Prehistoric Grace

“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2Tim 1:9).

Let’s turn back the clock. Back before there were laptops and smartphones. Back before America was a twinkle in our founding fathers’ eye. Back before the cross. Back before the dinosaurs. Back before Adam and Eve snuck their sinful snack. Let’s turn back the clock before there was even a clock. 

Did you realize that’s when God saved you? According to Paul, it was God “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (v9). Maybe you thought he saved you during Vacation Bible School when you were seven. Or maybe during the altar call at the bonfire on the last night of Christian youth camp. I’ve got news for you, it was WAY before that. So long before that you and I had absolutely nothing to do with it.  

Forget Jurassic Park. God rescued me with prehistoric grace.

Here in 2nd Timothy, Paul writes to his protege as the clock ticks down on the apostle’s life. The apostle sits on Death Row at the notorious Mamertine Prison in Rome. He fires off one final note as he walks the Green Mile (2Tim 4:6-7). Paul begs Tim to hit the road and come see him one final time before it’s too late (2Tim 1:4; 4:9, 21). In this last minute call for help, he reminds us of how God came to our rescue and called us long before we could ever answer. 

The prisoner/apostle tells Tim how it is God “who saved us and called us to a holy calling” (v9). “Saved” has become such a part of the Christianese lingo that we’ve lost so much of it’s original meaning. It’s the Greek verb sozo, which describes a rescue from danger or bringing someone out from certain death. When Peter tried waterskiing without a boat and began to sink, he yelled to our Savior, “Lord save (Gr. sozo) me!” (Mt 14:30). We desperately needed saving after our first parents believed the lie of a satanic snake and thought God was holding out on us (Gen 3:1-7). The result? God’s perfect creation is broken and we’re the ones who did it. The universe needs fixing and we need to be rescued. One look at the internet every morning reminds of that horrible truth.

While the crime scene tape was still up in Eden, God promised to send a Hero to help us. He would send One who would eventually crush Satan’s skull (Gen 3:15). The rest of Scripture tells the Big Story of our Big Savior. That’s entire point of Bible. God the Father would eventually send His very own Son to save our bacon. The Second Person of the Trinity would leave the luxury of the heavenly palace and make the ultimate dumpster dive into the deep end of our sin. It’s the greatest search and rescue mission the universe has ever seen. Who saved us? God saved us.

Our Creator didn’t just drag us onto the bank and walk away. He wasn’t done with us. He also “called us to a holy calling” (v9). Seems straight from the Department of Redundancy Department, doesn’t it? A closer look at what Paul has to say reveals a very powerful and personal invitation to a very important assignment. God has “called” you and me. The original text uses a word (Gr. kaleo) which means to invite, summon individually, or select for a specific task or new relationship. God’s call isn’t some random invitation. This is no piece of metaphysical junk mail randomly addressed to “occupant.” 

Jesus personally asks us to join Him in His one-of-a-kind work. “A holy calling” (v8). You might think Paul is just talking about priests, nuns, bishops, preachers, and pastors. You know, professional Christ followers. Did you realize there’s really no secular/sacred divide when it comes to work? As believers, you and I are just as much on the receiving end of God’s holy calling as anyone wearing a collar, habit, pointy hat, or blow-dried mullet.

In other words, God has a job for us to do no matter what kind of job we have. We’re to be shiners of His light and spreaders of His salt whatever we do and wherever we go. We’re ALL called. Every single follower of Christ. You. Me. Us. Them. We’re all ministers. Paul’s buddy Pete likes to tell every believer, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called (Gr. kaleo) you out of darkness and into His marvelous light” (1Pet 2:9). No seminary degree required. Kinda changes your approach to work, doesn’t it?

While every follower of Jesus actually works for God, He doesn’t save us “because of our works” (v9). Think you’re up to saving yourself? All you have to do is follow everyone of God’s rules, laws, and commands. If you’re keeping score at home, there are 613 in the Old Testament. Add to those another 1,050 commandments in the New. And make sure you maintain 100% obedience. According to Jesus’ kid brother James, whoever “fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (James 2:10). Raise your hand if you’ve got a perfect score. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? I didn’t think so.

So what’s the point of God’s commands if they’re not a to-do list for self-salvation? Think of His law as a diagnostic tool like an MRI or X-Ray. These amazing medical machines can’t cure you, but they certainly can tell the doctor what’s wrong. Paul tells believers in Rome, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). The law of God diagnoses our sin sickness. Our prognosis is terminal. 

