There NEVER was a time when Jesus-the SON was NOT!We're almost there. There never was a time when the Son was not, because the Son is eternally begotten. There was a time when Jesus was not, because the Son's human nature was temporally begotten.
Who is saying, I AM the first and the last? The person is saying it, not the nature. That person is the eternally begotten Son of God. That's his name: The Word. The Son. From the incarnation forward, the person was the same -- the eternally begotten Son of God -- but he now had two natures, and two names: The Word -- by virtue of his divine nature -- and Jesus -- by virtue of his human nature. Jesus and the Word are numerically identically: One person, two natures.
Think of Samuel Clemens and Mark Twain. They're numerically identical -- i.e., they're the same person -- but he has two names. Samuel Clemens existed from the moment of his conception; however, Mark Twain didn't exist until some time later.
Truth is,.....There NEVER was a time when Jesus-the SON was NOT!
:-)
No human nature, no Jesus.