'Before All Worlds'
God begets a Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might know Him as our Father.
Selwyn Hughes emphasizes the unique relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ as His Son, highlighting the distinction between begetting and creating, and how through Christ's Sonship, we are invited to share in the divine family as children of God. Hughes contrasts the true God revealed in the Bible as a Father with the perspectives of other religions that do not acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, underscoring the significance of Christ's divine origin and our adoption into God's family through Him.
Text
"Jesus said ... 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"v. 17)
For reading & meditation:
John 20:10-18
Some non-Christian religions claim that God is the Author of their sacred writings as well as of the Bible, but the god they talk about is not the God who has revealed Himself in the Person of His Son. The true God is a Father - the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mohammed wrote in the Qur'an (as we saw): "Allah forbid that He Himself should beget a Son." But that is exactly what God did - He begot a Son. What does "begotten" mean? C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity points out that to beget is to become the father of; to create is to make. When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. A man begets human babies, a beaver begets little beavers, and a bird begets eggs which turn into baby birds. A man can create a statue which looks like a man but is not a real man. This is an important issue to get clear. What God begets is God, just as what man begets is man. That is why human beings are not sons of God in the sense that Christ is. They may be like God in certain ways, but they are not of the same kind. One of the creeds says that Christ is the Son of God, "begotten not created," and adds: "begotten by His Father before all worlds." "Before all worlds." Christ is begotten, not created. For what purpose? That you and I might have a Divine Father also.
Gracious and loving God, from the bottom of my heart I want to thank You for begetting a Son in order that through Him I might come to know You as Father. I shall be grateful throughout time and all eternity. Amen
Sermon Outline
- The True God
- A Father - the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
- The God who has revealed Himself in the Person of His Son
Key Quotes
“Christ is begotten, not created, for what purpose? That you and I might have a Divine Father also.” — Selwyn Hughes
“What God begets is God, just as what man begets is man.” — Selwyn Hughes
Application Points
- We can have a personal relationship with God as our Father through Jesus Christ.
- Understanding God's nature as a Father helps us understand His love and relationship with us.
- We can thank God for begetting a Son, Jesus Christ, who makes us aware of our Divine Father.