P2 - Comparing The Written Word, The Bible and the Living Word, Jesus Christ

Introduction:

    In our last post we began to comparing the Written Word, the Bible and the Living Word, Jesus Christ. Readers can read part one by clicking on the link here: http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2021/11/p1-comparing-written-word-bible-and.html.    . With our summary of the teaching of “The Word of God” as expressing either the Scriptures or describing the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ (with both conveying the power of God), we can offer examples of traits between both. 

How closely the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ share certain features.

     Each have the quality of “wordness”, which we defined as that quality that makes possible the revelation of God. The Bible is “wordness” written, since it is a by-product of the Holy Spirit working in and through the Prophets and Apostles. Jesus Christ is “wordness” Personified, making known the Father (John 14:8) and representing all three-Persons of the One, Triune Godhead (see Hebrews 1:2-3). The below comparison is applicable for the reason I mentioned in the last post, as well as today's post: what you think about the Bible, you think about Jesus Christ, and vice-versa. 

A. Jesus Christ is Fully Divine and Fully Human as One Person. (Colossians 1:16; 2:9)

    The Bible is fully Divine and Human Book. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)

B. Jesus Christ is the source of the Christian life (John 11:25).

    The Bible is responsible for the beginning of the Christian life (James 1:18).

C. Jesus Christ leads and guides believers (John 10:9; John 14:6).

    God leads and guides believers through the Bible. (Psalm 119:124)

D.  Jesus Christ is without error in His humanity or Deity (1 Peter 1:20-21; Heb 7:26).

    The Bible is without error in its literary and Divine qualities (Ps 119:96; Proverbs 30:5).

E.  Jesus Christ is complete, needing nothing added nor subtracted as Savior and Lord (Hebrews 7:24-25).

     The Bible is complete, needing nothing added nor subtracted as God’s saving and authoritative Book (Rev. 22:18).

F. Jesus Christ alone is sufficient to be our Savior, without peer in any other mediator or tradition (Acts 4:12).

    The Bible alone is our sufficient authority, by which any authority is judged (2 Tim. 3:16-17). 

Final thoughts:

As we close, I’ll quote at length John MacArthur’s study: “You Can Trust The Bible”, page 16:

“Your response to the Bible determines the course of your life and your eternal destiny. First Corinthians 2:9 says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (NIV). Man could never conceive of all that God has to offer on his own! Every time we pick up the Bible, we pick up the truth. Jesus said, "If you continue in My word . . . you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32). What did He mean by that? Think of the person who is working diligently on a math problem. As soon as he finds the answer—he's free. Or consider the scientist in the lab pouring different solutions into test tubes. He stays with it until he says, "Eureka, I found it!"—then he's free. Man will search and struggle and grapple and grope for the truth until he finds it. Only then is he free. The Bible is our source of truth—about God, man, life, death, men, women, children, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, friends, and enemies. It shows us how to live. The Bible is the source of everything you need to know about life on earth and the life to come. You can trust the Bible. It is God's living Word. the Living Word.”

P1 - Comparing The Written Word, The Bible and the Living Word, Jesus Christ

 

Introduction: 

In the booklet “You can trust the Bible”, John MacArthur surveys three main headings which convey why we can trust the Scriptures (the link for the booklet is accessible through the following link - https://www.gty.org/library/articles/45trust/you-can-trust-the-bible). The first two, "The Authenticity of the Bible" and "The Power Of The Bible", explore how the Scriptures are respectively demonstrated and experienced as trustworthy. The final section of the study, “The Attributes of the Bible”, consider five attributes of Scripture: infallibility, inerrancy, complete, authoritative, and sufficiency. 

    In this post I want to approach the attributes of the written Word, the Bible, by how they also describe Jesus Christ, the Living Word. By noting the commonality between the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ, we can grasp whatever attitude we have toward the Bible will invariably reveal how we think of the Lord Jesus Christ. Conversely, what thoughts we hold to be true about Jesus, lead to making plain our views of the Bible. This particular thought is the take-away as to why I wrote this first part and why I will write a future second part in the next post. Let us first though lay out the reasoning behind why there is such a close relationship between the Bible, the written Word, and Jesus Christ, the Living Word. 

The wordness of the word “word” in the Bible 

The word “word” in the Old Testament and New Testament was used to describe three truths: God’s revelation of either His will, His power or Himself (particular to the Person of the Son). Once God spoke, what was previously unknown became known – thus, revelation. Much like how we make known the thoughts of our minds through words, God did as well. I call this feature of God’s revelatory activity “wordness”. When I say “wordness”, I mean that quality that makes possible the revelation of God. This quality of “wordness” is tied to the words of Scripture, making them to be the very words of God. Put another way, the words of Scripture reveal His will and thus are God’s words (see 2 Peter 1:20-21). 

Similarly, whenever God would make known His power, the act of creation involved this quality of “wordness”, resulting in Him speaking all of creation into being (see Genesis 1:3; Romans 4:17). Then of course whenever Jesus is described as “The Word of God”, He Himself, by act and nature, is “wordness” personified. He has revealed what God is like - He being God - and because of His incarnation, what humanity was meant to be (see John 1:18 and Colossians 3:10).  Below is an unpacking of how the phrase “word of God” describes Scripture, God’s power, and Jesus to set up the reasoning for our comparison of Jesus the “Living Word” and the Bible “the written word”. 

