Apostle Don Meares
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
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.’” – John 3:14-18
The Scripture describes Jesus as both the Son of God and the Son of Man. He equally partakes of these two natures. The word “son” does not refer to the fact of origin from a previous source, although that is true of His humanity, the word “son” refers to the sharing of the same nature and the fulfillment of a particular task or role. The Bible declares that Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man equally. He has a divine nature and a human nature.
To say that Jesus has a divine nature means that He has to have divine attributes. The attributes of God Jesus possesses. All that is true of God is true of Jesus. God is omnipotent, omniscient, great in love, good, merciful, just, gracious, and many more. If all these characteristics are seen in God, then Jesus is also all these. One of the other aspects of God’s nature is His eternal existence. There’s never been a time when God has not been and Jesus, as the incarnate Word of God, bears His nature. Jesus is also eternal as God. When we look at Jesus as the word of God, we can say that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).” J
esus has always been eternal as the Living Word, before He took on flesh as a man. And since the beginning, God is living in Jesus. On the other hand, Jesus is also a human being. He did not sin, but He experienced the same things as the rest of us—He got tired, needed sleep, had to eat, wait, and weep and even experienced temptation. Through the virgin birth, Mary’s humanity and God’s deity came together to create the most unique person to ever human history, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We can trust the Bible as the inerrant Word of God because it was recorded and inspired without any human error. Even though men were involved in writing it, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit oversaw those who are writing the words to ensure that while He covered their writing, nothing got in there that shouldn’t be in there. It was the protection of the Holy Spirit that made the Bible inerrant. Likewise, Jesus had no sin because the Holy Spirit oversaw that the sin nature was not transferred to Jesus Christ. He also protected the Bible from any errors. This is why we can have confidence in God’s living and written Word.
The Only Begotten Son of God
Jesus Christ is also called the only begotten Son of God. “Begotten” means unique and one-of-a-kind. You can’t have multiple deities. You can’t have more than one Jesus. He is the only One —the only begotten Son of God.
In John 5:18, the Jewish leaders clearly understood what Jesus said when He called God, His Father. He does this throughout His ministry here on Earth. But when the leaders heard Him say that He is equal with God, they all sought to kill Him. In effect, they understood that Jesus meant He has God’s nature and is the same as the Father.
However, we must understand that even if Jesus had a human nature, it did not mix with his divine nature. Both natures exist side by side in one person. This is why at one moment, Jesus was hungry — showing His human side, and in the next, He could be on the mountain of Transfiguration —showing His God side. He could die on the cross and be raised from the dead because He has two natures operating side by side.
In addition to the two natures, the word “son” indicates a function. For example, under a person’s ministry, one might have sons and daughters even if they are not biological children. Instead, they are the minister’s spiritual children. However, the minister might also have their biological children. Paul called Timothy his son in the ministry. He was not Paul’s biological son, but he was his son in the ministry. In the same way, as Son of God and Son of Man, Jesus Christ has a ministerial responsibility. He carries the responsibility in the natural and divine realms. As the only begotten Son, He is fulfilling a job description on behalf of God, His Father. There is something that His Father wants Him to do, but on the other side, He is fulfilling a responsibility on our behalf of us.
Let’s take a look at John 14:7-11:
The Father Revealed
“’If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.’
8 Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”
Jesus Christ was not merely a man. He was God in the flesh. To see Jesus is to look at the face of God literally. To see Jesus, you are seeing the Father. You have to understand that Jesus gives us a visual of the Father. In Hebrews 1:3, it says:
“who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
Jesus referred to God as “Father” to emphasize the loving, and personal relationship believers can have with God. In the Jewish tradition, God was often called “Lord” or “Creator,” emphasizing His power and authority. However, Jesus wanted to emphasize that God was not just a distant and impersonal deity but a loving Father who desired a close and personal relationship with His children. By calling God “Father,” Jesus also affirmed His unique relationship with God as the Son of God. This term helped to establish a familial relationship between believers and God, promoting a sense of intimacy, trust, and love.
As Christians, we must understand that God is not simply a distant and impersonal deity but a loving and caring Father who desires a personal relationship with His children. This understanding of God as a Father who loves His children deeply can bring comfort and security to believers, especially in times of difficulty or hardship. It also promotes a sense of responsibility and accountability, as we are called to live our lives in a way that honors and pleases our Heavenly Father. This also reminds us of our identity as children of God and our adoption into His family.
God’s Plan for His Kingdom
Once He is on Earth, God’s plan is to have things happen just as in Heaven. But God, in this plan, restricts Himself by working through mankind. However, sin entered through Adam, giving the enemy control over the world’s kingdoms. The Earth doesn’t belong to the enemy, but he owns the kingdoms of this world. God wanted to redeem the world He made through Jesus. In His ministry here on Earth, Jesus keeps saying the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus came to reclaim what the devil had stolen. He did not just come to reclaim what Adam lost. He came to reclaim what we have lost. The devil has been ripping us off in every category of life. He is the thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us that Jesus became fully human to conquer death and free us from the fear of death. Jesus had the power to overcome death as the Son of God, but as the Son of Man, he experienced death so that he could break its power over us. Jesus defeated death through His death and resurrection. As the Son of God and Son of Man, He could take on the punishment for our sins and conquer death once and for all. He willingly died on the cross, taking on the penalty for our sins, and on the third day, He rose again, proving His power over death. Through His victory, we are offered eternal life with him. He gave us hope in our own eternal life with Him.
Jesus’ unique nature as the Son of God and the Son of Man is essential to our salvation. As God, he had the power to forgive sins and grant eternal life. As a man, he could represent humanity and offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Because Jesus was fully God, His sacrifice was perfect, and He could pay the penalty for all our sins. Because Jesus was fully man, he could identify with our weaknesses and offer us hope in our struggles.
Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, believers are freed from the power of sin and Satan. By accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are reconciled with God and no longer under the devil’s dominion. The devil may still tempt us and try to lead us astray, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit to resist and overcome his influence. In Christ, we are made new and can live in freedom and victory.
If we want to see the Holy Spirit do the miraculous in our lives, we must make other people aware of what He’s done. Through the Holy Spirit, we have the Son of Man and the Son of God residing inside of us. If we need or want something, we can make our request. The blood of Christ has paid it. The Holy Spirit will do it if we do not waver or doubt. Heaven has to come down to Earth, which happens when we tap into the power of God in us. While on Earth, we need to live by what God can do through us. This can be done through the angels, His delivery service, or His post office. Hebrews 1:14 describes angels as “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.” This verse highlights the role of angels as servants of God who carry out His will and assist believers in their journey toward salvation. Angels are not only messengers of God but also active helpers and protectors of believers. They are sent to minister or serve believers, to help and assist them in whatever ways God deems necessary.
Jesus came to announce the Kingdom’s coming and demonstrate its power through his miracles, teachings, and ultimately, His death and resurrection. As believers, we are called to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and participate in the Kingdom’s ongoing work by living lives of love, service, and obedience to God. If we want to see God’s Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven, we must believe He has given us the authority and the victory for His glory.
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