TADB 134: Who is Jesus? Begotten not Made

If we misunderstand who Jesus is, we misrepresent the gospel. His divine nature is non-negotiable. The gospel stands or falls on the true identity of Christ. Do you know the difference between begotten and made?

The gospel demands a radically new understanding of God — one that stretches beyond human categories. Scripture reveals God as a singular plural—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The word Trinity never appears in the Bible, yet the reality is unavoidable.

With the incarnation, Jesus is presented as fully God and fully man, without compromising either. We may not fully understand this, but that doesn’t make it untrue.

The first disciples struggled to replace their preconceived ideas of the Messiah with the reality Jesus revealed. Sixty years after Christ’s ascension, John writes his Gospel to present Jesus as the one and only incarnate God-man:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1–2).

The Titles of Jesus in John 1

In the first chapter of his Gospel, John gives ten titles for Jesus, each revealing His identity:

  • The Word (v. 1) – The eternal, divine communication of God.
  • God (v. 1) – Deity, not a lesser being.
  • Light (v. 9) – The true light entering the world.
  • Jesus Christ (v. 17) – The one in whom grace and truth come.
  • Lamb of God (v. 29) – The sacrifice who takes away sin.
  • Rabbi (v. 38) – Teacher and guide.
  • Messiah (v. 41) – God’s anointed deliverer.
  • Son of God (v. 49) – Unique divine Sonship.
  • King of Israel (v. 49) – The promised ruler.
  • Son of Man (v. 51) – A title Jesus favored, rooted in Daniel 7, pointing to His humanity and messianic role.

The Jewish concept of Messiah did not include deity. But Jesus’ claim as Son of God clearly did.

The Meaning of “Son of God” and “Only Begotten”

The Bible uses son of God in several ways:

  • Humanity as God’s children (Luke 3:38).
  • Israel as God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22–23).
  • Angels as sons of God (Job 1:6; 38:7).

When applied to Jesus, however, Son of God means God the Son—equal with the Father in nature and essence.

In John 3:16, the term only begotten (or “one and only Son”) clarifies this. To “beget” is to produce one of the same kind. As C.S. Lewis illustrates in Mere Christianity:

“A man begets human babies; a beaver begets little beavers; a bird begets eggs that turn into little birds. But when you make something, you make something of a different kind.”

Humans were made in God’s image, but Jesus was begotten, sharing the same divine substance. He was not created. This is why some prefer the title God the Son—to mirror “God the Father” and “God the Spirit” and affirm the full Trinitarian reality.

Why This Matters

What people believe about Jesus is not a side issue. A recent Ligonier survey showed that 73% of those in our churches believe Jesus was created by God—a view that, in the fourth century, would have excluded someone from baptism or communion.

This confusion has real consequences. Without the biblical Jesus, there is no biblical gospel.

Case Study: The Hindu Student

Suraj Nepali, a missionary to Hindu students, shares a revealing exchange:

SN: “Do you believe in Jesus?”
HS: “Yes, I do.”
SN: “Do you believe He died for our sins?”
HS: “Yes.”
SN: “Do you believe He rose from the dead?”
HS: “Yes.”

The student affirms each point,; he sounds like a Christian—but still remains Hindu, believing in many gods. In his worldview, Jesus is simply the god for the forgiveness of sins.

This mirrors a troubling reality in Western churches: people profess belief in “Jesus” but not the Jesus of Scripture. Without clarity on His true nature, discipleship and transformation falter.

Conclusion

If we misunderstand Jesus’ nature, we misrepresent the gospel. The New Testament demands that we see Him not merely as a moral teacher, a spiritual helper, or a created being, but as God the Son—eternal, begotten, not made.

In the next article, we will explore how the gospel reveals the third Person of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do you think the idea of the Trinity is hard for people to understand and accept?
  2. Of the ten titles John gives Jesus in chapter 1, which one speaks to you most—and why?
  3. What’s the difference between humans being “made in God’s image” and Jesus being “begotten of the Father”?
  4. Why is it dangerous to think of Jesus as a created being rather than eternal God the Son?
  5. How does the story of the Hindu student illustrate the importance of clarity about who Jesus really is?
  6. If someone asked you, “Who is Jesus?”—how would you explain it in light of John 1?