Christmas: The Birth of the Co-Creator

December 24, 2025 18 Comments

In view of the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, I thought I would prepare this blog post. But why during the Christmas season? In part, to answer the question posed in the title of the Christmas carol “What Child Is This?” in a way not specifically identified in that song.

The first section of the Nicene Creed describes the “one God the Father Almighty (Παντοκράτορα)” as the Maker (ποιητής) of all things visible and invisible. Thus, God the Father is the Creator (“Maker”) of all things. Among other places in Scripture, this is found in Revelation 4:11, in which the One sitting on the throne (4:2), the One worshipers call “the Lord God, the Almighty (Παντοκράτωρ)” (4:8), is the One of Whom these worshipers assert, “You created all things (ἔκτισας τὰ πάντα)” (4:11).

But that’s not all there is to this.

The second section of the Creed provides a rather expansive description of the “one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God”. Included is this statement: “…through Whom all things came to be” (δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο). With the exception of the verb (ἐγένετο, “came to be”), this is verbatim from 1Corinthians 8:6 (“through Whom all things”, δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα). The verb seems likely to be sourced from John 1:3: “all things through Him came to be (πάντα δι’ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο)”. Thus, it appears likely the committee at Nicaea combined 1 Corinthians 8:6 and John 1:3 here.

So, according to the Creed, all things came to be through the “one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God”. Thus, “God the Father Almighty” made all things, while all things came to be through the “one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God”.

1Corinthians 8:6 also describes the function of the “one God the Father” in creation. The Father is specifically described as the One “from Whom all things are” (ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα [εἰμί]1). And, the Son is described as the One “through Whom all things are” (δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα [εἰμί]). The different prepositions indicate the different yet coordinating functions of each One in creation.2

This motif of Christ as Agent of creation is also found in Colossians 1:16. It is “in Him” (ἐν αὐτῷ) that “all things were created” (ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα), and “all things” (τὰ πάντα) “through Him and for Him have been created” (δι’ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται).

Jesus Christ, the One Whose birth we celebrate on December 25th each year—the One we envision as the babe in the manger—is co-creator, Agent of creation!

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1 This clause and its corresponding one in reference to the “one Lord Jesus Christ” are verbless, so the verb must be supplied from 8:5.

2 Richard Bauckham, in Jesus and the God of Israel (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008), notes (p 27) that Paul here has reformulated the Shema (Deut 6:4). He further remarks: “Paul is including the Lord Jesus Christ in the unique divine identity. He is redefining monotheism as christological monotheism” (p 28).

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Reminder

January 17, 2025 3 Comments

I saw this very recently while traveling:

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And the Word Became Flesh

December 24, 2023 5 Comments

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us—Emmanuel, God with us. Some beheld Jesus’ glory. All will someday behold His glory.

He is full of grace and truth. To all those who receive Him—to those believing in Jesus’ name—He gives authority to become God’s children. Grace and truth comes through Jesus Christ.

God with us. Christ with us.

Christ with me.

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Ambiguous Signs

December 12, 2023 9 Comments

While driving the other day I saw this sign:

HITCHHIKERS MAY BE ESCAPING CONVICTS

Given that there is a ‘corrections’ facility nearby, this probably means, “Hitchhikers may be escapees from prison.” The word ESCAPING is functioning as an adjective—specifically, an adjectival participle—modifying the noun CONVICTS. Therefore, it means:

HITCHHIKERS MAY BE CONVICTS THAT ARE ESCAPING

But the way the sign is written, ESCAPING could be interpreted as a verb rather than the intended adjective:

HITCHHIKERS MAY BE ESCAPING FROM CONVICTS

This places an entirely different meaning over what was intended!

Should those responsible for creating this sign see this blog post, I hope they are convicted . . . of their unintended ambiguity. That is, I hope the writers would come under conviction for their imprecise wording. Making one minor change would alleviate the ambiguity:

HITCHHIKERS MAY BE ESCAPED CONVICTS

If convicts are hitchhiking, they have already escaped! So, changing the adjectival participle from present (-ing) to past (-ed) would convey the message properly.

