Jn.3:16 calls Jesus, " only begotten." That term means that He is the sole representative of the Being and character of the One who sent Him. Begotten does not suggest a commencement of beginning, though it does speak of a relationship. It is a fact that is irrespective of time. Since Jesus is God, having the attributes of God, He wasn’t "after" the Father. "Only begotten" is a term that in spite of what else it expresses, points us to His uniqueness. There are things that are true of Him that cannot be completely so of the people that live upon this earth. There are some things you will never find apart from Jesus:

I. A Perfectly Righteous Man- Eccl. 7:20 says, "There is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not."There are a lot of good godly men and women but there is not one born of Adam’s race that is perfect in everyday life. Imperfection is stamped upon every human being. There is not a person in this life that will always do everything right all of the time. Our humanness is so often manifested in our daily living. Jesus is perfectly righteous; He always did what was righteous and right. There are no flaws or imperfections to be found in Him. No one could justly convince Him of sin (Jn. 8:46).

II. A Perfectly Acceptable Sacrifice- In Hebrews 10:5 says Jesus said, "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me." The offerings of the Old Testament had to be repeated year after year. There was no permanent efficacy in the blood of bulls, goats, birds or other animals. The shedding of the imperfect animal blood merely pointed ahead to the perfect, atoning blood of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the anti-type or the fulfillment of the foreshadowing, of the blood sacrifices in the Old Testament.

III. A Perfectly Capable Daysman- What is a daysman? Job.9:33 speaks of a "daysman." He is an arbitrator, a mediator, or an umpire. He is one that settles conflicts and differences. There is one fully capable of settling that which stands between a Holy God and sinful man. His name is Jesus. The Bible says in 1 Tim 2:5, "There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." Only Jesus could settle the "sin" dispute between man and God.

IV. A Perfectly Competent Ruler- Rev 5:3 states, "And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon." No man could open the book and rule. But if you read further, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah prevails to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. Christ is a perfect ruler.

Brother Tom