Daily Archives: August 30, 2019

Weekly Devotional 9-2-19 The Ever Existing Son

Weekly Devotional 9-2-19 The Ever-Existing Son

Humanity thinks in terms of time, and because of natural man’s inability to think in terms of eternity, it is difficult for natural man to think of Jesus as ever existing. It is the inclination of natural man to look upon Him as they would all other human beings, that the conception of the human Jesus, was His beginning. The Gospels of Matthew (Matt.1:18-25) and Luke (Luke 1:26-35) do speak of His conception and birth, but they also inform us that said conception was not of the normal processes. His mother Mary conceived not by man, but by the power of God, thus taking His being out of the natural realm.

It is declared of the Lord Jesus Christ by the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 10:5) that a body had been prepared for Him. This is difficult to understand unless we see this in connection with John 1:1-2 and 14a. “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 14a And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

We are informed in verses 1 & 2 that Jesus was not only with God in the beginning of creation, but was in fact, God. And that He took upon Himself flesh (vs. 14). The humanity of Jesus therefore did have a beginning, but Scripture affirms that before He took upon Himself human flesh He existed as eternal God. Jesus Himself, in His instructions to John the revelator, said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Revelation.1:8) and repeated those words in verses 11 and 17. Jesus ascribed to Himself that which is only applicable to God (See Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; and 48:12). Jesus further identified Himself to John by saying; “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18a). In the original language of the New Testament (the Greek) the words “and was dead” literally reads, “I became dead.” The living One, the eternal, self-existent God who could never die, became man and died. As Peter explains in 1 Peter 3:18, Christ was “put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” In His humanness He died without ceasing to be God. The good news however, is, He did not stay dead; He rose from the grave and ascended into heaven. His death burial, resurrection, and ascension qualified Him to be man’s redeemer and advocate. 

In a few short months much of the world will celebrate Christmas and many will never give thought to its real meaning, that God took upon Himself human flesh. The end of the story, however, goes well beyond the baby in the manger. God became man (flesh) in order that he could die — something He could not do as God. Daniel 9:26 tells us the Israel’s Messiah, the man Jesus Christ would be cut off but not for Himself. And, John 3:14-17 explains the reason of His being cut off (of His being killed). Consider; “14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

How about you, how do you think of Jesus? Was He man or God?

stevelampman@comcast.net    stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man

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