Praising Polysemy

But sometimes ambiguity is intentionally employed as a linguistic device to enrich a text. It can take the form of polysemy, in which a text plays on a particular word’s myriad shades of meanings (also known as multivalence). Our Scriptures contain quite a few instances of such. An example is in John 1:5:1

1:1 In the beginning the Word existed, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 Through Him all things came to be, and without Him not even one thing came to be that has come to be. 4 In Him was life, and that life was the Light of humanity. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not apprehend [katelaben] it.

D. A. Carson calls 1:5 “a masterpiece of planned ambiguity”.2 A newcomer to John’s Gospel may only see the creation event of Genesis 1-2 here. But, of course, the Gospel writer intends much more than that.3

The final verb katelaben [aorist active indicative form] is a compound word consisting of the preposition kata and the verb lambanō. The former means ~down, the latter take or receive. But as with many words prefixed with a preposition, the resulting word acquires intensification and an additional nuance. Its basic definition is grasp, as in either hostile (seize) or non-hostile (secure), though, alternatively, it can carry the idea of mental grasping (perceive).4 Danker asserts that the writer in this context intends the combined “sense of grasp as seize and comprehend.”5 The translation “apprehend” above is an attempt to capture this perceived polysemy.

On first reading, one could understand all of 1:1-5 cosmologically, such that the darkness of Genesis 1:2 would not overcome the light of Genesis 1:3. But after having read through John’s Gospel, a subsequent reading of the prologue (John 1:1–18) may prompt the reader to see an allusion to Genesis 3.6 More likely, the light/darkness dichotomy exhibited throughout the Gospel will bring the reader to perceive a connection between v. 5 and vv. 10-11.7 While the Light continued and continues to shine (imperfective aspect) in order to illuminate the darkness (John 8:12; 9:5), the darkness chose to remain in darkness (John 3:19-21), failing to comprehend the true nature of the Light (John 11:9-10; 12:35-36, 46).8 Those in darkness can be brought to the Light through the continuous shining of the Light, but the darkness itself remains.

Continuing in this light (pun intended), the reader can see an illusion to Revelation 12:4: And the dragon [darkness] stood before the woman who was about to give birth [to the Light], so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. Yet despite the dragon’s best efforts, Christmas did come!

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1 My translation.

2 D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, Pillar New Testament Commentary, D. A. Carson, gen. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1991), p 119. [I am also reminded of one of my favorite lyric lines: well-defined ambiguity (from “Straight Jacket”, written by Mike Watt, as performed and recorded by Minutemen, The Punch Line, SST records, SST-004, 1981.)]

3 Carson, Gospel, states, “it is quite possible that John, subtle writer that he is, wants his readers to see in the Word both the light of creation and the light of the redemption the Word brings in his incarnation” (p 120).

4 F. W. Danker, The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago, IL: Chicago, 2009), p 191.

5 Ibid; emphasis in original. Cf. Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary, two volumes (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, [2003] 2010 [1st softcover ed.]), p 1.387. Contra, e.g., Andreas J. Köstenberger, Encountering John, Encountering Biblical Studies Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1999), p 55, in which the author opines that “overcome” is the primary meaning, though “understand” may be ‘latent’ (my word) in the verse “in preparation of 1:10-11”.

6 See Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John I-XII, The Anchor Yale Bible; (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974), p 8. Under this understanding the aorist κατέλαβεν, katelaben is interpreted as a one-time past event.

7 See C. K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction with Commentary and Notes on the Greek Text, 2nd ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978), p 158.

8 See Keener, Gospel of John, pp 1.382-387 for fuller discussion of light, including light as Wisdom and Torah; cf. Brown, John I-XII, pp 519-522.

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God Came to Abide with Us

December 25, 2022 3 Comments

God came to abide with humanity and at the hands of humanity die,
so forever in His made-without-hands abode could humanity too reside.

