www . bymonline . org | SEPTEMBER 2018
of the world ” ( KJV )
Jn 8:58 - “ Jesus said to them , “ Truly , truly , I say to you , before Abraham was , I am .”
When Jesus called God , His own Father , He made Himself equal to God and not inferior . Hence the title ' Son of God ' implies that He was equal with the Father .
Also the word ' firstborn ' denotes that Jesus was the first who was raised from the dead .
Rev 1:5 - “ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness , the firstborn of the dead , and the ruler of kings on earth . To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood .”
Col 1:18 - “ And he is the head of the body , the church . He is the beginning , the firstborn from the dead , that in everything he might be pre-eminent .”
Hence , Jesus was not a created being . He is from the beginning .
2 . Jesus was born as the fleshly son of the Father
John 3:16 “ For God so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life .”
The word ' begotten ' is used to misinterpret that Jesus was a son born to the Father . The Muslims boldly ask , ' Where is Jesus ' mother ?'
The Greek word used for the word ' begotten ' is ' monogenes ' the meaning of which is ' same kind and of same nature .' So in effect what the Word of God says is that Jesus was born as the same kind and nature as the Father .
The claim is unlike certain cultures where the father is more respected than the son . According to Jewish culture , when somebody says that he is a son to someone , he claims the same nature and kind .
It is for this very reason the Jews were very much angry with Jesus ( Jn 5:18 ).
Note the following verse :
John 5:18 - “ This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him , because not only was he breaking the Sabbath , but he was even calling God his own Father , making himself equal with God .”
3 . The Father is greater than the Son
John 14:28 - “ You heard me say to you , ' I am going away , and I will come to you .' If you loved me , you would have rejoiced , because I am going to the Father , for the Father is greater than I .”
Jesus Himself testified that the Father is greater than Him . It is true . Father is greater than Jesus in His position ( as a Son of man ) but not in His nature .
We should not forget that Jesus came as the Son of man . He was made little lower than angels . Note the following verse :
Heb 2:9 - “ But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels , namely Jesus , crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death , so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone .”
Phil 2:5-7 “ Have this mind among yourselves , which is yours in Christ Jesus , who , though he was in the form of God , did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped , but emptied himself , by taking the form of a servant , being born in the likeness of men .”
In the above verses , we find that Jesus volunteered to take the form of a servant . In short , He
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