Why does Jesus have to be the Son of God?

I was reading something online recently in which a respondent asked the question, "Why does Jesus have to be the Son of God?" They went on to wonder why couldn't He just be a nice guy with wise sayings who loved people. Well.

In the Garden of Eden, the first blood was shed to cover sin. God killed an animal to clothe Adam and Eve after they disobeyed Him and heeded Satan's call to eat the forbidden fruit, and were naked in their sin and shame before Him. That intial blood-letting was followed by centuries of blood sacrifices, all trying in vain to vanquish sin from the lives of men and women. But countless goats and lambs were only inadequate sacrifices providing temporary covering of our ghastly sinfulness, too ugly and horrifying for a Holy God to look upon.

Then, when God knew that the time was right, the Sacrifice determined from the foundation of the world came to earth as a Baby. The Son of God. Fully God and fully man. The only person ever to live a sinless life. Because you see, only complete perfection could abolish woeful imperfection. Only the Son of God--God Himself--could take away the sins of the world.

If Jesus Christ had not been the Son of God, we would be hopelessly, eternally lost in a whirlpool of sin. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for leaving Glory to come to earth as a Baby in a cave with hay and animals; Immanuel, "God with us." Thank you for living a life that changed the world forever. Thank you for being our Example and our Savior. Thank You for dying on that cross and rising on the third day, replacing eternal loss and separation from God with the possibility of eternal reconciliation and fellowship with God. All we have to do is believe and accept You for who You are. The One who can cleanse us from our sin. The One who is ever interceding for us before the throne of Father God. The One who will return soon, in victorious glory! Jesus Christ, the Son of God!