The Only Son, Firstborn Son, Many Sons
John 3:16 and 3:18 are about our believing into the “only begotten Son of God.” God’s only Son is divine; He is eternal, uncreated, and He put on humanity in His incarnation.
This One, the divine Son with humanity “was designated the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness out of the resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 1:4). Eternally He was the only Son but in resurrection the humanity He put on was uplifted and He, with both divinity and humanity, was declared to be “the Son of God.”
At the same time we were born of God: “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Now the only Son is the Firstborn Son (Col. 1:18; Heb. 1:6).
In resurrection Jesus Christ is the Firstborn Son of God and we are the many sons, the many brothers of Christ. Hebrews 2:10 tells us God is “leading many sons into glory.” Ultimately this glory is New Jerusalem. Furthermore, in verse 12 Christ speaks of His “brothers,” who are the church now and will be members of New Jerusalem eternally.
The prepare us for New Jerusalem, we are being “conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29). Our Christian goal is not any outward success but is this conformation.
Tagged 1 Peter, born of the Spirit, conformed to the image of God’s Son, God embodied in Christ, Hebrews, Hebrews 2, incarnation, regeneration, resurrection, Romans, sonship
Posted by Don on July 25, 2025
https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2025/07/25/the-only-son-firstborn-son-many-sons/