There’s only one cure. What God’s law diagnoses, God’s Gospel heals. Or in Paul’s words, we’re only saved “because of His own purpose and grace” (v9). The word we translate as “purpose” (Gr. prothesis) literally describes something put in place prior or set down before everything else. It’s the idea of a publicly announced plan or something placed in full view for everyone to see. Think of a mission statement you see on a lobby wall in a business. God saves us because it’s His publicly announced mission. It’s His purpose. It’s His plan. You gotta love it when a plan comes together!

He comes to our rescue as a result of His “grace” (v9). Here’s yet another word we throw around the church that it loses it’s oomph. Grace is God’s totally undeserved and overflowing goodness to us. Remember, we’re rebels against His kingdom who deserve punishment (Eph 2:1-2, 12; Col 1:21). But while we were still shaking our fists in rebellion, Jesus came to save us (Rom 5:6, 8, 10). God isn’t some Scrooge when it to His grace. He loves to “show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:7-9). I need to stop bragging about what I’ve done and start celebrating at what He’s done!

God cooked up this crazy plan of saving us by His grace a long time ago. So long ago that there was even any time. This happened when “He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (v9). Just in case you missed His jaw-dropping generosity the first time, here it is again. The Great Giver lavishes it on us (v9). He gives us His Son (Jn 3:16). His Son gives us His life (1Jn 3:16). The Father and Son give us the Spirit (Jn 14:15-31). And because He gives, we’re to give. Stop being so stingy. With your time. With your talents. With your treasures. He gave them to us so we could give them away. We’re blessed to be a blessing.

Jesus did for us what we could never ever do for ourselves. While we’re complete failures at God’s rule-following, He’s a total Rock Star. In His most famous sermon of all-time, Christ announced He didn’t come as some sort of cosmic loophole to the law, but to do what we couldn’t. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Mt 5:17). Paul says it this way. God is BOTH the “Just and the Justifier” (Rom 3:26).

What does this mean? I can’t save myself. I would have a better chance of trying to jump to the moon (and I’ve got the vertical leap of a hippo!). But when I place my trust in Jesus, everything changes. He lives the perfect life I can’t. He dies the death for my sin I should have died. He rises to the new life I don’t deserve. That’s what God “gave us in Christ Jesus” (v9).

This all went down “before the ages began” (v9). Paul’s original phrase here (Gr. pro chronon aionion) gets translated several different ways:

“Before the world began” (KJV, NKJV).

“Long before the world began” (NLT).

“Before the beginning of time” (NIV).

“From all eternity” (NASB).

“Before times eternal” (BBE).

“Before the times of the ages” (YLT).

In other words, this all happened before God invented the measurement of time and started the clock. If you’re wondering, that’s a long time ago. A VERY long time ago! This is prehistoric grace!!

This isn’t the only place where the Bible talks about how God got to work saving us before the clock starting ticking. A few years back, Paul wrote to his Ephesian friends about God’s prehistoric grace. “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4, emphasis added). He didn’t just choose us B.C. but B.T. And by B.T., I mean “before time.” You see, when your the Eternal Creator and the Inventor of time, you can do this kind of thing.

What He started before He started the clock, He promises to finish before time runs out. “God knew what He was doing from the beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity He restored. We see the original intended shape of our lives there in Him. After God made that decision of what His children should be like, He followed it up by calling people by name. After He called them by name, He set them on a basis with Himself. And then, after getting them established, He stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what He had begun” (Rom 8:29-30 The Message).

Forget Jurassic Park. God rescued me with prehistoric grace.

A Human Torch of Worship

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1Tim 1:17).

Sometimes it just hits you and you never saw it coming. You can’t contain yourself and you can’t stop. Something you didn’t expect happens on the field or the court and sends the crowd into craziness. An unexpected rally in the bottom of the ninth. A frenetic fourth quarter comeback. A half court heave at the buzzer. You and the rest of the fans jump from your seats in unrestrained enthusiasm! Sometimes all want to do is celebrate!

