What does the phrase, “Son of God” mean? Does it mean that God the Father literally had a son? The answer that question is just plainly no.
The phrase “son of” doesn’t mean that someone literally has to be born from someone. In fact, around when the Greek New Testament was written, Caesar was referred to as the Son of God Himself. What that phrase literally meant was, “the nature of.” Caesar was expressing the nature of. In fact, when you read the phrase “son of” within the Bible you find that that is true.
In Acts 4, Barnabas is called the “son of encouragement”. In Mark 3, James and John are called the “sons of thunder.” Judas is referred to as the “son of perdition.” The nature of encouragement is seen in Barnabas. The nature of thunder is seen in James and John. The nature of hell is seen within Judas. So when Jesus is referred to as the “son of,” it’s not in reference to him being born from the father. It’s actually a claim of his deity.
In fact, in Colossians 2:9 and Colossians 1:15, tell us that in Jesus the fullness of deity dwells. The phrase “Son of God” refers to his nature as being God.
In John 3:18 it tells us that, “he is the only begotten Son of God.” This word “only begotten” is it claim against the Caesars of the day who would claim deity. It’s saying that Jesus is the only one that possesses this nature in him. It’s the uniqueness of Christ. The word only begotten, it means “monogenes.” It’s “mono”, the singularity from the same word we get mono today, the one. And “genes”, the word for where we get gene. It’s the only one of this kind or class.
Jesus is the only one that represents God in the flesh. In fact, John 1:1-14 says that to us. “In the beginning was the Word,” in verse 1 and, “the Word was with God and the Word was God.” In verse 14, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” God became flesh and dwelt among us. That’s why Jesus said, “he who has me, has seen the Father.” God is now dwelling in fleshly form.
The phrase “Son of God” does not mean that God the Father had a kid. What it means, is that Jesus Himself is God in the flesh.