I Believe in Jesus Christ (The Creed, Part 4)

[This devotion is part of our series on The Apostles’ Creed, you can find all the videos in there series on our Apostles’ Creed Page. The devotions will be added as they are posted.]

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. I was once talking with a Jehovah’s Witness. He pointed to the passages in the Bible where Jesus specifically says he is the Son of God. And he said, see, he’s the Son of God. That means he was created by God. I had to laugh a little bit. I asked him, do you have kids? So you mean every time you introduce someone as your son or your daughter, you’re telling everyone this is the person I created? That’s kind of awkward, isn’t it?

No, that’s not what son or daughter means. When we confess in the Creed that Jesus is a Son of God, we’re confessing that from all eternity he’s been in the relationship with the Father as Father to Son, neither being created nor made, but eternal.

However, though, what does the Bible mean when Jesus is identified as a Son of God? Well, let’s go back to our own lives. There’s different things that we mean when we introduce someone as our son or as our child. When we say, here’s my child, we’re saying that here’s someone that shares my attributes. You could look at a kid and see maybe his father’s eyes, his mother’s hair, his dad’s smile or laugh. In the same way, Jesus as the Son of the Father shares attributes with the Father. He’s holy. He’s just. He’s all loving, all powerful.

We’re also saying, here’s someone who shares my name. And just think about how valuable and important a name is. A name shows that you’re connected, not just familially but legally as well. If I were to have kids and to die, everything I have passes on to my children because they share my name. With Jesus, he and the Father have the same name. I AM. Jesus identifies himself as the I AM God who appeared to Moses in the burning bush. As such, everything that belongs to the Father is also given to the Son. The same honor, the same glory, the same praise are his.

Finally, when we talk about someone as our child, our son or daughter, we’re saying there is a relationship of love that exists between us. And for me, that’s a really neat thing to think about. When you have a son or daughter. You’re going to be in that relationship forever. When both of you are in heaven, that relationship as son and daughter will go on forever and ever. Through all the countless ages of eternity. You’ll be bound by that special, unique familial love that you have with your son or daughter. Jesus and the Father are the same. The only difference is that our relationships have a starting point. Jesus is eternal, so his relationship with the Father goes on forever, both directions.

Now, as we talk about Jesus as the Son of God, it’s so important for us because we have to look at our lives and say, I am not the perfect child of God. In fact, far from it. The Bible says we are born illegitimate children. We are born in captivity to the devil, to darkness, to evil, to sin. And ultimately we belong to eternal death. But Jesus, God’s Son, was born into this world to change all that. He was born into this world to redeem us, to take us back so that you would be claimed and belong to God.

And what’s beautiful about this is that Jesus takes all of these things, that it means to be the Son of God, and he gives them to you. He shares his attributes with you, his attributes as true man and true God, who came and lived under the law. He gifts that holiness to you through faith. He shares his name with you. We were born illegitimate children, but we are reborn through baptism. And God personally places his name on you. And what that means is that everything that belongs to the son belongs to you, his kingdom, eternal life in heaven. He promises you that there’s an eternal relationship of love that exists between you.

It’s true, my life has a very specific starting point, but from all eternity, Jesus knew you. He called you by name. He chose you to be his. He sent the Holy Spirit into your heart to convict you that he is your Lord and he is your Savior. That’s what it means when we confess I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. Amen.