Do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God? I most certainly do -- and this has been the first and most central affirmation of Christians throughout the ages.
When Jesus asked his disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter responded with the first and most foundational Christian declaration concerning Jesus -- "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
The belief that Jesus is the Son of God is central to Christianity. The writer of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament explained that God has spoken to us in the past many ways, but he has now spoken to us through his Son. This Son is described as "the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature." That is about as clear a statement of deity as one can expect -- the exact representation of God's nature.
This is the foundational belief of Christians -- that Jesus is the very Son of God, sent to save his people from their sins. Jesus accepted this title and referred to himself as the Son, speaking of his special relationship with the Father and claiming this authority.
This claim that Jesus is the very Son of God is what distinguishes Christianity from other systems of belief. It was a key issue that separated the early Christians from the Jews, and it is an issue that separates Christians and the followers of Islam even now. Muslims deny that God has a Son.
New Age devotees want to see Jesus as a teacher of enlightenment, others want to see Jesus as a political activist, but the central truth about Jesus is that He is God in human flesh. Christians would later define this in the doctrine of the Trinity, affirming that the God we know and worship is one God in three persons -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
This is why we celebrate Christmas -- the Christian festival of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. As the Gospel of John explains, "the Word became flesh and dwelled among us." That is why we focus on Bethlehem's manger. That baby is none other than the Son of God, come to deliver his people from their sins. As the angels told the shepherds, this baby is "a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Thus, in the light of that greatest of all truths, I wish for all a very Merry Christmas.
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