What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God?

Many people are familiar with the term "Son of God" in relation to Jesus, but are ignorant of it's true meaning. There are certain religious cults like the Jehovah's witness, who believe that the meaning of Son of God in it's application to Jesus implies that he was created. Others also are of the view that God the father had intimacy with the virgin Mary, and that brought about the birth of Jesus Christ. When Christian's call Jesus the Son of God, it doesn't mean Jesus was created nor began to be the Son of God at his birth. Jesus is the Son of God in a unique sense, in that he is God. We Christians are the sons of God only by virtue of our regeneration which includes faith, and adoption into God's family. Paul wrote by the Spirit: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3; 26). And in his epistle to the Ephesians he wrote: He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1; 5-6). But Jesus is the Son of God, in that he is of the same essence and nature with God, and equal with God. He is the Son of God in a unique sense, that sets him apart from all others.

 When we say Jesus is the Son of God, we mean that he is God and equal with the father. The early Jews understood Jesus claim to be the Son of God to mean that he is coequal with the father: But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:17-18). Because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the Jews became furious and wanted to kill him because they understood the meaning of his claim. In another place, the bible says: I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God (John 10; 30-33). 

In the passage, Jesus said that he and his father are one. They are one in essence and nature, they possess the same divine prerogatives that makes them God. For this cause, they sought to put him to death for blasphemy, because of their ignorance of the truth. The term ''Son of God'' speaks of Jesus divine nature. In the book of Hebrews, it is written: The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1; 3). Jesus as the Son of God radiates God's glory and expresses the very nature of God. It is important to note, that Jesus did not become the Son of God when he was born into the world. It doesn't mean Jesus was nonexistent until his conception and birth. Jesus was preexistent with the father even before his incarnation. He was with God even before time began: And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was (John 17:5). In the same chapter he said: Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world (John 17; 24). Jesus is not an ordinary being, he is the eternal Son of God, preexistent with the father, even before the foundation of the world. Isn't God the only self existent being, who was in being before the foundation of the earth was laid, and before time began? Then Jesus is God. Beloved, learn this, Jesus own claim to be the Son of God was validated, it was proven to be true, when he resurrected from the grave bodily on the third day.

 Paul wrote: Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1: 3-4). What authenticated Jesus claim to be the Son of God was his resurrection from the dead. He was declared, not made, but declared to be the Son of God by reason of his resurrection. His resurrection from the dead validated his own claims to be none other than the eternal Son of God. The gospel of Jesus was written for this purpose: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20: 31). But if you fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of the father, then of a truth, I doubt your salvation. The reason is that to believe in the eternal sonship of Jesus Christ is a foundational creed of our Christian faith which is very consistent with what the bible teaches.  To believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is an essential ingredient for anyone to be saved. The above exegesis can be recapitulated in this sentence: Jesus is the Son of God means that he is God. God bless you

               A thought to ponder
Jesus was preexistent with the father even before his incarnation

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