Jesus Before His Advent

I recently read an article in Christianity Today describing research in which 80% of Americans said “...they agree that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Father,...” but only 41% believe that the Son of God existed before Mary had her baby in Bethlehem. As expected, this number is being pulled down by the percentage of unaffiliated people who do not believe this fact (only 15% of them believe). What really surprised me was the fact that only 63% of “Active Christians” (defined as going to church at least 4 times per month) believe that the Son of God existed before Jesus was born. That means 37% either don’t believe this or are unsure.

What Does the Bible Say About the Matter?

In John 8, after John’s description of what happened with the woman caught in adultery, we see a long discussion between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day about His testimony. During that discussion Jesus states that Abraham, “rejoiced,” to see Jesus’ day (John 8:56). When asked how He could have seen Abraham, the Bible quotes Jesus as saying:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

John 8:58 (NKJV)

I checked a couple of different sources and the time in between Abraham’s life and Jesus' birth is…well…a long time. Yet Jesus’ statement implies that He was before Abraham. He believed that He existed before He is seen in the flesh, coming down from Heaven (John 3:13). Jesus also spoke of the glory He had with the Father, “before the world was.” (John 17:5) And so we see from Jesus’ own testimony, as recorded in the Bible, that He existed in Heaven before He was born here on earth.

John refers to this in the first chapter of His Gospel, speaking of the Word that became flesh (John 1:14). John tells us that this Word that became flesh is the only begotten of the Father. He also tells us that the Word was, “In the beginning…” The Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1:1).

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1:2-3 (NKJV)

According to the Bible, the Son was there at creation. He was sent to earth by the Father, born of a virgin, and we call Him Jesus. He testifies to this fact as did the Apostle John. I suspect that a deeper Bible search would likely find other indications that the Son existed before His Advent. This is one aspect of His eternal nature, one that is critical to our understanding of who He is, as well as our understanding of His gospel.

To see the Christianity Today article mentioned in this post go to: Most Americans, and Many Christians, Don’t Believe the Son of God Existed Before the Manger

A Standing Appointment with God

I have a standing appointment each day with God. Actually it’s two appointments, during which the two of us meet in prayer and in Bible reading. He has never missed these appointments. I wish I could say the same but...well...nobody’s perfect...except for God. Don’t get me wrong, I try my best to pray without ceasing and to acknowledge Him in all my ways. But those two times each day are special, a few minutes where I can quiet my mind and my spirit, and focus on Him one on one. What a blessing it is to know that He will be there waiting to keep these very important appointments each day.

I didn’t always look forward to reading the Bible or spending time with God. Early in my walk I only had my devotionals because my friends in Campus Crusade said it was a good idea. I was trying to prove something to God (and to my friends) and over time I became exhausted by the burden of having devotionals for the wrong reasons. The Bible became, for a time, nothing more than words. It felt dry and meaningless. In fact, reading the Bible felt like I was doing something wrong. It was a case of doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.

Fortunately, the power of God’s written word is such that it can change a heart even when that heart is a bit self centered. In my case He used Psalm 1, and its description of a tree planted by the rivers of water, to ignite a big change in me.

The tree in Psalm 1 is alive and anything but dry. It is fruitful and productive. It was everything that was lacking in my own spiritual journey. I found myself asking God why I was so different from this tree. Why is it that the person whose life is like this tree gets to enjoy such a blessing? Fortunately the Psalm gives the answer. This person is blessed because they have chosen to meditate on the law instead of filling their mind with the thinking of this world. This is what we call a conditional blessing, one I believe is still available today to those who meditate on scripture.

But if that is the case, why were my devotional times so dry? Why was it that when I read the Bible I came away feeling like it was time wasted? I believe it was because, unlike the tree, I was trying to prove something instead of trying to receive something.

The tree does not try to prove itself to its creator. It stands in its soil and draws in the available nutrients and water. In the case of the Psalm 1 tree, having the nearby rivers made a big difference because the rivers would bring more for the tree to draw from. Those who meditate on the Law in the Psalmist’s day and the Bible in our day should be like this tree planted near the rivers.

And so I asked God to make me like this tree, knowing the promise made by Jesus when He said, “Ask and you shall receive.” I asked God why my devotional times were dry. I asked Him to make me like this tree and to plant me by these rivers. What was His response? He pointed me to John 15:1:

“I am the true vine…” (NKJV)

I was trying to prove myself to God but that’s not how it works. He is the true vine and I must draw from Him. My devotionals had to change from being about proving myself, becoming a time of drawing from the true vine. When I (with a lot of help from the Holy Spirit) made this change, my devotional times changed significantly.

Now I look forward to these standing appointments. They are no longer a burden and they are no longer about proving something. They are about receiving from God and about the blessing of being able to spend time in His presence. They are about being in the tent, talking with God. Now my devotionals and my time reading the Bible are about being alive.

I have a daily standing appointment with God and I thank God that He wants it to be that way.