A man came to the Master one day pleading for the Him to come and rescue his son from the clutches of the demons. Above the crowd he shouted, “Teacher, I beg of you to look at the son (huion) of me, BECAUSE he is the only one born (monogenees) to me!”[1] He had already brought him to the ministers of Christ to be delivered and when they did not succeed his desperation drove him to the Christ for help. He was not driven to him RELIGIOUSLY because He was the healer, but rather because HE DID NOT WANT TO LOOSE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. His son was irreplaceable, unique, and therefore held a special place in his heart! He was his monogenees huion; only-begotten son. He was the only heir who could succeed him and tend to his family. If his son died there very likely might not be another one to replace him!
When Jesus Christ was born of the Father, The Holy Spirit of God, the Scriptures show that among the many terms the Spirit used to describe Him was monogenees! The Apostle John, inspired by the Spirit of God, says, “By this was manifested the love of the God in us, BECAUSE the son (huion) of Him, the only-begotten (monogenees), God has sent into the world, in order that, we might live through Him.”[2] Jesus Christ is God’s monogenees! How important such a son was to the Father! How precious in His sight he was that He should declare for all to hear, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”[3] There was never one born like him before him, and there would never be one born like him after Him! One son, one access to the Father.
And whereas one father cried in desperation, ‘Please save my son’s life!’ because he was monogenees, THE FATHER willingly did what Abraham had done centuries before and “offered up the monogenees” [4] to a sacrificial death. God allowed the devil, demons, and sinners to KILL His monogenees FOR US!!! Let it never be forgotten that there is GOOD reason why Christ sits at the right hand of the Father forever; and that, whether we can fully grasp it or not, God has called Jesus monogenees para patros (only-begotten of Father)[5], ton huion ton monogenee (the son the only-begotten) [6], and also monogenees theos (only-begotten God).[7] The One that we serve, we worship, and we adore RULES ON THE THRONE FOREVER because He is uniquely God-born, God borne and God-worthy! [8]
[1] Luke 9:38 (lit.) [2] 1 Jn. 4:9 (lit.) [3] Matt. 3:17 [4] Heb. 11:17 [5] Jn. 1:14
[6] Jn. 3:16 [7] Jn. 1:18 [8] Rev. 5:12
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M., Th.M. 9/12/1999