JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba – Shimba Theological Institute
(Originally written August 15, 2015)

Introduction

One of the most persistent questions raised by Muslim scholars and believers concerns the Christian confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Muslims often ask:

1. How can Jesus be the Son of God?

2. How can God have a Son without a wife?

These questions reveal a misunderstanding of the Christian doctrine of divine sonship. The phrase “Son of God” does not imply a biological relationship or a physical act of procreation, as understood in human terms. Instead, it signifies a profound theological and spiritual truth rooted in divine revelation.

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1. How Is Jesus the Son of God?

Jesus Christ is not the Son of God through human parentage or natural generation. God did not marry or engage in a physical relationship with Mary to produce a son. The Bible clearly rejects any notion of divine-human sexual union. Rather, Jesus’ sonship expresses God’s self-revelation in human form.

As the Gospel of John affirms:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14).

Thus, the title “Son of God” emphasizes that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh—the visible image of the invisible God.

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2. How Can God Have a Son Without a Wife?

This question presupposes a human and material understanding of divine sonship. According to Luke 1:35, the angel Gabriel explained the mystery of Christ’s conception to Mary:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

Here, the Scripture explicitly states that Jesus’ conception was by the Holy Spirit, not through human means. The divine power of the Holy Spirit, who is God, brought about the incarnation of the Son. Therefore, Jesus is called the Son of God because His origin is divine.

Mary was told that the holy child she would bear would be called “the Son of God”—not because of a biological act, but because of the supernatural act of divine creation within her womb.

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3. Jesus Affirms His Sonship Before the High Priest

During His trial before the Jewish High Priest, Jesus was directly questioned about His divine identity:

“The high priest said to Him, ‘I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Jesus replied, ‘You have said it yourself; but I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven’” (Matthew 26:63–64).

In this passage, Jesus did not deny being the Son of God. His response, instead, confirmed it. The Jewish leaders understood this as a claim to divinity and accused Him of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65–66).

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4. The Jewish Acknowledgment of Jesus’ Claim

When Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, the Jewish leaders declared:

“We have a law, and according to that law He must die because He claimed to be the Son of God” (John 19:7).

This verse is significant because it demonstrates that even the Jewish accusers recognized that Jesus claimed divine sonship. Their accusation of blasphemy arose precisely because they understood “Son of God” to mean “equal with God.”

In Jewish thought, to call oneself the Son of God was to claim oneness in nature and essence with God Himself—a claim intolerable to those who rejected His divinity.

The writer of Hebrews affirms this same truth:

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3).

Thus, Jesus’ title as the Son of God expresses His divine essence, eternal relationship with the Father, and His participation in divine glory.

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5. The Meaning of “Son” as Manifestation, Not Biology

In Scripture, the term “son” is sometimes used metaphorically to describe character or nature rather than literal descent. For example, in John 17:12, Judas Iscariot is called “the son of perdition,” not because perdition gave birth to him, but because he embodied destruction.

Similarly, Jesus as the Son of God means He manifests God’s nature and essence. He is God revealing Himself in human form—divine truth made visible to humankind.

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Conclusion

This theological exploration clarifies that the Christian confession—“Jesus is the Son of God”—does not imply physical generation but expresses divine revelation and incarnation. Jesus is God manifest in the flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and acknowledged even by His accusers as claiming equality with God.

Therefore, the question that Muslims frequently raise—“How can God have a Son?”—finds its answer in Scripture:
God’s Sonship is not biological but spiritual and ontological. It reveals the mystery of God’s love, self-expression, and redemption through Jesus Christ.

Truly, Jesus is the Son of God.

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References

• The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV)

• John 1:1, 14

• Luke 1:35

• Matthew 26:63–66

• John 19:7

• Hebrews 1:3

• John 17:12

• 1 Chronicles 24:15 (referenced in context)

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Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Founder, Shimba Theological Institute
Max Shimba Ministries
August 15, 2015

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