Once Again My Eyes Go Wide

(Joh 3:16 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(Proverbs 29 also read)

I was moving from the praise portion of my morning worship to the thanksgiving focus.  As is often the case I first express my gratitude for the Son being willing to become a mere human being in order to accomplish our redemption.  Somehow my thinking came to this term “only begotten” (3439).  It is one of those terms that seem contradictory because it implies that Jesus had a beginning, which would make Him a created being.  That does not go with His divinity.  

I had an insight.  At least it was an insight for me.  You may have known it all along and it is one of those things you were hiding from me.  It may be in the commentaries but I don’t spend a lot of time reading people’s opinions.  What dawned on me was that this designation referred to the transformation from the divine trinity to the new born infant.  What that involves, how much the baby knew, could He recite Plato from birth and such questions are lost in mystery.  We will try to penetrate them but will come away filled with wonder.

So?  God became man.  He dwelt among us.  He lived the perfect life.  He died on a cross so that we could have forgiveness from sin.  Glory.  This revelation hits me on a regular basis and continues to be a wonder.