Only Begotten Son

Only Begotten Son  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Introduction

Greetings…
Today we be a new series of lessons examining the differing “Names Of Jesus” with the express goal of striving to get to know our Lord and Savior all the more.
Today we are going to start at the beginning by examining the name given to Jesus by the Father “Only Begotten Son.”
We find Jesus described as the “only begotten son” five times in the New Testament.
John 1:18 NKJV
18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John 3:16 NKJV
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:18 NKJV
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Hebrews 11:17 NKJV
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
1 John 4:9 NKJV
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
So, what exactly does it mean for Jesus to be called the “Only Begotten Son?”
With this question in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.

Only Begotten

Definition

As I’ve stated many times over the years more modern translations have removed the word “begotten.”
John 3:16 ESV
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This is insufficient because it suggests that God only has one son, but this isn’t true.
Israelites:
Deuteronomy 32:8 ESV
8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
Angelic Beings:
Job 1:6 ESV
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.
Christians:
Romans 8:14 ESV
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Matthew 5:9 ESV
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
So clearly Jesus is “more” than a son of God which is why we find the distinction made but what is that distinction suggesting?
The phrase “only begotten” in the Greek is “μονογενής” i.e., “monegenes” and means…
“unique - radically distinctive and without equal (in a category)”
So, we clearly see that Jesus’ title “only begotten son” is a description of his uniqueness and distinctiveness in comparison to all of God’s others “sons.”

Summary

The question then must be asked how is Jesus, the “Only Begotten Son” of God radically distinct and without equal compared to God’s other sons?
This uniqueness is seen in “composition” as…

God & Son

Jesus Is Deity.

There is overwhelming evidence that Jesus, not only in heaven but on earth, is God and never stopped being God.
John 1:1 ESV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Philippians 2:6 ESV
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Titus 2:13 ESV
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
John 20:28 ESV
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Colossians 2:9 ESV
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
There is no doubt that Jesus has always been, is, and forever will be God.
Hebrews 13:8 ESV
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Though Jesus has always been God he hadn’t always been man.
Which again, is what makes Jesus “radically distinct” from both deity and humanity because…

Jesus Is Human.

There is no doubt that God creates life within the womb of women.
Psalm 139:13 ESV
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
Job 10:11–12 ESV
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. 12 You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.
When it comes to this creation, we see that God doesn’t use miraculous means but allows this to happen naturally “as he created in the beginning.”
That doesn’t mean God hasn’t used providential means to help in the process for that that were not naturally conceiving on their own.
Sarah and Hannah are both great examples of this as God simply used his providential power to keep their pregnancies sustainable.
Jesus as the only begotten son is unique because when he was conceived, he was not conceived through natural means.
No, the Holy Spirit miraculously conceived Jesus as deity in the womb making Jesus man as well.
Luke 1:35 ESV
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Matthew 1:18 ESV
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 4:4 ESV
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
John 1:14 NKJV
14 And the Word became 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.

Summary

Jesus is unique and radically distinct because as deity he became human, with the same limitations of humanity.
He could sin, feel pain, be helpless as a child, suffer death.
He went through all that while also still being completely “God.”

Conclusion

Jesus as the “only begotten son” of God demands we understand he was not like everyone else.
No, his uniqueness was required so that we would, as the Father declared, “listen to him.”
Matthew 17:5 ESV
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Invitation
Isaiah 59:1–2 ESV
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Philippians 2:6–7 ESV
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Romans 10:17 ESV
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Hebrews 11:6 ESV
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Acts 17:30 ESV
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
Matthew 10:32 NKJV
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
2 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
Romans 6:3–5 ESV
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
1 John 1:7 ESV
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
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