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Posts of Christmas past:

Coming Soon Near You!

Today an Eternal Present was Unveiled in the City of David

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December

December 11, 2022 3 Comments

So, why December? I’ve wondered this for a while now.

I’m referring to George Winston’s piano solo album December,1 which is a seasonal favorite in some circles. I tend to play it every year at this time.

But why did Winston choose this title? It seems odd when reading Winston’s notes on the sleeve, including this sentence (bold added): There is a wealth of traditional and contemporary music to draw from in doing an album for the winter season.2 But winter officially begins on either December 20th, 21st or 22nd and lasts for three months after that. Of course, December is typically considered ‘Christmas season’. Or ‘the holiday season’, meaning Christmas (or even Hanukkah and Kwanzaa) and New Year’s Eve/Day.

The selections on December are mostly Christmas-themed. Only one includes a reference to the New Year,3 and none are about winter. Curious.

It probably has to do with this disclaimer on the album:

The traditional pieces were chosen for their appropriateness as instrumental music for this project. They were not meant to convey any personal religious belief.4

OK, fair enough, I might say. A person should have their right to individual religious liberty, of course. But then why did he choose some specifically and overtly Christian-themed pieces—as opposed to other religious traditions—for his record? Christian-themed selections include: “Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head”; “Joy” (based on Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by way of Hess’ transcription for piano and a guitar arrangement by David Qualey); “The Holly and the Ivy”; “Carol of the Bells” and “Some Children See Him”.

Of the four albums Winston lists as inspiring his project, one is thematically outside historical orthodox Christianity: John Fahey’s The New Possibility.5 Yet, two are solidly Christian: Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas6 and Alfred S. Burt’s This is Christmas.7 I’m unfamiliar with the last, so cannot comment: Joseph Byrd, A Christmas Yet to Come (Takoma Records).

In his description of “Some Children See Him” (music by Alfred S. Burt, lyrics Wilha Hutson), Winston makes this claim: The piece was originally a song with lyrics by Wilha Hutson expressing the unconditional love present in children. This is a bit at odds with what appears to be historically correct: History of Hymns: ‘Some Children See Him’. More important, instead of merely conveying “the unconditional love present in children”, the lyrics communicate how children of different backgrounds see the baby and King Jesus through the lens of their own individual cultures:

Some children see Him lily white,
The baby Jesus born this night,
Some children see Him lily white,
With tresses soft and fair.

Some children see Him bronzed and brown,
The Lord of heav’n to earth come down;
Some children see Him bronzed and brown,
With dark and heavy hair.

Some children see him almond-eyed,
This Savior whom we kneel beside,
Some children see Him almond-eyed,
With skin of yellow hue.

Some children see Him dark as they,
Sweet Mary’s son to whom we pray,
Some children see Him dark as they,
And, ah! they love Him, too!

The children in each diff’rent place
Will see the baby Jesus’ face
Like theirs, but bright with heav’nly grace,
And filled with holy light.

O lay aside each earthly thing,
And with thy heart as offering,
Come worship now the infant King.
’tis love that’s born tonight!

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1 George Winston, December, Windham Hill Records, WH-1025, a division of Windham Hill Productions, Inc. (Stanford, CA) 1982. As an aside, this recording suffers from some of the worst apparent ‘digititis’ I’ve ever heard. By that I mean it was apparently recorded with (early) digital somewhere in the chain, resulting in a harshness that’s hard on the ears. Mine, at least. This is evident on the original LP release and the 20th Anniversary Edition CD reissue (Windham Hill/Dancing Cat, BMG, 2001). Such a pity, as the music is quite pleasing—at least to me.

2 Winston, December.

3 Winston, December, “Minstrels”. This is part of an original 3-piece suite “Night”. In the accompanying author note, Winston states it is based on a St. Basil Hymn, which is a traditional Greek New Year’s carol.

