The Son of God

In John 5:26, Jesus says “Just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself…”
He is referring to himself when he says “Son” and of course, Christians claim that Jesus is indeed the “Son of God”.
I had a problem with understanding this even after I knew him as my Lord and Savior. It stemmed from the Christian/Muslim debates I watches as a Muslim, especially when Ahmed Deedat tore into his opponents with the usage of the word “begotten” in some translations of John 3:16. I remember him shouting that this is an “animal husbandry” term, asking how it can be attributed to an act by God. I agreed with this and basically my problem was that I still did.
It wasn’t until I read “I, Jesus: An Autobiography” by Chuck Missler that this question was answered to my satisfaction. I suggest that you buy and read that book, for it goes much deeper than this simple sharing of mine.
At this time, I’d like to offer my condolences to Chuck Missler on the passing of his wife Nancy Missler last week.
Humanly speaking, to call someone a “son” means that the man’s father existed before he did. The “father” is born first, he then grows up, and after a number of years, gets married, and has the “son”. The son who did not exist before the father, was begotten and came into existence.
I disagreed with this model, and rightly so because this is not what Jesus means by saying he is the Son of God.
Biblically, to be “the son of” means to share the exact characteristics and attributes of. For example, in John 8:44, Jesus tells the Pharisees that they are of their “father the devil”. He is stating that they share the characteristics and attributes of Satan, the originator of murder and falsehood (father of lies), that they share the same nature and intend and are therefore the children of the devil. Similarly, there are “sons of disobedience”, “son of perdition”, “sons of baal” etc.
What Jesus means by stating that he is the Son of God is that he shares all of the character and attributes of God the Father.
Not only that, Jesus is the only human in the history of mankind that exemplifies each and every attribute and title of God in the Jewish (old) covenant.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. John 1:1-4 KJV
Find me another “God-man”, prophet, avatar or enlightened one that fulfills this, that manifested all the characteristics, attributes, integrity, nature, intent and power of the Almighty God as revealed in the Jewish Covenant. You will not, for there is none other than Jesus. He exists uniquely.
This is what we find stated in John 3:16, that Jesus being the “uniquely existing” Son of God.
The Greek word “monogenes” has been rendered to mean “only begotten” in some translations.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV
God gave his monogenes Son, the only self-existent God who has life in himself, the word that became flesh, for the salvation of the humans who believe that God did such a thing, and who put trust him and him alone to save them.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12 KJV