What a Gift! The Eternal Son - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.
John 3:16

What a Gift! The Eternal Son
The Greek word which has been translated in our English Bibles as "only-begotten" is used five times of Christ as the Son of God, all in the writings of the apostle John. As the Son of God, Jesus was the unique Representative of the being and character of the One who sent Him. speaks of His glory as of "an only-begotten with a Father." The glory was that of a unique relationship. The word "begotten" does not imply a beginning of His sonship; it rather implies relationship. But we must not reason from this that it is exactly like our human relationships. That is, we must not think that because we as human beings began our existence when we were begotten by our parents, therefore the Son of God began His existence at a time when He was begotten by His Father. The truth is, He always was the "only-begotten." He never had a beginning. He is the eternal "I AM" (see Jn. 8:58).

The expression "only-begotten" also suggests the thought of deepest affection. In John 1:18 the clause, "the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father," expresses both His eternal union with the Father in the Godhead and the ineffable intimacy and love between them. The statement in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son" does not mean that Christ became the only-begotten Son when He was born as a Man upon earth. Rather it stresses the value and greatness of the gift that God gave: the One who already was His "only-begotten Son" and the delight of His own heart.

Grant W. Steidl
Eternal Word, eternal Son, the Father's constant joy,

What Thou hast done and what Thou art shall all our tongues employ;

Our life, our Lord, we Thee adore; worthy art Thou for evermore.