Jesus is the Beginning, the Present, and the End

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Christ prays for all believers, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17:20-21).

Some religions teach that Jesus Christ is a prophet, a good teacher (Master), or a godly man. As Christians, we should be able to explain to others who is Jesus Christ?

Our Holy Bible is clear about the existence of our Lord Jesus Christ from the beginning. How?

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

"And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

The Holy Trinity is the word that we use to describe God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, which all represent one God. "...there is no other God but one" (1 Corinthians 8:4).

For simplification, we can describe God as far up in heaven like the sun in the sky. "No one has seen God at any time" (1 John 4:12).

We see the light coming from the sun which covers the earth. Jesus Christ is the light that comes from God and you can not go to God unless you follow this light. "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying 'I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'" (John 8:12).

The sun not only spreads light on earth but gives us heat that comforts and sustains our lives. The Holy Spirit manifests from the power of the Father and is always at work to teach, guide, comfort, and fill us with God's wisdom. "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of me" (John 15:26).

They all act as one body just as God made our bodies which consist of body, thoughts, and Spirit, and yet we are one.

Throughout the Old Testament our Lord Jesus Christ appeared or spoke to so many people, such as

Hager (Genesis 16:7-13)
Abraham (Genesis 18)
Jacob (Genesis 32:24-29)
Moses (Exodus 33:11)
Gideon (Judges 6:12)
Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1)
Job (Job 38-42)
Daniel (Daniel 10:10-21)
Hosea (Hosea 12:3-5)

In the book of Exodus, we see the Lord Jesus Christ leading the Israelites through the dessert for 40 years (1 Corinthians 10:1-4).

In the Old Testament there were many prophecies concerning the time that the Messiah would be born and live on earth:

In the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:10-11) and in the book of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27), the Lord revealed His time when the tribe of Judah would be taken captive in Babylon for 70 years and then return back. And also when the power of sentencing was taken from the Jews before the destruction of the second temple of Solomon.
He was from the seed of a woman (Genesis 3:15)
He is a descendent of Abram (Genesis 12:3)
He is from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10)
He will born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-4)
He will be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14-15)
Herod will kill the infants (Jeremiah 31:15-17)
He would perform miracles (Jeremiah 35:4-5)
He will minister in the Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-2)
He will enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)
He will be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12)
He will be Judge and be crucified with thieves (Isaiah 53:7-12)
They will cast lots for His garment (Psalm 22:18)
He will rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10)
He will ascend into heaven (Psalm 68:18-19)
He will sit on the right hand of His Father (Psalm 110:1)

"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given me; for You loved me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24).

It is wonderful to know that our God loves us more than we can ever imagine. Our Lord Jesus Christ graciously left His throne in heaven, where all the angels are worshiping and praising Him at His feet day and night, to come down to earth and endure more than even the lowest person can endure for the sake of our Salvation.

Through Jesus Christ's teaching, His power and the miracles that He performed during His ministry on earth, people knew Him, fell in love with Him, and connected with Him.

What is the great mystery? Our Lord Jesus Christ is perfect Divine and perfect human (Philippians 2:5-7). And that mystery only God can fulfill in order to provide the Salvation that all humans need: that by His death and His resurrection, He destroyed the power of death.

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17).

The Lord Jesus Christ became flesh in His own likeness:

To show us how humanity could be and should be in the presence of God.
To fulfill all the promises that God had made in the Old Testament and provide Salvation for everyone who believes in Him.
To teach us about God's will and plan for us.
To show us how to become in union with God and mankind.
To teach us how to live on earth in the peace of God and endure trails with grace.

God does not and will not force anyone to endure anything that He is not willing Himself to endure. On the contrary, Jesus Christ has been there for the sake of all of us. He felt hunger, tiredness, and thirst and was faced with temptation, and knew heartache, sorrow, intense pain, betrayal, sacrifice, and death.

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:1-3).

Our Lord Jesus Christ declared, "I will come again" (John 14:3). And the angels announced and declared to the disciples that our Lord Jesus will come back the same way He was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:11). And we believe that the word of the Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1:24).

True Christians are waiting faithfully for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and doing the tasks that the Lord has given them (preserve the faith from generation to generation, spread the gospel, and become a role model to others), with the hope and the faith that they will spend their eternity with God.

"But of that day and the hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:36-37).

In the Parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), they all took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. We clearly see that the bridegroom came when no one expected (midnight). The five virgins that were ready with their lamps went in with Him to the wedding and the door was shut.

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).

Our hope is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Next time, He will come down from heaven in His glory and judge everyone according to their deeds. What a wonderful sight it will be to see the beauty of our King and to think that we can have a share with Him in heaven forever.

Written by
Nagwa Abdou