Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Tonight’s Study, Session 4: Core Belief #3 – God the Son

Introduction: Understanding that Jesus is God is a difficult and challenging task. However, the church father Augustine once said, “There is no subject where error is more dangerous, research more laborious, and discovery more fruitful than the oneness of the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” When discussing the Trinity, it’s important to remember that there is one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is coequal and coeternal – no one of them is inferior to another. Each member is distinct in Personhood and function. With that foundation, we can look at who God the Son is.

God the Son is the second Person of the Trinity. Jesus is revealed to creation as the only and eternally begotten Son of God the Father. God the Son is of the same essence as God the Father and God the Spirit but distinct from them in Personhood and function. God the Son is fully God and has eternally existed as such (John 1:1-2). He is one with the Father but submits Himself to the Father in full and complete submission. (John 10:30; 1 Corinthians 15:28). In fact, the primary work of God the Son is to fulfill the will of God the Father (John 6:38), for He is the image of the invisible God – the firstborn over all creation* (Colossians 1:15).

John 1:1-2 – 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 10:30 – “I and My Father are one.”

1 Corinthians 15:28 – Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

John 6:38 – For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Colossians 1:15 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.*

*Note – The Greek word for “firstborn” can refer to one who was born first chronologically, but most often refers to preeminence in position or rank. Christ cannot be both the “First begotten” and the “only  begotten” Son of God. It is impossible for Christ to have been created and be the Creator of everything. Thus, Christ is the firstborn in the sense that He has the preeminence and possesses the right of inheritance “over all creation.” He existed before the creation and is exalted in rank above it.

Though God the Son is fully God, He became fully human and lived as the historical figure of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. Through His incarnation, God the Son took on flesh and experienced humanity in all of its temptations, trials, weaknesses, and emotions (Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 4:14-16).

Philippians 2:5-11 – Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hebrews 4:14-16 – Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In becoming a man, Jesus did not lose His divinity or divine attributes. Rather, He voluntarily limited His divine privileges in order to perfectly obey the will of God the Father. As Jesus, God the Son was conceived through God the Spirit (Matthew 1:18), born of the virgin Mary (Luke 2:5-7), and lived a perfect life without sin.

Through His substitutionary death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, God the Son purchased eternal salvation for all those who receive Him by faith. His resurrection serves as the firstfruits of the new creation promised by God the Father and guarantees the future resurrection of believers upon His return (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

Currently, God the Son rules and reigns as the Great High  Priest at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 7:55). He is exalted above all things and intercedes before God the Father on behalf of His people (Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 8:34). One day, God the Son will visibly return to earth, vanquish the enemies of God, and establish the kingdom of heaven where He will rule with His saints for all eternity.

Acts 7:55 – But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

Philippians 2:9-11 – Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Romans 8:34 – Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Word of God Speak (Proof texts of the deity of Christ)

Old Testament

• Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

-Jesus is explicitly called “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father.”

• Isaiah 40:3 – The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

-Prepares the way for Yahweh (the Lord), which is applied to Jesus in the Gospels.

• Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior.

-God the Father says that there is no savior besides Him, therefore Jesus must be God.

• Psalm 45:6-7 – Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

-God the Father addresses the Son as “O God” (quoted in Hebrews 1:8).

• Daniel 7:13-14 – “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

-Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man” who receives worship and an everlasting kingdom, a role exclusively reserved for Yahweh.

New Testament

• John 1:1-2 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

– “The Word was God.” The Word is Jesus.

• John 1:14 – 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.

– “The Word became flesh” and dwelt among us. Jesus is our Immanuel, God with us.

• John 8:58 – Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

-Jesus claims pre-existence and uses the divine name “I AM.”

• John 10:30 – I and My Father are one.”

-Jesus and the Father are one in unity and essence.

• John 20:28 – And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

-Thomas confesses to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus accepted this worship that is reserved only for God.

• Romans 9:5 – of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

-The Apostle Paul describes Christ as “God over all, blessed forever.”

• Colossians 1:15-17 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

-Jesus is the image of the invisible God and creator of all things.

• Colossians 2:9 – For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

-Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form.

• Titus 2:13 – looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

– Jesus is our great God and Savior.

• Hebrews 1:8-9 – But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

-God the Father calls His Son Jesus God.

• Revelation 1:8 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

• Revelation 1:17 – And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

-Jesus calls Himself the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Titles used by God the Father for Himself in the Old Testament (Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12).

Practical Applications of Knowing that Jesus is God

Believing that Jesus is God applies practically by centering one’s life on His absolute authority, enabling personal transformation, and guiding actions toward love and service. It impacts daily life through obedience to His teachings, fostering a deep personal relationship, and motivating mission work, as it secures the promise of eternal life and divine, personal guidance.

Key practical applications include:

• Absolute Obedience and Trust: Recognizing Jesus as God means surrendering all areas of life to His authority, trusting in His power to handle life’s challenges, and relying on His promises.
• Active Service to Others: Following Jesus’ example (who came to serve, not to be served), believers use their talents to serve others, regarding no task as too menial, and loving neighbors, even enemies.
• A Personal, Daily Relationship: Belief is not intellectual, but an intimate, lifelong relationship focused on knowing Jesus, understanding His character, and seeking His will, often through daily prayer and Bible study.
• Sharing the Gospel: Because Jesus is God, His commands (e.g. the Great Commission) take on Supreme authority, motivating believers to share their faith, and with confidence that God is working through them.
• Forgiveness and Grace: Accepting that Jesus is God allows believers to receive forgiveness for sins and extends that same forgiveness and gracious attitude to others.
• Living with Purpose and Hope: Believing in the resurrection of the Divine Jesus provides, hope, in the face of death and gives us purpose in our everyday lives, knowing that God has already overcome the world.
• Moral Transformation: Following the teachings of Jesus as God leads to a “New way of life,” changing one’s behavior to be consistent with His character.

Conclusion: To know Jesus as Lord and Savior is to know God the Son as revealed in the Scriptures. Denying Jesus’ deity is to deny God Himself as He revealed Himself in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The more we mature in our faith, the greater the appreciation we have for the nature of our triune God and His coming to earth to dwell among us in the person of His Son Jesus, our Immanuel, God with us!

Next Week, Session 5: Core Belief #4 – God the Holy Spirit