John 1:2 NIV
[2] He was with God in the beginning.
I remember the day I returned to work after paternity leave to tell my colleagues (who were from Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Poland) that I now had a daughter. My female colleagues gushed over pictures of her.
My male colleagues, however, were a little non-plussed. In their countries, men sat outside in waiting rooms, pacing up and down nervously and smoking endless cigarettes. They were not allowed in the birthing suite. That, to them, was strange.
‘So you were there?’ one of my Ukrainian colleagues asked.
I nodded.
‘Even though your wife had a Cesarean Section?’
I nodded again.
He grinned mischievously. ‘Which end? The top or the bottom?’
That might sound amusing, but let me tell you something John wants us to know.
When the universe was born, Jesus was there.
Why?
Because He is God.
The way this verse is written in Greek says more than just that Jesus was physically there.
The sense of Jesus being with God is that He was also one with Him in purpose and mindset.
There are three aspects about this that it would be helpful to us to know.
The first of these is The Person.
We as a family know a bunch of people who identify themselves as sports fans for a particular team. They prove this identity by being there for their teams: by attending home games, and sometimes travelling far for away games – even to other countries and continents - as evidence of their identity.
As a Jew, John was absolutely not introducing Jesus as another member of a pantheon here.
He couldn’t do that. To do such a thing would be blasphemy:
Isaiah 42:8 NIV
[8] “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
It would also be as clear a breach as possible of two of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-6; Deuteronomy 5:6-10). Arguably, it is also a breach of the command not to misuse God’s Name (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11).
So, a complete ‘No-No’ for Jews.
Unless, of course, Jesus is God.
And that is the point of this verse. Jesus was with God in the beginning because He is God.
This verse is an argument of His Divine Character – of His nature as God. Of His identity.
So the very fact of Jesus being there at the very beginning, before life as we know it was created, speaks about His very nature as God.
It is clear and unambiguous evidence of His identity – of His person.
Apart from that, we see that it is clear evidence of His Purpose.
The Greek word translated as ‘with’ here does not just indicate physical presence. It also indicates agreement in a common purpose.
But what is that purpose?
Here is where we understand how Christmas fits in the grand scheme of things:
Ephesians 1:7-10 NIV
[7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace [8] that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, [9] he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, [10] to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
Ephesians 2:14-18 NIV
[14] For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, [15] by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, [16] and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. [17] He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
So God’s purpose was to send Jesus Christ to die on our behalf, for our sins, and to bring us together as one, united in our obedience to Him.
And, despite the incredible price He would have to pay, there is nowhere in Scripture where it says Jesus needed to be cajoled or persuaded or bribed or blackmailed.
From eternity – from before time – Jesus had already agreed with this purpose. He was with God in it from the very beginning.
Ephesians 1:3-4 NIV
[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. [4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Christmas was a part of that purpose from all eternity.
So we see that Jesus was with God in person and in a common purpose, but He was also with God in The Plan.
You see, we might agree with someone’s purpose – their intention or desire – but we might not agree with the details of their plan. We might have issues with the steps they are going to take to get there.
We need to remember that God’s plan didn’t just involve Jesus in some teaching or preaching or a short term mission or anything like that.
No, God’s plan for Him was the pain and ignominy of the cross. Yet this was Jesus’ response:
Hebrews 10:5-7 NIV
[5] Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; [6] with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. [7] Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ”
Even in the depths of His agony in Gethsemane, Jesus did not draw back or run away. He faced it head on. And this is what He prayed:
Matthew 26:39 NIV
[39] Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Even this prayer time was not straightforward and simple:
Luke 22:44 NIV
[44] And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Yet all along, without hesitation or equivocation, Jesus was with God in the details of His plan.
Back in Philippians, we see something quite amazing:
Philippians 2:6-7 NIV
[6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
The Greek for this is very striking. Jesus let go of the trappings of Heaven. He didn’t grasp on to them. He didn’t cling to them.
He simply let go of them.
The same God who taught us in my last series of posts to come to Him and let go of our troubles and problems did the same thing – but with all of the trappings of Heaven.
And then, in full submission to the Father’s plan, He did this:
Philippians 2:8 NIV
[8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Maybe your wondering, ‘Paul, your calendar seems to be a little mixed up. This is supposed to be a series of posts on Christmas, not Easter.’
But I need to tell you that Christmas and Easter are symbiotic. Easter is the reason for Christmas; without Christmas, there is no Easter.
Do you want to know why Jesus came as a baby at Christmas?
This is why: to die on the cross in obedience to the Father’s plan to save you.
Acts 2:22-24 NIV
[22] “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. [23] This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. [24] But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
That was the plan to which Jesus agreed at the very beginning.
I don’t know if you have ever experienced the bitter taste of someone being with you only so far, but then abandoning you when things get serious. There are few things in life that could get more serious than facing the excruciating death by crucifixion, yet Jesus not only agreed with God’s plan, He fulfilled it precisely, to the letter.
Christmas is an essential part in that plan, but it is not the whole plan.
When I was in youth fellowship, I witnessed a crime. A friend of mine was stabbed in the stomach outside a takeaway restaurant not far from our church. I was filled with righteous fury over the stabbing. My friend had done nothing wrong. It was all so unjust.
So when the police arrived and started taking the details of witnesses, I gave my name, because I was with him. I was there.
In this verse, John is stacking up the evidence to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and God Himself. Here he reiterates a key argument in this regard. Jesus Christ was there. He was with God before time even began.
But that phrase has so much more meaning. It means that Jesus was there in person – absolutely. It backs up his identity – absolutely.
However, it also points to Jesus’ complete agreement and participation with God’s purpose and plan, from all eternity.
Even if that plan led to the cross.
Because that is what it took to save us.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I thank You for this amazing truth that You agree with God’s purpose and plan to save me, even though it took the cross. What a mind-blowing thought! Help me to never forget it. Amen.
Questions
1. Why is it so important to John to emphasise that Jesus was there before the creation of the world? What does this say about God’s purpose and plan?
2. What was that purpose and plan?
3. How do we know that Jesus agreed to it? What does this mean to you?
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