“He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2).
Have you ever arrived late to a good movie? You may have prepaid your tickets online, but local traffic, and possibly your small children, obstructed every effort to arrive on time. When you ask the person sitting next to you, “How much did I miss?” They look at you and smile, “Oh, only about thirty minutes.”
By this time you are disappointed and very frustrated. You’re not sure where the story is headed or what key parts were missed because you were not present in the opening scene. You missed the starting point of the entire movie. Why? You were not present in the opening scene.
Jesus has always existed. He is the starting point of life. The title “I AM” was used in the Old Testament to refer to the God of the Hebrews. During one of his teachings, Jesus responded, “I tell you the truth…before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58, NIV).
In other words, Jesus unapologetically declared that He was the eternal God over all of creation! This assertion infuriated the religious leaders of the day. Why? Simply put, it placed Jesus in the same divine category as the God of Israel. It meant that Jesus already existed in eternity past with the Father and Holy Spirit. If Jesus was the great “I am” it meant that He is eternal and shares God’s divine nature.
What these leaders failed to understand was that before time ever existed, before the movie of this world started playing, Jesus was already living. Jesus was present in the opening scene and they were not. Isaiah wrote, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ ” (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus was an active part of eternity before our world began. Why? Jesus is the starting point of life. One day everyone will bow and recognize Jesus as Lord of all things. The Living Word of God will return to earth, destroy all evil and reign supreme over His creation. John describes our great God and Savior powerfully when he writes, “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13, NASB).
Read: Open your Bible and read John 8:48-59.
Reflect: Prayerfully consider the following: What activities are you involved in that bring glory to God? What two friends need to hear more regarding who Jesus is and what He has done to pay for our sins?
Respond: As a result of these truths, what might need to change in my attitude, beliefs, and actions? What steps do I need to take outwardly?
The source of this content comes from our book, Walking with Jesus.