents, “Don’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Jesus took the time from 12 to 30 as an apprenticeship to learn the father’s business (both Joseph’s carpentry business and God’s business).
Bar mitzvah means son of accountability.
Luke 3:22 APNT:
and the Holy Spirit came down on him in the likeness of the form of a dove. And a voice came from heaven that said, “You are my beloved Son in whom I am pleased.”
“Pleased” could also be translated as “delighted in.”
Psalm 2:7 KJV:
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Look at the preceding verse:
Psalm 2:6 KJV:
Yet have I set [installed] my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
The second time the phrase is used is at the Mount of Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah appear in a vision, and Jesus’ face shines.
Luke 9:34-35 APNT:
34 And when he said these [things], a cloud came and overshadowed them. And they were afraid when they saw that Moses and Elijah entered into the cloud.
35 And a voice came from the cloud that said, “This is my beloved Son. Hear him.”
God has announced Jesus’ role as prophet, priest, and king. After this, he does the high priestly prayer in the book of John. Jesus ministers in a completely different way after this point. Recall the bar mitzvah tradition where the father would place his hands on the boy’s shoulders and say, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”
We are sons too (1 John 3:2). We are a royal priesthood (2 Peter 2:9).
1 John 3:1–2 APNT:
1 And see how great [is] the love of the Father toward us, because he has called us, even made us, sons. Because of this, the world does not know us, because it did not even know him.
2 My beloved [ones], now we are the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we are going to be, but we know that when he is revealed, we will be in his likeness and we will see him as he is.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 APNT:
But we are indebted to give thanks to God always for you, our brothers, beloved of our Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to life by the holiness of the Spirit and by the faith of the truth.
God has made us accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6).
We need to get busy being about our Father’s business.
This teaching is also available on the Acts Now Fellowship website.
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