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. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
No reading of the ‘Christmas’ story is complete without John 1, yet these verses pose a sizable challenge to Christian theology if we stop and really take a look at them.
Have you ever considered the implication of these verses? Jesus, or by His Hebrew name, Yeshua, was with God in the beginning and was (is) God. Easy, right? Not so fast, my friend!
What are the implications of the Messiah being present from the beginning?
See, most people believe He was from the beginning, but act as if He only arrived on the scene at His birth. If He was in the beginning and was with Elohim, then we have to consider where else He had to be in the interim between Creation and His nativity.
- Did He walk between the pieces? Genesis 15.
- Was He present at the binding of Isaac? Genesis 22.
- Did He wrestle with Jacob? Genesis 32.
- Did He stand in the burning bush? Genesis 3:2.
- Was He on Mt. Sinai at the giving of the Torah? Exodus 19-24
- Was He with God when God said the seventh day Sabbath is forever? Exodus 31:12-18
- Was He with God when God said the feasts of the Lord are forever? 4X?! Leviticus 23
- Was He present when God swore He would NEVER cast off Israel? Ever? Jeremiah 31:35ff
- Was He there for the 100s of promises God made concerning Torah observance in the Millennial Kingdom? Examples: Isaiah 66:22-23; Zechariah 14:16ff; Ezekiel 40-48; etc…
- Was He there when God promised to send a ‘prophet like Moses who would speak ONLY the words of Yehovah?’ Deuteronomy 18:15ff
I could go on and on…. But, here is the point: What makes us think that Yeshua/Jesus who is ‘the same yesterday, today and forever’ would suddenly change everything His Father commanded? I submit that Jesus changed NOTHING!
He was and is our Redeemer that we might enter or re-enter covenant with Yehovah, but the terms of that covenant are everlasting and unchanging. God’s standard of righteousness is unchanging.
When we read,
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…
we must ponder the implications of Him being present at every single point and the utterance of every single Word of Scripture. In other words, when Yeshua says, ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,’ He is talking about the exact same commandments recorded in the Torah. Even the statutes and the ordinances. Malachi 4:4-5!!
I pray you take the time to consider the implications of Yeshua standing on Mt. Sinai!!
Shalom
11:3 Restoration 
I enjoyed reading 1-4. Thanks for posting. HR (people) is such a mixed bag – like sheep coming from many flocks, gathering in a new flock, loosely organized, listening for the Good Shepherd’s voice. I came across this quote: “We approach Scripture with minds already formed by the mass of accepted opinions and viewpoints with which we have come into contact, in both the Church and the world….It is easy to be unaware that it has happened; it is hard even to begin to realize how profoundly tradition in this sense has moulded us.” – J. I. Packer
Doesn’t that quote take on new meaning as does ALL of Scripture with eyes opened and scales removed?
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Reblogged this on Tannachton Farm and commented:
Fourth in the series
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Thank you. Shalom and blessings.
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So profound..love these posts…good reminders!
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