John 1:1 New International Version (NIV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14 New International Version (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 10:30 New International Version (NIV) “I and the Father are one.” –Jesus Christ
Have you ever thought, “when did Jesus become Jesus?” Such a question is not sacrilegious! I think it reflects a desire to know and understand Him better.
John recorded three truths about Him: (1) Jesus is the Word–existing from the very beginning, with God, and was God; (2) Jesus lived on earth and showed us His glory; (3) Jesus and God are one and the same. Does your brain hurt trying to think about how this is possible?
We know that Jesus has always been Jesus–this point is crystal clear. However, I admit to not understanding it. For example, since Jesus is God, He is infinite in knowledge, wisdom, power, etc. When baby Jesus laid in the manger, did He possess all these characteristics but refrained from showing them in order to not freak out Mary and Joseph? When Jesus worked with Joseph in the carpenter shop, what did the Creator of the universe think about building a simple stool with his hands? When Jesus played with other children, was He the world’s best hide-and-seek champion? When Jesus separated from his parents for 3 days and remained in Jerusalem at the Temple talking with the chief priests, what did He say to them?
Luke 4:17-21 records an amazing Jesus event. He was handed a scroll. He unrolled it and read Isaiah 61:1-2, an 800+ year old prophecy about Jesus Christ. Upon completion He proclaimed, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Was this THE defining event when Jesus became Jesus–at least publicly? What do you think?