A. The “Word of God” revealed the will of God through the words of Scripture.

We read the following in Exodus 24:4a “Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.”  Moses also wrote in Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” Amos records in Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.” 

    The New Testament similarly uses this phrase “Word of God” or its counterpart “Word of the Lord” to describe God’s revelation of His will through the words of Scripture. Paul writes in Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” The writer of Hebrews affirms in Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The Apostle John notes in John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  These examples demonstrate that the Bible does not become God’s word when I agree with it. Instead, the words of Scripture are the very words of God by virtue of their quality of “wordness”.

B. The “Word of God” as the revelation of God’s power, shows us the written Word and the Living Word.

A second closely related category to describe the word “word” in the Bible has to do with how God demonstrates His power. God’s power in creation is expressed by His words in Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” 

    Remarkably, it is in this second category of God’s power we begin to see a glimpse of the relationship between God’s words and God so-described as “The Living Word”. Take for instance Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host.” We know from Genesis 1:1-3 that God indeed spoke all of creation into being. Yet Psalm 33:6 reveals that God did what he did through “the Word of the Lord”. John 1:1 of course reveals to us exactly who this “Word” is: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

God’s work of salvation involves the revelation of His power as described by the phrase “word of the Lord”. Again, notice how the revelation of God’s power links the phrase “word of God” to Scripture and Himself. David writes about the written Word as God’s power of salvation in Psalm 119:41 “May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word.” Paul too speaks of the power of salvation conveyed through the Scriptures in Romans 10:17 “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” But now notice how Biblical salvation is dispensed through Jesus Christ, the living Word, as in John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 

C. The Word of God as none other than the Living Word, the Second Person of the Trinity. 

The Bible, the "written Word of God", centers upon "The Living Word" - Jesus Christ. We observed already how the Old Testament hints at the phrase “Word of God” (or the closely related “Word of the Lord”) as referencing God Himself. A review of a few Old Testament texts sets up this idea. In Genesis 15:4, Moses writes of Abraham’s experience with God “Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.”’   The prophet Samuel has an encounter with the pre-incarnate Son of God in 1 Samuel 3:6 “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him.” Note in these passages how “the Word of the Lord” is both “coming’ and “speaking” to these men. 

Remarkably, it is from verses such as these (as well as Psalm 33:6, which we saw already) that John alludes in His argument for Jesus Christ being the “Living Word” in John 1. Similarly, the same Apostle John introduces his short letter, 1 John, we these words in 1 John 1:1-2 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us” (compare also Jesus as “The Word” in Revelation 19:13). 

Is it no wonder that Jesus speaks of the Old Testament scriptures as pointing to Himself (Luke 24:44).  Christ came to fulfill the written Word by being Himself this “Living Word”, the very revelation of God. The Apostle Peter notes in 1 Peter 1:10-11 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." Thus, we cannot separate the ministry of God's "written Word" and the majesty of Christ “the Living Word”. 

In the next post we will continue this dicussion, noting common traits shared between “the written Word”, the Bible and “the living Word, Jesus Christ.

Life-practical Considerations Of Jesus As The Resurrected, Last Adam

1 Corinthians 15:42-45 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit."

Introduction:

Over the last couple of posts we have been exploring the Biblical revelation of Jesus as "The New Adam" or "The Second Adam". Paul compares Adam and Jesus in both Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15. Today's post is going to consider how this title of Jesus as "the New Adam" provides a valuable resource for better understanding everyday Christian living. We had broached this notion a little bit in previous posts, however, we want to explore the practical ramifications for Christian living as we understand better Jesus as the "Second Adam". We will derive today's post from 1 Corinthians 15:42-58. 

So how does understanding Jesus as the New Adam or Second Adam impact the Christian on a practical level?

1. The Christian's continuing hope in resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:42-49

The whole point of 1 Corinthians 15 is to give an exposition and defense of the most important doctrine of the Christian faith - namely, Jesus' resurrection from the dead. In the latter part of the chapter, Paul brings out the life-practical ramifications. In 1 Corinthians 15:20ff, it is abundantly clear that because Jesus is risen from the dead, the Christ-follower has an abundant source of hope. Furthermore, the Christian learns that their ultimate hope and destiny is to experience their own resurrection and to have this current body transformed in a glorified resurrected one whether by death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) or rapture (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). 

2. The Christian's comfort in facing death. 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

As Paul carries on his exposition, we find that the promise of resurrection is coupled with promises pertaining to comfort for the Christian when their time comes to leave this world. As the great commentator Warren Wiersbe notes: 

"Christians have victory in death and over death! Why? Because of the victory of Jesus Christ in His own resurrection. Jesus said, “Because I live, ye shall also” (John 14:19)."

3. The Christian's confidence in serving God. 1 Corinthians 15:58

As Paul finishes up 1 Corinthians 15, we find this final verse of the chapter to be most encouraging. 1 Corinthians 15:58 reads - "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." All of these verses from 1 Corinthians 15:42 and following center around Jesus' resurrection and His revelation as the Second Adam. By being united to Jesus by the Holy Spirit in saving faith, I find that union to be an ongoing, ever-present reality. Serving the Lord is not always easy. In fact, the further along one goes in their Christian life and service in whatever capacity to Him, the so-called "easy times" seem increasingly rare. However, the desire to serve God and to hear those words: "well-done thou good and faithful servant" eclipse the ache for momentary comforts and ease. Its worth serving the Lord because of the fact of whom we are united to - the New Adam, Jesus Christ. 