That’s exactly what’s happening here in Paul’s first letter to Timothy in chapter one. The apostle has very specific and important instructions for the pastor of the Ephesian megachurch. First and foremost, stuff a sock in the team of false teachers who are selling a snake oil gospel that’s really no Gospel at all (1Tim 1:3-7). Paul takes a moment to recall just how crazy good God has been to him despite his rap sheet as a killer and torturer of Jesus’ followers (1Tim 1:12-14). Despite being the first of the worst of sinners, our Savior came to his rescue (1Tim 1:15). God uses His incredibly Good News through Paul’s bad example to spread His message of eternal life (1Tim 1:16). 

Suddenly the apostle can’t hold back. He explodes in worship to the One who has done so much for him and through him. “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (v17). I have to say that I’m a little disappointed in our good friends translating the ESV in their lack of exclamation points here. In case you didn’t know, the original Greek text of the New Testament didn’t contain any chapter breaks, verse numbers, or punctuation. Given all of his excitement over what he’s just written, I just don’t see Paul quietly dropping a period here. Exclamation points!! Lots of them!!!!! ALL CAPS!!!!!! Is it too crazy to see him putting down his quill and running around the room in celebration at this point?!?!? I think not! Sometimes all you want to do is celebrate!

Theologians have a fancy schmancy word for these passages in the Bible. They call them doxologies. Ooo, looks like somebody has been using their Word-a-Day calendar! This is a $10 term that simply means “glory words.” You’ll find them all throughout the pages of Scripture like volcanos unexpectedly erupting in praise to God (1Chr 29:10-13; Is 6:3; Mt 6:13; Heb 13:21; 1Pet 5:11; 2Pet 3:18; Jude 25). It probably comes a no shock that a lot of them are song lyrics (Ex 15:18; Ps 41:13; 72:19; 89:52; 106:40; 146:10; 150:1; Lk 2:14; Rev 4:8; 5:13; 7:12). Paul is particularly prone to these sudden explosions of God’s glory (Rom 16:25-27; Gal 1:5; Eph 3:20-21; Phil 4:20). In fact, he cuts loose again a little later in this letter (1Tim 6:16)! He’s a Human Torch of spontaneous worship combustion!

Near the end of this very same letter, Paul busts loose in unbridled worship of God one more time. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion” (1Tim 6:15-16). Sometimes all the apostle can do is celebrate…not once, but twice!

After talking about God’s gift of eternal life to those who trust in Jesus in the previous verse (1Tim 1:16), it’s probably no surprise Paul immediately applauds “to the King of the ages” (v17). Make no mistake about who’s in charge. It’s not me. It’s not you. It’s not even Donald Trump. God is King. He’s in total control of the universe. Every bit of it. This has a couple of implications. One, relax. God’s got this. Two, He’s the Boss. The apostle wants us to now that God’s reign will never end. Don’t worry your pretty little head about divine term limits. 

The idea of God as King Eternal is all over the place, biblically speaking. The prophet Isaiah talked about a Baby who would come one day to rule forever. “For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Is 9:6-7). To put it in the words of Ricky Bobby, eight pound six ounce Baby Jesus is also King Jesus, King of the ages. 

But wait, there’s more! We see God as a nonstop ruling Machine all throughout the Bible (Ex 15:18; Ps 10:16; 29:10; Jer 10:18; Lam 5:19; Rev 11:15). And check this out. Two different pagan kings were in such awe of Yahweh that they even gave Him His props. Babylonian dictator Nebuchadnezzar may have been the baddest man on the planet at the time, but he was blown away by God’s eternal kingdom (Dan 4:3, 34). One of his successors was a dude named Darius. He might have ruled the world’s top superpower at the time, but he knew he was a short-timer compared to heaven’s eternal King (Dan 6:26). 

One reason that God is the perfect King eternal is because He’s also “immortal” (v17). Paul uses a Greek word here (Gr. aphthartos) that means imperishable, not subject to death or decay. The apostle writes how rebels against God’s kingdom “exchanged the glory of the immortal (Gr. aphthartos) God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Rom 1:23). Earthly athletic champs win “a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (Gr. aphthartos)” (1Cor 9:25). Our God is immortal, imperishable, and indestructible. 

Another interesting aspect of the term is how it describes something or someone unpolluted or incorruptible in an ethical sense. In other words, we can always trust in the goodness and purity of God’s rule. He’s not subject to bribes. He’s not on the take. He won’t be influenced by lobbyists or special interests. Kind of different from that bunch we’ve sent to Washington, don’t you think? He will He never die. He’ll never become corrupt. He’s immortal.

