Many people have asked me this question over the years — “Why do we call Jesus the Son of God?” It’s a question that reaches right to the center of our faith. For if we understand who Jesus is, we begin to understand who God truly is — not distant or abstract, but love made visible and personal.
When we hear the title “Son of God,” it doesn’t mean that Jesus was created by God, as a child is by a parent. No — the Church teaches that Jesus is eternally begotten of the Father, not made, but sharing the same divine nature. In other words, the Son has always existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit. In the opening of the Gospel of John, we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1,14). Here, “the Word” is Jesus — the eternal Son who took on our humanity to bring us back to the Father.
Calling Jesus the Son of God also tells us about His unique relationship with the Father — a bond of perfect love. In His baptism, the heavens opened and the Father’s voice declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). These words reveal not only who Jesus is, but also who we are called to be. Through faith and baptism, we too become children of God, sharing in His divine life.
The early Christians used the title “Son of God” as a bold confession of faith. In a world filled with emperors who claimed divine titles, the apostles proclaimed that only Jesus truly reveals God. When Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus answered, “Blessed are you, Simon… for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:16–17). That same revelation continues today in every heart that comes to believe.
What this means for us is deeply personal. To call Jesus the Son of God is not only to acknowledge His divine nature, but also to trust Him as the One who reveals the Father’s heart. Through His life, death, and resurrection, we see what divine love looks like — love that heals, forgives, and gives itself completely. When we follow Christ, we are invited into that same relationship, where God is not far away but tenderly close, as a Father who calls us His own.
Let us remember each time we pray, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” that we are speaking of the eternal love that flows within God and reaches out to embrace us. May we live as true children of that love, trusting the Son who reveals the Father’s heart.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