Seeing The Unity Of The Bible Through Jesus The New Adam

Romans 5:12-14 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come."

Introduction:

In our last post we considered the significance of Jesus Christ as the "New Adam" or "Second Adam". We offered some basic reflections upon Paul's comparison of Adam and Jesus in Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and 15:45-48. We discovered that two major doctrines are highlighted by such "two-Adam" theology: justification by faith alone and Christ's resurrection. We also discovered that two Christian-life teachings are made clearer by comparing Adam to Jesus: believer's Baptism and one's growth in sanctification. 

In today's post, we want to consider how original Adam and Jesus as the "Second-Adam" or "New Adam" aids in helping us to wrap our arms around the message of the entire Bible.

How Romans 5:12-21 hints at the "Old Adam" and "New Adam" comparison as grasping the main point of God's written revelation of the Bible

Romans 5:12-21 appears to have in view three particular time-frames that are well-represented in the Old and New Testaments. 

1. Book of Genesis - Noah and Abraham are "Adam-like" representatives who are called by God, fail along the way and were called and empowered to embrace God's saving grace

First, we find reference to the time period from Adam up until the Exodus of Israel from Egypt in Romans 5:14 "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come." This corresponds to what would be the Book of Genesis and the few opening chapters of the Book of Exodus. Sin and death had already entered into the created order due to the treachery of the original Adam. The genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 bear out the theme of "death" reigning in the world. The corruption of the nations in Genesis 10-11 further testify to the ripple effects of the curse brought on by Adam's sin and the inheritance of such by his descendants. 

Throughout Genesis at least, we find two key figures that function as "Adam-like" individuals: Noah and Abraham. Through Noah, God would once more begin the human race after the flood. However, as already mentioned, the curse of Adam's sin could not be washed away by the water. The shedding of innocent blood by a God-appointed substitute would be the only thing to take care of such matters. 

The second "Adam-like" figure was Abraham. God called Abraham to create forth a people of God and ultimately the nation of Israel in Genesis 12,15,17 and 22. Whether we talk about original Adam, Noah or Abraham, all ultimately failed at certain points with respect to being faithful to God and thus needed His salvation in saving grace through faith alone. The Book of Genesis contains seeds of thought that would blossom in the latter portions of the Old Testament.  

2. Exodus - Malachi: Israel is an "Adam-like" figure that was called by God, failed in its historic temptation and needed God's saving grace

The second major era referenced in Romans 5:12-21 is what follows from the days of Moses and the formation of God people in the nation of Israel. Romans 5:18 states: "For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." We could summarize the entire remaining 38 books of the Old Testament has being about one nation: Israel, and one God's dealing with that nation. 

Israel, much like Noah and Abraham, functions in an "Adam-like" capacity. Israel came forth biologically from the bloodline of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the book of Genesis. The Hebrew people in Exodus were officially formed into a nation at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19-23. We then find repeatedly throughout the Old Testament Israel being tempted and failing, just like Adam. Israel was to be a blessing to all the nations that could not be so apart from God's elective purpose of grace (Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Amos 3:1-7). She being God's "chosen people" broke covenant with God, thus having God announce the need for a New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and other places. 

By the end of the Old Testament, we find Israel having gone through exile, just as Adam and Eve had been exiled from the Garden of Eden. What was needed was another covenant. Just as God killed two innocent substitutes to cover the sin of Adam and Eve, there would need to be an ultimate Substitute that would take the place of Adam's fallen race.  

3. Matthew - Revelation. Jesus is the New Adam that triumphs where Adam and all humanity failed

Paul's remarks in Romans 5:19-21 bear out the contrast between "Old Adam" and Jesus Christ the "Second Adam". Adam of course had failed, having broken God's original covenant with him in Genesis 3:1-7 and resulting in God issuing forth a second covenant, a covenant of grace by way of the slaying of two animals. We know Adam and Eve believed on God's promise and words in Genesis 3:15 by virtue of the fact they had placed upon them coats of skin - signs of God's covenant of grace. Noah and Abraham and Israel, as already seen, functioned as "Adam-like" figures. The entire Old Testament looks forward to the day when humanity would have a representative that would prove perfect in mediating between them and God. 

Jesus of course went through the same pattern as we have already alluded to in Adam, Noah, Abraham and Israel. The Gospel of Matthew, for example, has Jesus virgin born (Adam had been formed out of the "virgin-soil" of the ground with no earthly father) (see Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7 and Matthew 1:20-23). Next, Jesus is later tempted b Satan in the wilderness, just as Adam had been tempted by Satan (Matthew 3). Jesus succeeds in his trial, proving, for the first time ever, that Satan could be completely defeated by a man. Matthew goes on by portraying Jesus' as having authority over the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8); power to defeat the demonic realm (Matthew 12:22-29); authority over the winds and water (Matthew 14:13-36) and renaming one of His disciples (Matthew 16:18). In as much as many of these episodes identify His truly Divine authority, the Gospels also serve to show us not only Jesus' true humanity, but moreso His humanity in the role of being the second Adam. Such glimpses have prompted some New Testament scholars to suggest Matthew is portraying Jesus as a fulfillment of Israel and/or is functioning as a second Adam. 

