The Eternal Word; Jesus Before Time Began (An 8 week Study)

The Eternal Word

Scripture Focus: John 1:1–5, Colossians 1:15–17, Genesis 1:26

---

Before there was time, before anything had been created, before galaxies spun into motion, before the first dawn broke across a formless earth Jesus already was.

The full story of Jesus doesn’t begin in Bethlehem; it begins in eternity. The manger has never been His origin, but His arrival. The baby that was lying in a feed trough was the eternal Word made flesh. God Himself stepped into His own creation to rescue and redeem it.

When John opened his Gospel, he didn’t start with angels, Mother Mary, or shepherds, but gave a definition of eternity:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

John intentionally echoes Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Before creation, the Word already was. This phrase tells us something profound: Jesus was not created; He is the Creator. He is never part of time; time is part of Him.

Paul affirms this in Colossians 1:16–17:

“For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Every molecule, mountain, heartbeat, river, animal, and human all find their existence in Him. That means that the same hands that were later stretched out on a wooden cross first stretched out and created the stars. The One who cried as a newborn also spoke the universe into being.

The Word — God’s Expression of Himself

The Greek word Logos when translated is “Word” it means more than just speech it means the full expression of thought, reason, and purpose. Jesus is the perfect expression of who God is.
Hebrews 1:3 declares,

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”

If you want to know what God is like, take a look at Jesus. His compassion, His justice, His mercy, His truth His actions and who He is all reveal the heart of the Father. He is not a messenger, or a prophet telling us about God; He is God revealed.

This help us change how we read the Christmas story. It was never just about a child born in humble circumstances, it’s always been about the Eternal entering the temporary, the Infinite becoming an infant.

When we read, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14), we’re reading about the greatest act of humility and love there has ever been in all of history. God our eternal Creator took on skin, weakness, and mortality, just to bring us life.

Jesus, the Life and Light of the World

John continues,

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4).

Jesus doesn’t just bring life, He is life. Every living soul owes its breath to Him. However when He entered the world that He created, many didn’t recognize Him. Even today, people search for meaning, purpose, and light apart from Him, yet He remains the one and only true source.

Darkness cannot overcome light. That statement is true physically and spiritually. When the light of Christ shines into a heart, sin, shame, and despair have to flee. Darkness doesn’t stand a chance against His radiance.

As we begin this eight-week journey toward Christmas, this truth must be our foundation: Jesus has always been and always will be. Christmas is not merely a commemoration of His beginning, it’s a celebration of His coming.

The Eternal Became Personal

It’s breathtaking to think that the God who existed before time now desires to dwell in the hearts of those He created. The same Word who was “with God” from the beginning now says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20).
He who formed the universe with a word now waits for our invitation to enter.

This is the miracle of the incarnation not that God simply appeared as a man, but that He came to restore creation to Himself. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:19,

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.”

Every Christmas light we see, every carol we sing, every nativity scene we admire should remind us of this staggering truth: the Eternal Word became human so we could know the heart of God.

Reflection for the Week

• What does it mean to you that Jesus existed before all creation?
• How does His eternal nature shape your view of Christmas?
• In what ways can you honor Jesus as both Creator and Savior this week?

Personal Application

Take time this week to worship Jesus as the Eternal Word. Before rushing into the Christmas season, take a minute and remember who He truly is; not just the baby in the manger, but the Alpha and Omega, the One through whom all things were made. Begin each morning this week by declaring:

“Jesus, You are Lord over all — my life, my time, my future. You were before all things, and in You, all things hold together.”

Let this truth settle in your heart: the One who holds the universe together also holds you.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for everything You have done. Thank you for my life, every breath I take, the health that I have, the list is endless. Thank you for going through the pain and anguish that You did not have to do. But You did and made so even though I am imperfect and do not always get things right You have held out Your hand and said come here it’ll be alright. Thank you lord. In Jesus Name Amen

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..