History Books in 90 Days: 1 Samuel 28-31
THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF JESUS
Phil 2:5-7 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though
he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made
himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (ESV)
Every Christmas we celebrate the person of Jesus Christ, being born, the Son of God
becoming the Son of Man. This was a momentous, history-changing, turning-point event,
where the relationship between God and man was forever altered. Paul said that the birth of
Jesus into the world was a humbling event, a lowering of Jesus’ status which means that Jesus
had to be someone pretty special BEFORE He was born. Jesus’ birth in the stable isn’t part 1
of Jesus’ story; it’s the beginning of part 2. We can’t appreciate part 2, unless we understand
part 1 (who Jesus was before He was born). Jesus has been around since eternity past, He
even took part in creation (Gen 1:26, Col 1:15-16). Every time, in the Old Testament, when
someone met with God they were meeting with Jesus. (Example – Moses in Exodus 22:20,
Numbers 14:14). Wherever people saw God and met with God in the Old Testament – if God
was in the form of a man, if they met with Him face-to-face, then THAT’S JESUS! Isaiah had
encounters with Jesus; Daniel had at least one encounter with Jesus; Isaac had encounters
with Jesus; Abraham ate with Jesus; Joshua was confronted by Jesus outside of Jericho.
77 times in the Old Testament the Angel of the Lord appears to people. But the Angel of the
Lord is no ordinary angel – He is Jesus! That’s the Christmas story. That the God of Abraham,
because of His amazing love for human beings, would lower Himself to become the Grandchild
of Abraham, so that the human race could be redeemed to God. What love, what HOPE to a
dying world!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. The Bible is full of people having encounters with Jesus! This gives us HOPE that we can
have encounters with Jesus. Ask the Lord to reveal more of Himself to you, that you can
have an encounter with Him every day, not just in your devotions but throughout the day.
2. Thank the Lord for the Love and HOPE that He has given mankind!
3. Pray that we would bring this HOPE to the dying world around us.