This idea of Jesus coming into our world to begin a whole new redeemed humanity is expounded at length throughout the rest of the New Testament (see for instance Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; 45-48; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 4:17-24; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:16-18; 3:10; 1 Peter 1:18-19). To paraphrase New Testament scholar Dr. Daniel Wallace in a recent lecture on the New Testament text: "The most important event in all of human history was the crucifixion and resurrection of the God-man, Jesus Christ. Such an event required the writing of further scripture." The New Testament then is all about unfolding for us the triumph and identity of the New Adam, and how it is sinful humanity must united to Him by being born-again in saving faith.  

Closing thoughts

Today's post aimed to take Jesus' designation as "the Second Adam" and use it as a lens for beholding the Bible's unity. We used Romans 5:12-21 as a base text and noted how it unfolds the Bible's unity by way of the Old Adam vs New Adam comparison. We saw three particular historic eras within this text and thus discovered a way in seeing the Bible's unity through the revelation of Jesus as the New Adam. We noted the following:

1. Book of Genesis - Noah and Abraham are "Adam-like" representatives who are called by God, fail along the way and were called and empowered to embrace God's saving grace

2. Exodus - Malachi: Israel is an "Adam-like" figure that was called by God, failed in its historic temptation and needed God's saving grace

3. Matthew - Revelation. Jesus is the New Adam that triumphs where Adam and all humanity failed, henceforth Jesus has provided saving grace to all who respond in faith to Him

Reflections On Jesus as the Second Adam

Romans 5:19-21 "For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Introduction:

How does the first man created by God - Adam - help shed light on the role and identity of Jesus Christ? Evidently, the Apostle Paul in the New Testament saw fit to use the historic Adam of Genesis 1-3 to compare and point the way to Jesus Christ. Today's post wants to briefly consider Paul's use of the "first Adam" and "Second Adam" comparison to aid in a better understanding of the Person and work of Jesus Christ, as well as key Biblical truths.

Where we find reference to Jesus as the "New Adam" or "Second Adam"

Two places in the New Testament bring out this comparison between the historic Adam or "first Adam" and Jesus Christ - i.e - the "Second Adam" or "New Adam": Romans 5:12-21 and portions within 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and 1 Corinthians 15:45-48. In the Romans text, Adam is referred to as a "type" or a pre-figured, prophetic imagery of Jesus to come in Romans 5:14. When we arrive in 1 Corinthians 15, Jesus is referred to as the "last Adam" in 15:45 and "second man" or "second Adam" in 15:47. 

Two central doctrines that are explained by the "first Adam" and "Second Adam" comparison

Paul's point in comparing Jesus and Adam is to bring out two significant doctrines that are explained by such a comparison: justification by faith and Christ's resurrection. 

The former truth deals with how Christ's life, work on the cross and resurrection are credited to the sinner at saving faith. Such "crediting" is described by Paul in Romans 4 and Galatians 3-4 as "imputation" - meaning that, the work of another is credited to my account upon reception of it by means of trust in the one who "worked the work" on my behalf. Romans 5:1-11 summarizes all of the blessings flowing from justification by faith: peace with God, access to God, hope in God and love from God. 

When we consider how Adam's sin is passed down from one generation to the next, we find his sin, his shame and his transgression are "credited" or "imputed" to all humanity. The disobedience, guilt and failure of Adam was "imputed" to all of his posterity (see Genesis 3:16-19; Job 31:33; Romans 5:12-21). Many older writers refer to how Christ, in effect, "undid" what the first Adam had done. 

Concerning the second major doctrine illustrated by the Adam and Jesus comparison, we find in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and 15:45-48 emphasis upon the resurrection. Perhaps the one verse that brings home the power of this comparison between Adam and Christ, the "first Adam" and "the last or second Adam", is 1 Corinthians 15:22 - "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." The first Adam's choice, disobedience and breaking of God's original covenant with him resulted in curse, death and separation from God. The second Adam's choices, perfect obedience and completion of that first covenant of obedience and inauguration of the New Covenant of grace in His blood results in blessing, life and reconciliation. Death flows from the spring of the first Adam's bloodline. Resurrected life issues forth from the Second Adam. 

How the Christian life is illustrated by this "two-Adam" comparison

As one dives into this pool of Divine revelation on "the first Adam" and "Second Adam", we quickly find ourselves swimming from the shallow end to the ever deepening side. The central doctrines of justification by faith and resurrection are chief among Christian truths highlighted by this "two-Adam" theology. However, other truths connected to the practical, everyday, Christian life find illumination as well. We will list two of them: believer's baptism and the Christian's growth in sanctification.

1. The meaning of believer's baptism

Once a person has trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the first major step of Christian obedience involves following through in believer's baptism or immersion into water as replaying the events of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. This important act has as its backdrop the Old Adam/New Adam or Second Adam theology. Romans 6:4-6 states for example: "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin." The "old-self" refers to who I once was "in Adam". The "new-self" describes who I am in Christ - the second Adam. 

Or again, Colossians 2:13-14  "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Jesus as the New Adam grants to the believer a new identity. Baptism pictures the reality of having been transferred from what we were in the first Adam to who we are called to be in Jesus Christ. All of this, of course, can only occur by grace alone through faith alone, with baptism being a subsequent, post-conversion act of obedience by the Christian convert. 

2. The Christian's need to put off the "old man" and put on the "new man" in the daily exercise of sanctification

Colossians 3 really speaks to the necessity of every Christian to "put off" and "put on". Christians are to forsake "the old, former way of life" from which they were saved and embrace their new found identity in Jesus by way of "putting on the new man". Colossians 3:9-10 "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him." The parallel of these thoughts is found in Ephesians 4:20-24 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

The Apostle Peter, I would argue, hints at this comparison of Jesus as the second Adam in what he says in 1 Peter 1:17-21 "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." Peter's ongoing discussion then of how "all flesh is grass" (quoting from Isaiah 40:6ff) echoes the fact that original Adam was a man created from the dust of the ground (see Genesis 2:7). 

