3. Jesus Christ – Commentary on The Nicene Creed

“And I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made; being of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made.”

One Lord Jesus Christ. “One” means there is no other Christ. “Lord” means master. Jesus is in charge. “Jesus” means Yahweh is salvation. And Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew, both mean the Anointed One.

The “only-begotten Son” means that Jesus is uniquely the Son of God. He was the Son of God by nature, we are the sons and daughters of God by grace.

“Begotten of the Father before all ages” means that Jesus, the Logos of God, was the Son of God before creation. How this is so was not defined by the Creed. The issues are complex, and I think this was wise.

“Light of Light, very God of very God” is emphasizing the nature of Jesus as fully God from before time. As the next part says, he never became God but was “begotten, not made; being of one essence with the Father.”

“By whom all things were made” means that God created all things though the agency of Jesus Christ. We also know the Spirit was also involved in creation.

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Jay N. Forrest

I am a Christian Teacher focused on the Pursuit of God through Prayer, Contemplation, Silence, Solitude, and Simplicity. I became a Christian in 1983, attended Bible school, and eventually earned my Doctorate in Ministry. I served as a Protestant minister for 27 years and also spent about a decade practicing Buddhism. In 2005, I was baptized into the Catholic Church, but have since joined the Episcopal Church. I live in the desert southwest of the United States.

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