4 Winston, December.

5 Takoma Records, C-1020, 1968. The record consists of Christian-themed works adapted for guitar (it also includes “Auld Lang Syne”). However, the liner notes reference Paul Tillich, who, according to Fahey, rejects the “Christmas Story” as found in the beginning of Matthew and Luke. In other words, he rejects the Virginal Birth and does not accept the Holy Scriptures on the same level as Christian orthodoxy.

6 Original Sound Track Recording, Fantasy Records, F 8431, 1965. Though not on the soundtrack, who can forget Linus’ citing Luke 2:8–14 as he explains the real meaning of Christmas? The soundtrack does include, however, a children’s choir singing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”: Hark the herald angels sing / glory to the newborn King. This is by far my personal favorite for the Christmas season.

7 See info further below.

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Coming Soon Near You!

December 25, 2021 10 Comments

Behold! I am coming soon.1

With the celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth, we might consider pondering His return, His Parousia. His arrival in Bethlehem marked the down payment for His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension—all for our benefit—and the promise of His return. Before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24:30–31; cf. Luke 21:27):

24:30 …And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the sky, and all the tribes/people of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels/messengers with a great trumpet, and He will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

This will be in fulfillment of words by the Prophet Daniel (7:13): In the night vision I continued watching—Behold! Upon the clouds of the sky: one like a son of man coming! The phrase “son of man” is from the Hebrew idiom “son of Adam”, which means simply human.2 Daniel was describing a human-like figure, which can only be our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Daniel may have seen Jesus garbed in the same manner in which John the Revelator saw one like a son of man (1:13–16):

1:13 …and in the midst of the candlesticks, like a son of man, in a foot-length robe and girded with a golden wrap around his chest, 14 his head and hair white like wool—white as snow—and his eyes like flames of fire, 15 his feet similar to fine bronze polished in a furnace, and his voice as vibrant as voluminous waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth a sharp double-edged sword proceeds. His face shines like the sun in its full force.

John was apparently terrified in seeing such a figure, but then the Person identified Himself (1:17–18): Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last and the Living One. I was dead, yet behold! I am alive forever and ever!

22:12 Behold! I am coming soon. And with Me is My rewards, to repay each one according to his own work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have their right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.3

Be blessed!

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1 Revelation 22:7/22:12.
2 See The Son of God Given Authority to Judge Because He is ‘Human’: A Study in John 5:27, pt 2 and the rest of the series.
3 Revelation 22:12–14.

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Today an Eternal Present was Unveiled in the City of David

December 24, 2020 29 Comments

Merry Christmas!

10 . . . The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen closely, for I proclaim to you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 Today your Savior—Who is Christ the Lord—was born in the city of David.”1

This is the day we celebrate the birth2 of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,3 Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.4

Joy to the world! / The Lord is come! / Let earth receive her King. / Let every heart prepare Him room / and heaven and nature sing.

A bit over two millennia ago, the eternal Word5 became the eternal-temporal Theanthrōpos,6 the God-man.7 Deity came in humility, clothed in humanity, born in Bethlehem. God the Father loved the world so much that He provided His one, unique Son8 as a sacrifice for us all, by ‘lifting Him up’ on the cross,9 so that everyone who believes in Him would not  perish, but would gain eternal life,10 adopted as God’s children.11 This entrance into eternality begins the very moment of initial belief12 and will remain for the overcomers—those enduring until the end.13

This day we should, in reverential awe, commemorate this glorious, eternally present,14 eternal gift.15 We should remember this selfless, sacrificial gift16 every day—but especially today. Those temporal gifts we give and receive—largely in celebrations overshadowing the true meaning of this season, this day—those temporal gifts we exchange, some by compulsion, will perish. But not this gift. This gift, available to all, has already been given—at such cost!17 The Giver of this gift is Himself the Gift,18 Who seemingly perished forevermore after being crucified.19 Yet He rose again!20 And He lives yet still.21

But this gift is more of an exchange—though a very one-sided one at that. To receive the gift of Jesus’ substitutionary atonement22—in which He has already paid the due penalty for all mankind’s sins past, present, and future23—one must repent,24 turn to Jesus as Lord and Savior,25 and then ‘take up one’s cross daily’.26 This means obeying Jesus’ commandments27 and following His path, to the point of physical death, if necessary.28 However, even if following Christ directly results in temporal death (which is an inevitable eventuality whether following Him or not) one receives the much more valuable eternal life. Yet, even more, as part of this exchange one receives God’s indwelling Spirit29—the Holy Spirit, the paraklētos,30 the Spirit of Truth31—in Whom one possesses both the navigational compass and the strength to endure His pathway.