Closing thoughts

Today's post was designed to explore a little bit concerning Jesus as the Second Adam. By reading Paul's comparisons of Jesus and Adam in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15, we come to understand four major truths pertinent to Christian identity.

1. Justification by Faith 

2. Christ's resurrection

These first two truths are foundational to the whole of the Christian faith. The next two truths, illuminated by the "two-Adams" theology, have to do with the fundamentals of Christian living....

3. Believer's Baptism

4. Continuing growth in sanctification 

Jesus, the Good, Great, Chief and Exalted Shepherd Revealed In The New Testament

John 10:1-6 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them."

Introduction:

Over the last couple of posts we have considered the imagery of "shepherd" and how it relates to God. We've witnessed how the Old Testament utilizes the "shepherd" imagery in revealing the character and power of God to His people. We then considered how such Divine connections to Deity inform our understanding of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus' self-pronouncement of Himself as "the Good Shepherd" in John 10:11 assumes the Old Testament backdrop. In today's post we want to explore how Jesus develops His self-understanding as the Divine Shepherd in human flesh and what the New Testament has to teach us about this wonderful title of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Understanding Jesus as a the Good Shepherd in John 10

John's Gospel aims to make know to the reader how one can know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In John 10, John reports Jesus' words concerning His self-identity as "The Good Shepherd". The Bible Knowledge Commentary notes the following on John 10:

"The discourse on the Good Shepherd continues the same setting as in chapter 9. Comparing people to a shepherd and his sheep was common in the Middle East. Kings and priests called themselves shepherds and their subjects sheep. The Bible makes frequent use of this analogy. Many of the great men of the Old Testament were shepherds (e.g., Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David). As national leaders, Moses and David were both “shepherds” over Israel. Some of the most famous passages in the Bible employ this motif (cf. Ps. 23; Isa. 53:6; Luke 15:1–7). Jesus developed this analogy in several ways. The connection with the preceding chapter is seen in Jesus’ contrast of the Pharisees with the man born blind. The Pharisees—spiritually blind while claiming insight (John 9:41)—were false shepherds. As the True Shepherd, Jesus came to seek and to heal. His sheep hear and respond to His voice."


In John 10:1-21, we find Jesus first of all starting with a figurative story or what some would refer to as His parable of the shepherd and the sheep in John 10:1-6. Key details of the story include: the shepherd, the doorway into the sheepfold, the sheep, villains such as robbers, hirelings or false shepherds and the manner in which the sheep discern between the true and false shepherds. 

John 10:7-21 entails Jesus exposition and revelation of how He is the only shepherd through which to enter (i.e the door), the good shepherd and the true shepherd that leads by His voice for the sheep follow. We can summarize Jesus' exposition as follows:

1. The Only Shepherd. 10:7-10
2. The Good Shepherd. 10:11-15
3. The True Shepherd. 10:16-21

As the Only Shepherd, no other shepherd exists through which believing sinners can enter into God's Kingdom and salvation (see John 14:6; Acts 4:12). As the Good Shepherd, we see the focus upon Christ's character and willingness to lay down His life for the sheep and to rise again of His own accord. Then as the True Shepherd, Jesus is ever associated with His Word, which functions as a true test for those who claim to love Him (see John 14:21). 

The New Testament's development of Jesus as the Good Shepherd

From what we see in John 10, Jesus Christ is without a doubt "the Good Shepherd". As one explores the remainder of the New Testament's teaching on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, we discover that this particular title is heightened as one goes further into the remainder of the New Testament. To summarize, we find the following progression, beginning with John 10:11...

1. Jesus is the Good Shepherd in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." 

2. Jesus is the Great Shepherd in Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

3. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd in
1 Peter 5:4 "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory."

4. Jesus is the Exalted Shepherd in
Revelation 7:17 "for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Thus Jesus is not just the Good Shepherd, He is the Great, Chief and Exalted Shepherd, worthy of worship. Let us then follow our wonderful shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Jesus seen as the Good Shepherd from the Old Testament

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."

Introduction:

Even though today's post begins with Jesus speaking of Himself in John's Gospel in the New Testament, I thought we would consider how this title is developed throughout the Old Testament. The beauty of this title of "Shepherd" or "Good Shepherd" is in how God the Father and Christ are portrayed as being Personal and Powerful. Powerfully, God easily wards off any threats that could swallow up His people in their faith. Personally speaking, God carries His people in His arms whenever they are limping, hardly walking or at their wits end. 

Whatsoever is said of Yahweh, Jehovah God, in the Old Testament is attributed to the Son in the New Testament. Whenever Christ revealed Himself as "the Good Shepherd", the background revelation of the Old Testament is included. We looked in our last post at how God is revealed as "the Shepherd". By identifying Himself as "the Good Shepherd", Jesus is equating Himself with the Father. Rather than offering detailed exposition on a few passages, I want to offer a few headings to aid the reader in tracing this divine title of "shepherd" throughout the Old Testament. We will then conclude with final observations pertaining to how this all works in making clearer to us the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

How we see the image of God as "Shepherd" developed in the Old Testament

1. The Guiding Shepherd. 
Genesis 48:15; 49:24; Psalm 23:1-6

2. Providing Shepherd. 
Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11

3. The Rescuing Shepherd. 
Isaiah 63:11; Jeremiah 31:10

4. The Divine Shepherd. Psalm 80:1

The above passages are but a sampling. Still, we know that headings such as these carry forth into the New Testament's handling of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd.

