This week I have been struck by the Christmas story in the gospel of John. Mark only mentions a little of John the Baptist ministry. Matthew gives a genealogy back to Abraham to introduce Jesus. Luke gives a genealogy back to Adam and a full description of John the Baptists birth. John however, goes even further back!
For a lot of people, the idea of Jesus being born as a baby means the same as it does for us at our birth. At conception we began to exist and at birth we emerged onto the scene of this world. But for Jesus, his conception by the Holy Spirit and his birth that followed, this was not his beginning. John says that the Son of God was present at the creation of the world and that the world was not created without his involvement!
Jesus existed long before the creation of the heavens and the earth. Jesus was not created by the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Son of God was not created in Mary's womb, but he has existed eternally. The Bible even says that the decision to have the Son of God enter the creation and die for the sins of mankind was made before the creation of the earth.
When we think about the Christmas story (the nativity or advent) in John, we are reminded of how great and powerful a treasure was encased in that tiny helpless baby in Bethlehem's manger. The eternal, all powerful, ever living, Son of God, set aside his glory and became one of us, his creation, to save us.
No comments:
Post a Comment