Yet Jesus’ requirements are not burdensome.32 When the Christ-follower inevitably sins33—and one easily does so when living by one’s own strength rather than by and in the Spirit34—He is quick to forgive the penitent.35

To those who believe in and follow the Messiah, His Resurrection guarantees this eternal present;36 but, it was the conception37 and subsequent birth38 of the Eternal-temporal39 providing the necessary precursor. As Christians, as Christ-followers, let us remember this day for the momentous and joyous occasion it was and is: the arrival of the Gospel in the Gift wrapped in strips of cloth lying in a manger.40 To those with opened eyes He was unveiled.41 To the blind He remained veiled, but to those blind subsequently receiving sight He was revealed.42

Let us not be side-tracked by the temporality of contemporary glitz and glamour. Let us not take this day for granted. Let us take it to heart. Let us take its inherent message to the outer extremities.43 Let us be God’s instruments through which this Gift is unveiled, blind eyes opened.

The world awaits.44

——–

(If you think you might be experiencing a case of déjà vu, you are not exactly wrong. This is a lightly revised and slightly expanded version of an article I posted on Christmas day last year.)

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1 Luke 2:10-11, my translation.
2 It is very unlikely, though, that December 25 is the actual day Jesus was born. See When was Jesus Born?
3 Luke 2:10-11; Matthew 1:25; cf. Micah 5:2.
4 John 1:41; 4:25.
5 John 1:1.
6 From Theos = God, anthrōpos = man.
7 John 1:14.
8 John 1:14; 3:16.
9 John 3:14 (cf. Numbers 21:8-9); John 12:32-33.
10 John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4; 1John 4:9-10.
11 John 1:12.
12 John 5:24-25.
13 Matthew 24:13; Revelation 2:7, 10-11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 10-12, 19-21; 14:12.
14 John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2-3.
15 Revelation 13:8; cf. Revelation 17:8. There is ambiguity in the syntax of the Greek in 13:8. Is it that the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world (KJV, NIV, e.g.), or is it that certain names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world (ESV, NASB, e.g.)? [This implies there are yet others who were written in the book of life from the foundation of the world (cf. Rev 3:5).] One could harmonize this with the words whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world from 17:8 to resolve this, yet it seems difficult to have a book of life without the Life Giver’s substitutionary atonement (Hebrews 2:17) having been provided first. So maybe both are true? Resolution is not even found in John the Baptizer’s words in John 1:29 regarding the “Lamb of God” (cf. Rev 5:6-14), for the verb airōn, takes away, is a present active participle, which grammatically indicates durative action (imperfective aspect), but the temporal reference is unclear. Is it yet-future from the Baptizer’s words (in then-current context looking forward to the cross), or is John stating that it is already in effect? Relatedly, this verb airō can connote being taken ‘up’ as well as taken away, which can provide a bit of—likely intended—double entendre, polysemy. In other words, sins are taken up/away as He is taken up/away. This double meaning likely applies—unknowingly by the speakers and in ironical fashion with the benefit of hindsight—in John 19:15 when “the Jews” (hoi Ioudaioi) responded to Pilate’s statement “Here is your king!” with aron aron, staurōson auton, “Take up/away, take up/away; crucify him!” Their command resulted in Him being glorified (John 12:23; 13:31-32; 17:1) and thereby receiving the name above every name (Philippians 2:9-11; cf. What Did Pilate State in John 19:22?: Conclusion).
16 Philippians 2:5-8.
17 Hebrews 2:9-18; 4:15. Each and every one of us—at and beyond the age of accountability, at the least—has played his/her part in lifting Him up on that cross.
18 John 11:25; 14:6.
19 Matthew 27:48-50; Mark 15:36-37; Luke 23:36; John 19:28-30.
20 Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-8[20]; Luke 24:1-49; John 2:19-22; 10:17-18; 20:1-31; 1Corinthians 15:1-4.
21 Revelation 1:18.
22 Hebrews 2:14-18.
23 Romans 3:25-26; Hebrews 9:11-15, 26-28; 10:12, 19-24.
24 Matthew 4:17; Luke 3:8-14; Acts 2:38; 3:19; Romans 2:4.
25 But this cannot be done in one’s own strength; see the words of Jesus in John 6:44: No one is able to come to Me unless the Father, the One Who sent Me, draws him[/her].
26 Matthew 10:38-39; 16:24-26; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23-24; 14:27; John 12:25-26.
27 Matthew 4:17; 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31; John 8:31-32; 13:34/15:12; 15:10; James 2:8-11; 1John 5:3.
28 Matthew 16:24-26. See What did Jesus mean when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me”?
29 John 3:3-8; 14:17; Romans 8:15-17; 1Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; 6:19; 2Corinthians 6:16.
30 John 14:15-16:15; Acts 1:8; 2:1-39; 1John 4:1-6. See also Who is the Holy Spirit?
31 John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1John 4:6; 5:6.
32 Matthew 11:28-30; 1John 5:3.
33 1John 1:8-10.
34 Galatians 5:16-26; 1John 1:6-8.
35 Hebrews 10:22-23; 1John 1:9-2:2.
36 1Corinthians 15:20-23.
37 Luke 1:34-35.
38 Luke 2:1-7.
39 John 1:1, 14.
40 Luke 2:10-12.
41 Luke 2:8-20.
42 John 9:1-41; 2Corinthians 3:14-18.
43 Matthew 28:19-20.
44 John 3:16-21, 31-36; Romans 8:18-27.