The cool thing is that God can’t wait to share His immortality with us. That happens when we trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for us! For instance when the heavenly horn section blows its final solo then “the dead will be raised imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), and we shall be changed” (1Cor 15:52). God also promises us “an inheritance that is imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), undefiled, and unfading” (1Pet 1:4). God brings us to eternal life when we are born again, “not of perishable seed but of imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), through the living and abiding Word of God” (1Pet 1:23). Can you start to see why Paul is peeked? I thought so!

Speaking of seeing, Paul makes the point that we can’t see God. He’s “invisible” (v17). You may have an image of God the Father as this wise old grandpa with a long white beard. Well, you would be wrong. Moses put in a request to see God but was denied (Ex 33:20). But when the Big Mo hit the road out of Egypt, he wasn’t afraid of pharaoh who he could see. He had a glorious vision of God, “seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). Job knew that catching a glimpse Yahweh wasn’t happening for him (Job 9:11; 23:8). 

The writers of the New Testament continue this theme. “No one has ever seen God; the only God” (Jn 1:16). Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that His Heavenly Dad is Spirit (Jn 4:24). The Apostle John makes the blanket statement that “no one has ever seen God as any time” (1Jn 4:12). Just because you can’t see God, doesn’t mean He’s not in control. You can’t SEE gravity but you’re not flying off the planet into space. You can’t SEE oxygen but you’re still breathing. You ARE breathing, aren’t you? (If not, stop reading right now tell somebody RIGHT NOW!) 

You can see how this whole invisibility deal could be a bit of a problem. But it should come as no shock that God has this all taken care of. That’s where the our Savior comes in as the Second Member of the Trinity. The Son of God make it clear that His Dad sent Him as His visible rep to a lost and dying world (Jn 5:37). Paul confirms that Jesus “is the image of the invisible (Gr. aoratos) God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible (Gr. aoratos)” (Col 1:15-16). As a matter of fact, the author of Hebrews tells us to never take our eyes off “Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). So if you want to see God, take a look at His Son.

Don’t get the idea that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different deities. God is “the only God” (v17). I admit it. The Trinity makes my head hurt. The best way I can figure out how to describe this mystery is One What and Three Whos. How does it work? I have no idea. What Paul wants us to know is that our God is the one and only God. The rest of the contenders are just pretenders. Moses didn’t want the Israelites to be confused. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Dt 6:4). Paul had the same message for Corinthian believers. “There is one God” (1Cor 8:6). And that’s a big reason why the apostle so giddy.

Just in case you had any doubt what to do with these glory words, the man from Tarsus tells Tim that there should “be honor and glory forever and ever” (v17). God is so good, so awesome, so wonderful, so gracious that the applause never stops. The worship never ends. The spotlight never fades. God is the ONLY who deserves this kind of adulation and attention. Not Kim and Kanye. Not The Donald. Not the biggest stars. Not the greatest athletes. God and God alone. A big part of being a follower of Jesus is to make God famous. Tell folks how amazing He is. Tell them how much He’s done for you. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Start making Him famous and don’t stop. He’s really that awesome. Because of that sometimes all you can do is celebrate.

That’s when we come to Paul’s big finish with a simple and emphatic word “Amen” (v17). If you’re like me, you probably were under the mistaken impression that this was just a way of saying “over and out” at the end of prayer. Not so much. It’s powerful word that’s the equivalent of a first century mic drop. It’s like shouting, “Truth!” In other words, truer words have never been spoken. The apostle can’t say it any better than that!

Doxologies like this one don’t just give God the glory, they are also very good for us. They get my eyes off myself as well as my issues and worries. When I set my mind on my VERY big God, suddenly my big hairy problems don’t seem so…well, big and hairy. So when you’re up against it, when you’re between a rock and a hard place, when life smacks you up the side of the head, make God famous. Try some of these glory words. You never know what will happen. You may even spontaneously combust like the Human Torch of worship. Because sometimes all you can do is celebrate. Flame on!

Jude Drops Mic

“to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (v25).

