1 John 1:2
…the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us…

When was Jesus created? This is an unanswerable question, for Jesus has always been. He was “foreknown before the foundation of the world” [1 Peter 1:20] and “by him all things were created” [Colossians 1:16]. And yet, we see that Scripture clearly teaches that the virgin Mary became pregnant, carried the baby, and gave birth to Jesus. He “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom” [Luke 2:52]. How can this be?

The divine, eternal Christ willingly gave up his rightful place in heaven, clothing himself in the frailty of flesh, that he might come to us and in so doing, both show us how to obey God completely and give his own life as a substitute for our sin. This is what Paul explains in Philippians 2:7-8: Jesus “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

The life of Christ was made manifest to us as part of God’s eternal plan for salvation. Hebrews 1:1-2: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

The apostle John knew these things through revelation from God. It’s the same way any of us come to Christ – because we are drawn by the Father. Think of the account in Matthew 16:13-20, when Jesus asks his apostles who they say he is. When Peter correctly identifies Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus tells Peter that he is blessed, for “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”

Because of what God had taught him, John desired to testify and proclaim the eternal life found in Christ Jesus. Our hearts should beat in unison with this apostle and join him in proclaiming the truth of our Lord and Savior.