Jesus' use of the Old Testament's imagery in identifying Himself as "the Good Shepherd"

Commentators have noted how much of the Old Testament imagery connects to Jesus as "the Good Shepherd". Ellicott, the classic commentatory notes in his commentary on John 10: 

"The passage of the Old Testament referred to above has prepared our minds for this thought of Christ, especially Psalms 23; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-16; Ezekiel 34:23; Ezekiel 37:24. He is the Shepherd who is ideally good, fulfilling every thought of guidance, support, self-sacrifice that had ever gathered round the shepherd’s name. No image of Christ has so deeply impressed itself upon the mind of the Church as this has."

To cite one further example, John Gill in his commentary writes concerning the Old Testament imagery of "shepherd" and its association with Jesus Christ:

"I am the good shepherd,.... A shepherd of his Father's appointing, calling, and sending, to whom the care of all his sheep, or chosen ones, was committed; who was set up as a shepherd over them by him, and was entrusted with them; and who being called, undertook to feed them; and being promised, was sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and under the character of a shepherd, died for them, and rose again, and is accountable to his Father for everyone of them; the shepherd, the great and chief shepherd, the famous one, so often spoken and prophesied of, Genesis 49:24."

Closing thoughts

Today we briefly considered the Old Testament background and development of the "shepherd" theme as it relates to Jesus. Jesus claimed Himself to be "the Good Shepherd" in John 10:11. We noted how much of the Old Testament thought-patterns were embedded in the rich meaning of Jesus' statements. In all we noted four brief headings concerning how the "shepherd" theme is developed in the Old Testament, and how such can shed light for us on the Person and work of the Lord Jesus:

1. The Guiding Shepherd. Genesis 48:15; 49:24; Psalm 23; Mt 9:23

2. Providing Shepherd. Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11; 1 Peter 2:25

3. The Rescuing Shepherd. Isaiah 63:11; Jeremiah 31:10; 1 Pt 5:4


4. The Divine Shepherd. Psalm 80:1; Revelation 7:17

God as the Mighty One, the Shepherd and the Rock - Genesis 49:24

Genesis 49:24 "But his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel)."

Introduction:

The opening text of today's post features one of the earliest mentions of the term "shepherd" as a Divine title for God. The verse above occurs in the context of Jacob's blessing of his son Joseph. Joseph was used mightily by God in a series of circumstances to save his family (see Genesis 50:20). The surrounding context of Genesis 49:24 gives us a clearer picture as to why God is called "the Shepherd": “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall.
23 “The archers bitterly attacked him,
And shot at him and harassed him;
24 But his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 From the God of your father who helps you, And by the Almighty who blesses you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb."

Three Divine titles are mentioned in the verse. We can see reference to God as "Shepherd", "Stone" as well as His identity as "the Mighty One of Jacob". 
As is often the case, Divine titles that occur in tandem function together to reveal the multifaceted character of God. Today we want to observe how these three titles function to reveal to us the character of God.

1. Mighty One of Jacob.  

The Old Testament's revelation of God as "the Mighty One" speaks of God's omnipotence. Psalm 50:1 for example states - "The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting." To associate God as a shepherd with this title "Mighty One" first and foremost refers to the strength He has to lead His people. Such a title carries a second connotation, namely God's covenant relationship to His people. King David's desired had been to build a temple for God. God's plans were different from David's with God choosing his Son and heir Solomon to be the builder of The Temple instead. Psalm 132:1-5 records David's desire and God's response: Remember, O Lord, on David’s behalf, All his affliction;
2 How he swore to the Lord And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3 “Surely I will not enter my house, Nor lie on my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids, 5 Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” So we can say that as "Mighty One", God possesses unlimited strength as the Shepherd of His people. 

2. The rock 

In Genesis 49:24, we see a second title associated with "shepherd", and which accentuates the idea of God as shepherd - namely God as "Rock". 1 Samuel 2:2 states - “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God." God as "the Rock" gives the imagery of shelter, protection and provision. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul would refer to Jesus Himself as the Rock that accompanied Israel throughout her journeys (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-6). So just like the previous Divine title, the "Rock" fortifies the imagery of the title "shepherd" as communicating the "Shepherd's protection and provision for His people. 

3. Shepherd

We come lastly to the title "Shepherd" itself. When we consider the other two titles of "Rock" and "Mighty One of Jacob" in association with "Shepherd", we find an enriching picture of the Lord God. Shepherds tended the sheep in Israel. Joseph had tended the flocks of his father and so would had connected to Jacob's words to him. Although the shepherd's job was important, shepherds typically occupied the lower rungs of the social ladder. Despite the shepherd's humble position, God chooses to use this very title as a revelation of Himself. 

Many have been blessed by hearing the 23rd Psalm recited or preached. When David starts out with the words: "The Lord is my Shepherd", we find the tenderness of the Psalm reaching to our heart. Psalm 80:1 uses this title "shepherd" in an exalted sense: "Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!"  Why is God so pleased to reveal Himself as "Israel's Shepherd" or as "my Shepherd"? God's stooping down of Himself to the level of our understanding is the quintessential heart of the meaning of Divine revelation. Is it no wonder why Jesus Himself referred to He being "the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11). The Divine Son humbled Himself by taking unto His Person true humanity - revealing Himself as the God man. Such an act was truly God stooping down to make Himself known to us - not only by words, but by the Person of the Son assuming true humanity. 