I’m not sure hone or where it started, but comedians and hip hop artists began dropping the mic after dropping the truth. Jude ends his little letter with the first century version of the mic drop. He erupts in praise for God and all that He’s done through Jesus. He points to Christ. He applauds. He shouts a few incredible items from His divine resume. He’s the one and only God. He’s our Savior. Jesus is Messiah and Lord. He’s the only one who deserves the cheers. Glory! Majesty! Dominion! Authority! This ovation started before creation and will never, ever stop. THUNK! Jude drops mic.

This all starts when Jude reminds us that our applause are “to the only God” (v25). There is only one God. When you make a list of all the gods who’ve ever existed, it’s a rather short list. It’s an exclusive club. It’s one and done. It’s God. Period. All the other contenders are just pretenders. They are either demons or the don’t exist. Over and over and over on page after page after page of the Bible, God makes it clear that He stands alone (Dt 6:4; 32:39; 2Sam 7:22; 1Ki 8:60; 2Ki 5:15; 1Chr 17:20; Neh 9:6; Is 37:16-20; 44:6-8; 45:21; 46:9; Hos 13:4; Joel 2:27; Zech 14:9; Mk 12:29-34; Jn 17:3; Rom 3:30; 1Cor 8:4-6; Gal 3:20; Eph 4:6; 1Tim 1:17; 2:5; James 2:19). There is one God. Period. 

Our one and only God is “our Savior” (v25). He’s our Rescuer. He’s our Hero. Let’s face it, if you could ask anyone to save your bacon, it would be the most powerful Being in the universe. If you’re like me, I tend to limit my view of the Trinity and see Jesus as my Savior. But the Old Testament lets me know that He’s been in the rescuing business ever since we’ve been on the planet. God made it clear that dark day in Eden that He was coming to crush heads and kick butt (Gen 3:15). He busted His people loose from slavery in Egypt in spectacular fashion (Ex 3-15). King David wrote a hit song in which the opening lyrics try to describe his Hero in every way possible. “The LORD is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, my God, my Rock, in Whom I take refuge., my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior; You save me from violence” (2Sam 22-3; Ps 18:2). Yahweh told the prophet Isaiah that He was not just the one and only God but our Savior as well (Is 45:21).  And He’s still in the saving business.

Jude connects the dots between God our Hero and his big Brother Jesus. God saves “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v25). Again, the author doesn’t play the “God is my big Brother” card. I can tell you that if I were in Jude’s sandals, I would have told everybody I met! But he doesn’t. He sees the One he shared a bedroom with back in Nazareth for whom He really is. He’s the Christ. This is the NT way of referring to God’s anointed Messiah. Jesus is the Hero that God has been promising since the garden (Gen 3:15). He personally executed the greatest search and rescue mission in all of history. He came to seeking and saving those who were lost (Lk 19:10). He’s talking about you and me. Not only is our God is our Hero, my God is my Hero. I could have never gotten out of this self-made mess without His supernatural help. And because that, He’s my Lord. He’s my Leader. Out of worship and thankfulness for His amazing rescue, I willingly submit myself to His authority. 

At this point, Jude explodes with a literary standing ovation for God. He’s the only One who deserves “glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever” (v25). He unleashes a series of words like he’s got his finger pressed hard on the trigger of an automatic weapon. Glory. Majesty. Dominion. Authority. Just like Jude doesn’t hype himself by claiming a family tie to Jesus, the author makes sure all eyes are on the right Person in the room. He shines the spotlight on God. He alone gets the glory. He alone is majestic. He alone rules the universe. He alone is in complete control. God gets the applause because He’s only One worthy. He’s the only one who’s legit. And this is not a one time occurrence. Jesus is not just have a really good game, good series, or good season. He’s awesome forever. From “before all time and now and forever” (v25). Before anyone was around to worship Him, God was worthy. He certainly is now. And that’s never, ever going to change. For everybody else, the crowd eventually stops whooping and hollering. For God the cheers never stop.

Jude closes by saying, “Amen” (v25). This isn’t just the way to sign off a prayer. This isn’t just a super spiritual way of saying “over and out.” No, this ancient word means that something is absolutely and positively true. After unleashing this incredible list of praise for God, there’s really no reason to say anything else. This is the truth about the Truth (Jn 14:6). Not surprisingly, Jesus calls Himself “the Amen” in a letter to the church in Laodicea (Rev 3:14). Jude’s use of “amen” is a first century way version of dropping the mic and walking off stage. 

