Does Jesus have a beginning?

Ask an Apologist
#1

Someone in Austria claims to have had a dying experience going to heaven where God the Father is reported to have told that person that “Jesus had a beginning but He does not have an end.” This is said to be a great mystery that no man can ever understand properly, neither on earth nor in eternity.

I know that God the Trinity is three persons but share the same nature or substance. The Trinity is one being, one God (sorry, I’m a lay person and don’t know the proper theological terms).

So if the Father is eternal without beginning nor end, how then could the Son have a beginning? If God is three persons and one being, one nature, then surely the Father, Son and Holy Spirit should all be eternal, without beginning nor end?

Is there anything about this in Church teaching or in the Catechism? Haven’t found anything so far …

Thanks a lot for your answer!

beatrix

#2

Dear Beatrix,

The three Divine Persons of the Holy Trinity are God and have no beginning and no end, as you have said. Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, entered into time and took on a human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary. So from that time on Jesus has had two natures and will have them for all eternity. So His divine nature has no beginning, but His human nature does.

See: catholic.com/encyclopedia/trinity

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.