December 3
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. Life was in Him and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:1-5
As we begin this advent season, let’s take a moment to reflect on Jesus’ origins. When a baby is conceived in his mother’s womb, he becomes a person with a body, soul and spirit. The moment of conception is his beginning. That is the moment he becomes a being. Before that time, he does not exist. We are not angels up in heaven waiting to come down to earth. That is not biblical. And when we die, we do not become angels. Angels are separate and distinct creatures. Human beings are very different. There is a specific moment when we become alive. That is not the case with Jesus. This verse tells us that Jesus was with God from the beginning. Jesus is God. He took part in creation, not one thing was created without His participation. Just as God has always been, Jesus has always been. He does not have a beginning and will not have an end. He was and is and is to come!
Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things! Colossians 1:17 tells us, “He existed before anything else and he holds all creation together.” He isn’t some impersonal God who set all things in motion and then left it alone. He has been present throughout history. Many scholars believe that we find Jesus’ appearance throughout the Old Testament. Jesus appeared to Hagar when she was alone in the desert, pregnant with Abraham’s child, running away from her mistress Sarah. She called Him El Roi, “the God who sees me.” He saw her pain and offered her hope. (Genesis 16) Jesus was one of the three strangers who visited Abraham and promised Him a son. (Genesis 18) He was also likely the Angel who stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac on the altar and instead provided the ram in the thicket. (Genesis 22) He was the Man Jacob wrestled with in the night on the way to face Esau. (Genesis 32) Jesus was the One who commanded Gideon to defeat the Midianites. (Judges 6) He was the Majestic Being Isaiah saw sitting on a heavenly throne (Isaiah 6) and He was the man walking around in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. (Daniel 3) These are only a few examples of Jesus’ presence and activity found in the pages of the Old Testament. It is important that we recognize that Jesus wasn’t a normal baby whose life and story began at His conception and birth into this earthly family. He has existed throughout eternity and His presence and activity is just as evident in our lives today. He is timeless.
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