Closing thoughts

Today we considered how three Divine titles worked together in Genesis 49:24 to reveal to us the character of God. We noted how the titles "Rock" and "Mighty One" work with the title "Shepherd" to show us what kind of Shepherd God is to Israel and to all that trust in Him by faith. If we were to summarize everything we have discussed, we could do it the following way:

1. As "the Mighty One" God is the Mighty Shepherd

2. As "the Rock", God is the protective Shepherd"

3. As the Shepherd, God shows His strength and protection by How He reveals Himself to His people. 

Reflections On Jesus Christ - The Lamb of God

John 1:29 "The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Introduction:

Today's post will only but skim the surface of one of the most profound titles to describe the Lord Jesus Christ - namely, "the Lamb of God". This concept of "God's lamb" or "lamb of God" spans both Old and New Testament revelation. In this brief post, I want the reader to have a spring board from which they can launch into further study of this incredible name for Jesus. 

Therefore, to summarize the goal for today's post: The Old and New Testaments both center God’s redemptive purposes around the concept of a sacrificial lamb. This idea turns out pointing to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. In focusing upon this title "Lamb of God", we will find a means of increasing our awe of Him.

So, when we say Jesus is the Lamb of God, what do we mean? How is Jesus seen as the Lamb of God in the Old and New Testaments?

1. Sinless, spotless Lamb for our sins. 

In Exodus 12:5, we find God giving the prescription for the Passover. The Hebrew people had been in Egypt for over 400 years. Their daily life consisted of bondage and enslavement. They cried out to God, and God heard their cry. God met Moses on the backside of the Midianite desert, shepherding the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro. In Exodus 3 God meets Moses in a theophany of the burning bush. From that bush thunders the Divine voice of Yahweh - calling Moses to go to Pharoah and to say: "let my people go". When Moses inquired as to Who or what was sending him, God's response to Moses was this: "I am, Who I am." So, Moses goes to Egypt and God works forth ten plagues to make a mockery of the Egyptian pantheon and to show forth the glory of His power to both the Egyptians and the Hebrews.

On the final night prior to their crossing of the Red Sea, God sends the death angel over the land. God had told the Hebrews to take a lamb and kill it. The blood shed by the lamb was to be applied to the door posts of their homes and to the entryways of their gates. When the angel would see the blood of the lamb, he would "passover" that home, sparing the first born son. In effect, the lamb, prescribed by God, "saved" the lives of the firstborn of the Hebrew people and thus secured their future. 

In Exodus 12:5 we find out about the kind of lamb that needed to be killed for this initiatory passover: "Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats." The Hebrew word translated "unblemished" is elsewhere translated in the Old Testament as "perfect" or as the NIV renders it: "without defect". This word gives the idea of having all of its parts in perfect working order, having not one fault. The Lord Jesus Christ is described as a sinless, spotless lamb in 1 Pt 1:18-19 "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." So Jesus as the Lamb of God is the sinless, spotless Lamb. In order for Him to be the Savior of sinners, he needed to be sinless. As God, He is incapable of sin and as man, He never chose to sin in thought, word nor deed.

2. Saving Lamb to take away sin. 

We've seen Jesus as the sinless, spotless lamb of God. Now notice with me a second trait of Jesus as the Lamb of God, namely as the "Saving Lamb". Isaiah 53:1-6 states: "Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Isaiah's prophecy takes us directly to the foot of the cross, even though that event was over 700 years removed from Isaiah's day. Isaiah then writes in 53:7 "He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,  so he did not open his mouth." Clearly we find this saving substitute being compared to a saving lamb. The Apostle Peter picks up Isaiah's words and brings out their ultimate intention in 1 Peter 2:22-24 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

So we see then that Jesus, as the Lamb of God, is the spotless lamb and the saving Lamb. Let's consider one final observation, namely....

3. Sovereign Lamb Who will soon return. 

As we arrive at the final book of the Bible and the New Testament, we find the Apostle John recording under divine inspiration the Heavenly throneroom. Notice what he beholds in Revelation 5:6-10 - Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

Dr. John Piper has noted on this passage in Revelation that we see a "lion-like lamb"and a "lamb-like lion". As the Lamb of God, Jesus' humanity is underscored with reference to His work on the cross. However, following His resurrection and ascension into Heaven, we find the Lamb of God imagery attaching us to His deity as well. Why? If for anything else, the Son's incarnation as the God man means that He will forever be the God man, the Lamb of God, as much God as He is man, with both natures united in His person. 

Closing thoughts

When I often write these posts, I feel like I only skim the surface of God's profound truth. The notion of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God is an incredibly rich name of Jesus that could easily occupy a life-time of reflection. Nevertheless, my hope is that his has whetted the appetite of the reader. We learned three things about Jesus as the Lamb of God:

1. The Spotless or Sinless Lamb

2. The Saving Lamb

3. The Sovereign Lamb

Reflections on Jesus Christ As "The Only-Begotten Son"

Introduction:

The opening verse in today's post is perhaps one of the most familiar and beloved passages in the Bible. Jesus Christ describes Himself in the third person. In John's rendering of Jesus' statement, we find the remarkable title for Jesus - the "only-begotten Son". Most modern translations apart from the King James and the New King James rendering above translate this Greek word as "one-and-only Son". Both are equally acceptable. However, the older rendering of "begotten" has a rich and long history in the the history of theological reflection. In today's post we are going to look briefly at this name of Jesus as "the only-begotten". 