Do I see see God as my Hero? Do I worship Jesus as my Hero? Do I give Him the ovation, the applause, the credit, and the ovation He deserves? This standing O has been going on for as long as anyone remembers. And it’s not going to stop. When I think of all He’s done for me, I can’t help but stand and cheer.

Messing with the Time-Space Continuum

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (v8).

Nobody but nobody messes with the time-space continuum like JJ Abrams. How else was he able to create an alternate universe for the reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise? His use of time travel in “Lost” caused many viewers to be, well, lost. But if you think JJ Abrams likes to jack with the time-space continuum, just wait till you see what Jesus does with it. Then again, He created it. The Apostle Peter lets us in on the fact that Christ views time like nobody else. 1 day=1,000 years. 1,000 years=1 day. Does that make your head hurt like it does mine? Good. It’s supposed to.

Pete doesn’t want us to miss this critical idea. “Do not overlook this one fact, beloved” (V8). Don’t ignore it. Don’t lose sight of it. That’s in total contrast to the trash talkers who “deliberately overlook this fact” (3:5). They intentionally ignore God’s work of creation, His destruction at the flood, and His ultimate judgment of the ungodly (3:5-7). The apostle has a word for those loved by God. Don’t miss the big idea. Here comes the headline.

“With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (v8). Before we jump into the divine wormhole, let’s be clear who we’re talking about. “The Lord” is Jesus. That’s very important. This is the very same Man who hopped into Pete’s fishing boat back when everybody knew him as Simon. And his life changed forever that day. Jesus changed everything in Simon’s life. He changed his name to Rocky. He changed his purpose. From commercial fisherman to a fisher of men. Over the course of the next three years, Pete was an eyewitness to the miraculous. After all that he’s seen and heard Jesus do, including that whole crucified-dead-buried-and-resurrected miracle, this whole bending of the time-space continuum seems like a piece of cake.

Like so many folks do, Pete is quoting song lyrics to make his point. He drops a line from a hit tune Moses wrote that back in the day. Man, talk about classic rock! “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past” (Ps 90:4). If anybody knows about our eternal God, it’s Moses. When the Big Mo asked the Voice in the burning bush for some ID, He responded, “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex 3:14). God’s very name is Yahweh. It literally means that He’s always been there and He will always be there. And wherever He is, He’s right there in the present tense.

In one of the most jaw-dropping moments in the entire Bible, Jesus announced that He is God Eternal. He made a mind-boggling admission to the religious bullies one day. “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 8:58). Bad grammar. GREAT theology! This radical Rabbi/Carpenter from the boondocks of Galilee claimed that before Abe ever packed his bags and left Ur, He already existed. And He existed in the present tense. It’s easy for us to miss His point. Jesus has the guts to say that He’s God. He’s the very same God who talked to Moses at the burning bush.

And this wasn’t some random, one-time statement by Christ. When He showed up to visit His buddy John on the island of Patmos, the resurrected Jesus announced over and over that He’s always been around and He’s always going to be around. “I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8). “Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore” (Rev 1:18). He’s “the First and the Last, who died and came to life” (Rev 2:8). “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev 22:13). Jesus always has been. Jesus always is. Jesus always will be. 

You see, as God, Jesus doesn’t have the same relationship with time that we do. When you create something, you have authority over it. God created time. He’s outside of it. Think of the Godhead standing on the banks of the river of time. He can see all of it. The Lord can see a thousand years as easily as He can see one day. And He can also make one day last as long as He wants. Think of Neo moving in super-slomo during one of those crazy fight scenes in “The Matrix.” 

At any point in time, Jesus can jump in and get involved. That’s exactly what the Son of God did. Around 2,000 years ago, He dove in and got personally involved. Think of it less of a graceful swan dive into the swimming pool and more of a dumpster dive into the most disgusting mess you can imagine. Our Hero got down and dirty on the greatest rescue mission the universe has ever seen. And when He left, Christ promised an amazing encore. He told us to be ready. He could make His comeback at any moment. But the problem is that it seems like it’s taking a very long time. Pete tells us that our Savior sees time WAY differently than we do. For Him, a millennium is like a Monday. And vice versa. In other words, Jesus hasn’t forgotten about us. His Second Coming hans’t slipped His mind. It’s coming. Better yet, HE’S coming! 

In the meantime, remember that our Lord created time. He can mess with it all He wants. JJ Abrams colors with crayons compared Christ’s masterpiece of time and space.