12 Days of Christmas: Day #1 Jesus is ETERNAL

When we celebrate Christmas, we often focus on Jesus’ arrival on earth as a baby boy. We focus on His becoming man as a sort of a beginning of a timeline towards His ministry and His eventual death, burial, and resurrection. This isn’t overtly wrong, but how often do we pause and consider that Jesus’ timeline isn’t bound simply to His arrival on earth 2,000 years ago to today? 

How often do we pause at Christmas to consider the fact that Jesus is eternal and how that reality impacts our every day?

Jesus existed long before that Christmas night in Bethlehem. In fact, God’s Word tells us “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20). And Jesus says, of Himself, that He had a glory with the Father before the world was created (John 17:5). Before the world was created, Jesus was known and was with the Father.

And the prophet Micah specifically said (in Micah 5:2) that a ruler in Israel would come from Bethlehem, and that his coming would be from “of old, from ancient days.” He was not simply coming from His mother’s womb–He was coming from the beginning of time.

This little babe, so precious and adored, was already truly older than time itself. (Let that sink in.)

Isaiah tells us (in Isaiah 9:6) He would be an “everlasting father.” He lasts forever. 

The author of Hebrews tells us (in quoting Psalm 102) that He is “one whose years have no end” (Heb 1:12). He will not die. 

And Revelation 1:8 tells us that He “is the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” He is behind, beside, and before us.

This Jesus we celebrate is eternal. He has been since before the beginning and he will be after the end. Can you point to anything else in your life of which this can be said?

This truth should change things for us. This truth should shift our perspective. This truth should encourage our hearts that whatever we face today can be surrendered and entrusted to One who is not bound by our timelines, One who is not wearing out or giving up, One who has experienced and endured an eternity’s worth of circumstances and yet will remain long after our lives are over.

How does this attribute of Jesus–His being eternal–affect your today? 

How does it impact your adoration and worship of Jesus Christ? 

How does it give you hope? How does it increase your joy?

Take a moment to pause in prayer. Thank God for the amazing reality of grace that He had a salvation plan through the eternal Jesus even before the world was formed. Thank Him that He will reign and remain forevermore. Confess your fears for your todays and confess any ways you forget or fail to surrender your days to the eternal God through Christ Jesus your Lord. Ask for forgiveness and for help to remember His eternal ways that impact and forever change mankind for eternity. Ask Him to give you glimpses of His eternal nature as you go through your day today.

Worship the One who was and is and is to come.