Thought much can be said pertaining to the meaning of this designation for Jesus, we will point out three main thoughts concerning the title or name "only-begotten". In doing this, we will explore the meanings and application of this name in better understanding the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

So, what is the significance of Jesus Christ being the Only-begotten Son of God?

1. Eternality as God. 

To say that the Son possesses "eternality" simply means He is eternal. Whatever properties one assigns to God (i.e omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, omnibenevolence, self-existence, wisdom and so forth) can be assigned to the Person of the Son (with the same thing being said of the other two-persons of the Father and the Holy Spirit). Psalm 2:7 gives us a glimpse into the eternal pre-existence of the Son, wherein we read: "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me,

‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You". 

David's use of this term "begotten" is expounded upon in Hebrews 1:5-8, which states concerning Christ's eternality: For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” 7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom" (see also John 1:1). 

The eternality of the Son is a fundamental truth in our understanding of Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly to say that He is the "only-begotten" Son means that He is eternal, but notice secondly...

2. Equality with the Father. 

In the Apostle John's opening prologue or introduction to His Gospel, we find Jesus described in His pre-existence as "The Word". In John 1:2-3 we find the following description of the Son who is the Word: "He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." As John continues on with this masterful introduction to Jesus in his Gospel, we find the same thought of the Son's co-equality with the Father expressed in the final verse of the prologue of John 1:1-18. It is in John 1:18 that we find our term "begotten" used: "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."

The early Christians saw in this Biblical method of describing Jesus the development of not only His eternality, but also His co-equality with the Father. In meditating on the Son as having been "begotten" by the Father from all eternity, the early church fathers saw in the Bible a way to distinguish the Father and the Son. 

Theologians sometime refer to the Son's relationship to the Father as "filiation" and the Spirit's relationship to the Father as "spiration", carefully noting how these two distinct relationships express the One Divine nature or essence shared by all three-persons. The Nicene Creed for example, recited by Christians the world-over, has the following to say concerning the Father and the Son:

"We believe in one God,

      the Father almighty,

      maker of heaven and earth,

      of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

      the only Son of God,

      begotten from the Father before all ages,

           God from God,

           Light from Light,

           true God from true God,

      begotten, not made;

      of the same essence as the Father.

      Through him all things were made."

As one studies further into the theological language used to describe Jesus the Son, the term "begotten" would come to distinguish Him in His co-equality yet distinction from the Father concerning His Deity, whilst the term "birth" would describe Jesus in terms of His humanity derived from the virgin Mary. 

To "beget" someone refers to the begetter and begotten sharing the same properties and being in the same class, without particular focus so much on the beginning of the life of the one begotten. When we consider birth on the other hand, the beginning of one's life is front-loaded into the very definition of what it means to be "birthed". Hence, Jesus was "begotten" touching His Deity - which is to say - He is uncreated, just like the Father. 

Another historic Christian creed, the Chalcedonian Creed of 451 A.D, states the following about the Son in the midst of its description of Him:

"....consubstantial [co-essential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably...".

Walter Elwell, editor of the "Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible", includes the following article that comments on the significance of "only-begotten" as referring to the Son's equality with the Father:

"This “only begottenness” doctrine means that Jesus is from all eternity the Son of God. He is preexistent (3:17; 11:27; 1 Jn 3:8; 4:9–14). Jesus and the Father even share the same name: “your name-the name you gave me” (Jn 17:11), for God had given his own name Yahweh to his Son when he required him to be named Jesus, meaning Yahweh saves."

So we've seen thus far that Jesus Christ as the "only-begotten" Son is with reference to His eternality and equality with the Father. However, there is a third important distinctive of this title...

3. Experiencing true humanity for your sake. 

When Jesus was referring to Himself in the third Person in John 3:16, He was speaking of Himself as the "Incarnate" only-begotten Son. The first two-points of this post have emphasized how the Son is "the only-begotten" as He was from all eternity before His days in the flesh. However, when the Son came to be in the flesh, did He cease being "the only-begotten"? Clearly not! John 1:12-14 expressly says: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became 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."

Jesus of Nazareth the man was no less the Only Begotten in His Person than He was as the Eternal Word in His Person before the flesh. The incarnation of Jesus Christ did not diminish nor subtract His Deity. Instead, the Son added unto His "Person" the experience of what it means to be a true, genuine human being without sin. The center of Jesus' identity lies in His person-hood, with His two-natures each expressing that Person hood in their unique ways. The Apostle Peter in Acts 13:33 notes: "God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You."

So why did the eternal, only-begotten Son become man? To answer this directly, it was for your sake and my sake. 1 John 4:9 has the following to say concerning how the "only-begotten" Son as man was for our sake: "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him."

Closing thoughts:

Today we have considered three significant meanings about the title attributed to the Son in both Old and New Testaments: "only-begotten"...

1. The eternality of the Son

2. The equality of the Son to the Father

3. Experiencing humanity for your sake

To think of all that Jesus did and is ought to shape our thinking and sculpt our hearts. We cannot exhaust Him. Such reflections upon the names of Jesus ought to cause us to bow our faces to the ground and worship Him!