Increasingly, over the past few centuries, the evangelical church has (at least by implication) presented the Christ-story as beginning with the angelic appearances in the two opening chapters of Luke’s Gospel. It seems to me that this is an extension of the persistent impact of the rationalism of the Enlightenment. While virtually all evangelicals would reject the notion that Jesus was simply a wise teacher, nevertheless, it is all too easy to see Him as somehow less than God the Father; certainly Jesus is God, but a Son who was sent on assignment to fix a mess, that His part in the story doesn’t really begin until He comes to earth. But this ignores the clear testimony of the OT prophets, the apostles and the early church. There never was a time without the Son. There never was a time when the Son was not at work, fulfilling the desires of the Father.  Read More