Eternity Stepped Into Time

Eternity Stepped Into Time

TCF Sermon

December 5, 2004

sermon was preceded by song “The Final Word,” by Michael Card.

I asked Lisa to sing that Michael Card song this morning, because one of the phrases that often comes to my mind, especially in the Christmas season, is that one little phrase near the end of the song, which says, “Eternity Stepped Into Time, so we could understand.”

It’s a phrase rich in meaning, and the truth of this lyric, the implication of this truth, is critical to our understanding of the gospel.

This message is called Eternity Stepped Into Time. It’s one of those great, foundational doctrines of our faith, that we don’t seem to think about very much.

But if there’s a time to think about it, any Christmas season we’re in would be it.

It’s important to think about, because of the profound and startling implications of this truth: Jesus always was. Though we celebrate His birth at Christmastime, what we’re really celebrating, is His birth into human form...that’s another great doctrine called the Incarnation, which we must reflect on this morning too, in relation to Jesus’ pre-existence.

The Bible teaches us that, though Jesus’ had a human beginning, the person of Jesus Christ does not, like we human beings, have a beginning. Think about this. There was never a time when Jesus didn’t exist. He pre-existed His incarnation. He was before He was born into human form. Think about what it was like before you were born.

Did you ever have one of those sheets for your birthday that says what the world was like the year you were born? I was born in 1956, and I have to say, it was a very good year. There are several others who can attest to how good a year it was.

I know of at least two others who are from that vintage year. Who else here was born in ’56?

1956 First Trans- Atlantic Telephone Cable The first transatlantic telephone cable between Newfoundland and Scotland was completed in 1956. The cable ran 2,250 miles.

NBA: Philadelphia Warriors vs. Ft. Wayne Pistons Series: 4-1

now the Philadelphia team is the 76ers, and the Warriors are in California, while the Pistons are in Detroit

College Football: Oklahoma Record: 10-0-0

Heisman Trophy: Paul Hornung, Notre Dame, QB

World Series: New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers Series: 4-3

Top Songs of 1956

1."Memories Are Made of This" ... Dean Martin

5."Heartbreak Hotel" ... Elvis Presley

9."Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog" ... Elvis Presley

10."Love Me Tender" ... Elvis Presley

Most Popular Television Shows

1. I Love Lucy (CBS)

2. The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS)

3. General Electric Theater (CBS)

4. The $64,000 Question (CBS)

5. December Bride (CBS) – a 50s version of a reality show before they were popular.

6. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS)

7. I’ve Got a Secret (CBS)

8. Gunsmoke (CBS)

9. The Perry Como Show (NBC)

10. The Jack Benny Show (CBS)

Now, it’s interesting to us to consider what the world was like before we were born, or in this case, the year we were born. That’s because we didn’t exist before we were conceived. It helps us consider the time we can’t remember without this kind of help.

Jesus didn’t need a list like we just read. Jesus not only existed before he was conceived by the agency of the Holy Spirit, as a human being inside the womb of the virgin Mary, but he existed before Mary, His earthly mother, even existed herself. In fact, He was her creator.

We celebrate his birth into the world at Christmastime, but it’s only His human birth we celebrate. In a very real sense, Jesus doesn’t have a “birthday” like we do ...and yet, He does have a human birthday.

In His essence as God, He never had a beginning.

Even a traditional scripture we hear at Christmas time speaks of this great truth.

Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Usually, when we hear this scripture, we marvel at the prophecy of Micah, who predicted where Jesus would be born, hundreds of years before His birth. What’s more, he predicted the genealogy of His birth, the promised King of Kings would be from David’s line.

But let’s notice what else Micah says about this coming King, this ruler anticipated by Israel. Micah says that His origins are from “of old,” from ancient times. The Hebrew here is literally, “days of immeasurable time.” This is a clear indication that Jesus always was, and existed before He was born.

This morning, we’re going to look at a couple of things. We’re going to consider just a few of the many passages of scripture that confirm this great truth of our faith. In fact, there are many passages we won’t examine this morning which also proclaim this wonderful truth. Micah just begins to look at this. And we’re also going to try to see why this is important to our faith.