This collaboration episode is a little short, but covers an important topic.

Touching base on the Apostle’s Creed, the second statement of faith reads:

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:

What does the term, “Only begotten son” mean as it pertains to Jesus? We explore a handful of places that use the phrase in the New Testament, mostly writings of John.

In these few verses there’s a lot to be learned about the imortal, invisible almighty God who created the univers. He was the Word who created all that was created, and when the time was right he made himself a body of flesh, so he could interact with the rest of us. His apostles, namely John, witnessed the glory of it all, as they had God dwelling among them. They are witnesses of his grace, glory, and truth. Though Jesus has returned to his placce in heaven, the historical testimony that he really lived on earth remains.

Jesus was a gift from God. To believe in him means life. John also mentions the only begotten is the manifest of love. Manifest is to make clearly plain, as in opening a book for all to read. Isn’t that love? When our only hope in life is our achievements we might attain in a lifetime. Then what? The grave, and someone else gets to claim our possessions. Because of the mission the only begotten son came to do, we now have this manifest gift. we have a way to be restored. Redeemed from our sins to be reconciled and back in God’s good graces.

Let’s look at these references concerning theOnly begotten.

John 1

14  And the Word was made 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.

KJV

John 1

18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 3

16 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.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

A curious find is made while looking up information on the only begotten. The writer of Hevrews uses this term that is linked to Jesus. He links it to describe a relationship of Abraham to his son, Isaac. Is this a parallel between establishing the seed of a promised nation, to the coming of the Messiah? is it a parallel of the earthly kingdom to the spiritual kingdom that Jesus came to establish??

The One receiving the promise, is found offering his son. Abraham seems to stand in as a God-figure. The difference being that there was no power of salvation in offering Isaac. Only the testing of Abraham’s faith. The result was a subsitute. A ram that was provided by God, and was acceptable.

God’s true sacrifice was to come to earth, but to be sacrificed with the kind of power to take away the sins of all the world. A task that the one and only begotten son could do.

Hebrews 11

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

To wrap up, I hope it’s as clearly plain to you, as it is to me, that the love of the only begotten son is manifest, and is a gift of love and life.

1 John 4

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

From this short episode, I hope the Holy Spirit has touched a chord of faith to draw your heart closer to his. And that an understanding of having the Lord, Jesus Christ, as the only begotten son of God, will be an inspirational part of your life.