Like Father, Like Son

I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.   John 1:34, ESV

When John the Baptist says that Jesus is the Son of God, the word Son does not mean he’s a dependent relative of the Father. The Father and the Son’s relationship has no beginning and no end.

In the ancient world, if you were a boy, you did what your father did, and if you were a girl, you followed in the footsteps of your mother. By watching them, you’d learn how things were done. If it were still like this today and you were the son of a plumber, you’d be a plumber. If he was a good plumber, you’d likely be a good one too, but if he wasn’t, your work would likely suffer. The father’s work is normally reflected in the work of the son.

Names were given, in the ancient world, to describe character. For example, we’re told that “the sons of Eli were sons of Belial” (1 Samuel 2:12, KJV). Notice that the word sons is used in two completely different ways in this one verse. These men were Eli’s dependent children, but the character they reflected was not Eli’s, but the devil’s (or Belial’s). This is not a very complimentary description.

On a more positive note, God referred to Israel as his “son.” He said to Pharaoh, “Let my son go, so he can worship me” (Exodus 4:23). The Hebrew people were descended from Abraham, but God called them to reflect his holiness and to express his character in the world, so God called the nation his son.

In the New Testament we read about a man named Joseph, whom “the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means ‘Son of Encouragement’)” (Acts 4:36). “Barnabas” was a nickname given to Joseph because he was a great encourager—he was encouragement personified, encouragement in human flesh.

Jesus is called “the Son of God” not because he is a dependent relative of the Father, but because he reflects the nature of the Father perfectly. He is everything that God is, in the flesh. He shares the Father’s nature and glory; he is “the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

For further reading, see Colossians 1