Who Do You Say Jesus Is? The Apostolic Confession of the Son of God
The identity of Jesus Christ is the central question of the Christian faith. It’s the question Jesus Himself posed to His disciples: “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Simon Peter’s inspired response—”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16)—remains the foundational confession for all believers. Yet, understanding the depth and meaning of this title is a lifelong pursuit, a balance between intellectual knowledge and lived experience. The early church, particularly the apostles, developed a profound understanding of Jesus’ divine nature that we must also strive to grasp.
Some have suggested that there is a divide between those who focus on the knowledge of God (like fundamentalists) and those who focus on the experience (like Pentecostals). But true faith requires both. The apostles had a deep, experiential relationship with Christ, but their understanding of His identity was rooted in a rich, theological framework. They didn’t just know Jesus as a man they had walked with; they confessed Him as the pre-existent, divine Son of God.
This article delves into the apostolic understanding of Jesus’ Sonship, contrasting it with the limited perspective of some in His time and today.
The Jewish Understanding of the Son of God
The Jews of Jesus’ day held a rich, though sometimes incomplete, understanding of the coming Messiah. They believed the Son of God would be:
- The Messiah: As Peter’s confession shows, “the Christ” (the Messiah) was a title synonymous with the “Son of God.” However, many Jews, even the chief priests and elders who questioned Jesus, couldn’t accept that He was the fulfillment of these prophecies. They recognized the titles but rejected the person (Luke 22:66-70).
- The King of Israel: Nathanael’s cry, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49), connected the divine Sonship to the promised Messianic kingship of the Son of David.
- A Figure to Come into the World: Mary and others believed the Son of God was a figure destined to come into the world (John 11:27).
The point is that the Jews had a framework for the Messiah, but they struggled to accept that Jesus of Nazareth was the one who fulfilled it. Similarly, today, many can acknowledge Jesus as a historical figure, a prophet, or a good man, but they stop short of embracing Him as the divine Son of God, a view that reduces His person to something purely human.
The Apostles’ Understanding of the Son of God
The apostles, through divine revelation and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, moved beyond a limited, human-centric view to a full-fledged understanding of Jesus’ deity. Their writings provide us with a robust foundation for our own faith.
Jesus was Born Lord and Christ
Some might misinterpret Acts 2:36, where Peter says, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ,” to mean that Jesus was merely elevated to these titles after His death. However, the New Testament is clear that Jesus was born as Lord and Christ.
- Matthew 1:16 states that Jesus, who is called Christ, was born.
- The angel announced to the shepherds, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
This wasn’t a prophetic statement about a future event; it was the proclamation of an actual event. Jesus was not made Lord and Christ in the way we “make” someone a leader. Rather, He was “begotten” in the beginning. As Psalm 2:7 foretells, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” The author of Hebrews clarifies that this begetting occurred before Jesus was brought “into the world” (Hebrews 1:5-6). Therefore, Jesus’ Sonship didn’t begin in the manger; it was His pre-existent condition.
The Son of God Was “Manifested” and “Sent”
The apostles emphasized that the Son of God had a pre-incarnate existence before He came to earth.
- He was manifested: The Son of God “was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). The Greek word, phaneroo, means to appear or come into view. This implies that the Son was previously invisible, yet already in existence, before becoming visible in human form. The Word of life, which existed “from the beginning,” was “manifested to us” (1 John 1:1-3).
- He was sent: The apostles speak of God “sending” His “only begotten Son into the world” (1 John 4:9). The Greek term apostellō signifies a dispatch from one place to another for a specific purpose. Jesus’ coming was not an earthly origin but a divine mission, a movement from the Father to the world.
The term “only begotten” (monogenēs in Greek) highlights Jesus’ uniqueness. He is not a created being, but the begotten Son—the unique and singular Son of the Father, procreated, not created.
Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever
The author of Hebrews powerfully declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The entire book of Hebrews serves as a rich theological exposition of Christ’s excellent person and work, from His eternal pre-existence to His condescension and eventual exaltation. He is the same divine person from the beginning to the end, just as He declares in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End… who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
This means that Jesus Christ, the one who walked the earth, is the same divine being who was begotten in the beginning, who was made flesh, who died and was resurrected, and who now sits at the right hand of God. He is the ultimate expression of all that God is.
Conclusion
The apostolic doctrine of the Son of God is comprehensive and glorious. It proclaims that:
- Jesus Christ is the Son of God from the beginning
- The Son of God was the Word, begotten in the beginning, who served as the agent of creation.
- The Son of God, from being in the form of God, to on the form of man – was made flesh – to destroy the works of the devil, redeem humanity, and offer eternal life to all who will believe.
- The Son of God is the revelation of the Eternal Almighty God Himself, the “same yesterday, today, and forever.”
This is the Jesus we are called to know—not just as a historical figure or a good teacher, but as our Lord, our Christ, our God manifested in the flesh. This profound understanding, combined with a living experience of His power, is the foundation of a vibrant and enduring faith.
