May 2013 Was God ever born?

Was God ever born? A young person once asked me “When was God born?” This was a curious question until I realized what he was asking. His question was like the question “If God created everything, who created God?” By itself, it is merely a intellectual point of debate. But I believe there is another reason why people ask this question. If there was a point in time when God was born… if there was a point in time when God was created, then there was a time when there was no God. And if there was a time in the PAST when there was no God, it implies that there could be a time in the FUTURE when there is no God. Yikes! What a scary thought. Praise be to God, He didn’t leave us in ignorance about this. Scripture repeatedly answers that question. God always has been and always will be. He is eternal. God was the creator of the universe. He was the creator of time and space itself. But nothing created God. God exists outside of time and space. He steps into time and space, periodically, to interact with this world, His creation, but he is outside of time. What does that mean? Interestingly enough science has come to the same conclusion. The Big Bang theory states that there was a beginning to time and space. While there is disagreement on how long ago it happened, it is amazing that we both agree there is a point in time where there is no “before.” At this point, not only was there “no physical objects in the vacuum of space,” but there was no “vacuum of space” either. Therefore God, the creator of the universe, exists outside of time and space. (Weird. It gives me a headache to contemplate this too long.) However, despite that fact that scripture tells us that God is eternal, it also says, paradoxically, “God was born.” Not only was God born but there was a time when He died. 2000 year ago God entered time and space as a man, Jesus Christ. As in the words of the Apostle’s creed - He was born of the virgin Mary and was made man. At a little town called Bethlehem, God has experienced birth. And it is precisely because God was born, that we have been born again as His children. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. [Gal 4:4] Because of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, we have been offered eternal life. This is precisely what we celebrated at Easter. God is eternal and is the master of space and time. But God also entered time and space, as Jesus, to be with us because He loved us. Praise God! He is risen! Alleluia.