(The following is the April 6 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read John 1 and pay close attention to verses 1-18.)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but that was not the beginning of his existence. Neither was his beginning during Mary’s pregnancy. Jesus is the eternal second person of the Trinity. He has always existed and always will. Jesus has neither a beginning nor an end. He created everything in the universe. We may enjoy Christmas stories with manger scenes and a cute baby Jesus, but when we speak of Christ, we must acknowledge his eternal existence.
John does this in the magnificent, inspired words that open his Gospel: “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” (vv. 1-3). “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (v. 14).
The apostle Paul likewise wrote: “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity” (Phil. 2:5-7).
Humans are bound in this life by space and time. We cannot adequately grasp the idea of someone with no beginning because all human life starts at conception. But his coming to Earth through Mary’s Holy Spirit-induced pregnancy was not Jesus’ beginning. He is eternal.
All humans will have a future eternity even though we do not have an eternity past. Where we spend that eternity depends upon God’s grace and our response to God in Christ. We can surrender to him in repentance and faith and spend a glorious eternity with Christ in Heaven, or we can reject him and spend eternity in Hell.
Next Step:
Read again John 1:1-18 plus Philippians 2:5-11 and Revelation 21:1-8. Praise God in humble prayer for his greatness.
