Luke 1:35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
In ancient kingdoms, the son of the king held delegated authority entrusted to him by the king. They
were not on the same level, and the son’s authority was subject to the king’s approval. While this
concept can relate to Jesus’ authority as the Son of God, His title is not merely a statement of
relationship but a declaration of divine authority, since God is divine. However, this does not make Jesus
lesser, for His Sonship has existed for as long as the Father has existed. Even our finite minds can
understand that a man is only called a father when he has a son, and a son is only called such because
his existence implies the existence of a father. The title exists only if both exist at the same time. Thus,
this title is not about hierarchy but about the revelation of Jesus’ true nature.
He is the “begotten” Son of God, making Him very different from us. Those who have surrendered their
lives to Christ are given the right to be called children of God (John 1:12), but this means we are only
adopted children of God. How so?
- We are not THE begotten Son of God. Only Jesus is, who share the same divinity and authority
as God the Father. - We were once children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), and our father is the devil (John 8:44).
- We are saved through Jesus Christ, who paid for our ransom, and transferred us into God’s
family, making us adopted children of God. By nature, we were not His children, but through
Him, we have been adopted.
And this adoption is not like modern-day adoption. To be adopted into the family of God means
receiving the full blessings of a legitimate child. Galatians 4:4-7 clarifies that we are no longer slaves but
sons and fellow heirs through God.
Why is this important to mention? Because only through the “Sonship of Christ” are we assured that
what belongs to Him will also belong to us. This is what it means to be “co-heirs with Christ” (Romans
8:16-17). Of course, this does not mean we will be gods like Jesus, but we will share in His glory as He
triumphs over His enemies. Today, we may feel like sin is winning over us and our problems have
overtaken us, but we must remember that Christ already mentioned that His followers will indeed
experience tribulation. Our comfort is that He has “overcome the world”. And not only do we benefit
from this, but we are “more than conquerors”, for even our sufferings and death serve for our growth
and for the glory of God.
The “Sonship of Christ” is not out of necessity for our benefit—it is His very nature. His Sonship, in the
incarnational sense, was voluntary and has always been part of the Triune God’s redemptive plan. And
in His Sonship, we experience His blessings. Praise be to God!