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Christmas Came Early!

December 18, 2020 22 Comments

Who can forget the part in A Charlie Brown Christmas when Linus recites Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)? This captures the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This captures the meaning of Christmas.

But, arguably, the story of Christmas comes a bit earlier than that. Before the Virgin Birth was the Virginal Conception. This is found in Luke 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:18-24.

Yet the implication of Jeremiah 1:5 shows that Christmas came even earlier:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you and appointed you a prophet to the nations.

If God assigned Jeremiah’s role before forming him in the womb, then he surely knew Jesus’ assignment before His miraculous birth! Can we know how early?

We know from John chapter 1 that Jesus predates His earthly existence as “the Word” (Logos).

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… (John 1:14).

The first portion “And the Word became flesh” can be understood as either the Virginal Conception or the Virgin Birth. I think it means the former. Whichever the case, strictly speaking, “the Word” predates Jesus of Nazareth. That is, before John 1:14 “the Word” existed without human flesh. In fact, a careful reading of John 1:1-3 illustrates that “the Word” predates creation, for He was the Agent of all creation:

1 In the beginning the Word existed, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (by nature). 2 He [the Word] existed in the beginning with God. 3 Through Him [the Word] all things came to be…

While God is the Creator (see Rev 4:11, e.g.), “the Word” was the Agent by which all things were created. Thus, when “the Word became flesh” the uncreated Agent of all creation became part of all creation!

Yet we still haven’t answered the question of whether or not we can know how early Jesus’ assignment was. The book of Revelation implicitly provides the answer!

Depending on which Bible version you have (the Greek syntax here can be construed two different ways), the implication of Revelation 13:8 (cf. 17:8) is such that either: {a} names were placed in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world (NIV, ESV, NASB, HCSB) or {b} the Lamb (Jesus) was slain before the foundation of the world (KJV, Douay-Rheims, ISV, YLT). In either case, this indicates salvation was worked out before creation.

Thus, Christmas came VERY early!

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