Bible Ballistics: Vol. 13 No.05 Jesus In Genesis Pt.1!!!
I’d like us to spend the next few weeks considering the great creator that we serve. So many today think that God isn’t creator, much less Jesus, so I think it would be worth our while to spend some time considering what The Word says about our creator.
“In the beginning
God created
the heaven
and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God
moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said,
Let there be light:
and there was light.” Genesis 1:1-3
While I believe in the literal view of God’s creation account as recorded in the book of Genesis, I know that some of you may not concur, I simply ask you to consider these things because they are more import than most today understand. If God didn’t create the earth, then what hope do we have—if there is no God who created us, then there is no need for a Savior! If God didn’t create the world by HIS ‘Word’ then what do we have to stand on? For if there is no creator, then the account recorded in Genesis is unreliable—there is no Adam and Eve. If there is no Adam and Eve, then there is no sin. If there is no sin—then there is no lust, sin, death or hell; and we have no need for a Redeemer!!! And redemption is The Work that God sent Jesus to accomplish! Jesus is the redeemer of the world and it all started with God, even before the beginning. We must know truth!
“Father, I will that they also,
whom thou hast given me,
be with me
where I am;
that they may behold my glory,
which thou hast given me:
for thou lovedst me
before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father,
the world hath not known thee:
but I have known thee,
and these have known
that thou hast sent me.” John 17:24-25
Jesus was with the Father before the “foundation of the world”, yet that’s not all The Word says about creation!
“Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places
in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us
in him
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy
and without blame
before him in love:” Ephesians 1:3-4
Peter also refers to this doctrine of the pre-foundation plan of God!
“Forasmuch as ye know
that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things,
as silver and gold,
from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained
before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times
for you,
21 Who by him do believe
in God,
that raised him up from the dead,
and gave him glory;
that your faith and hope
might be in God.” 1 Peter 1:18-21
Jesus gave His life that we might be saved. He came to save and transform men, women, boys and girls into children of God. He changes us from lost sinners into redeemed and transformed saints. All by God’s design—which He set in motion even before He created man–knowing that we would sin, yet He created us anyway (a choice, which by the way, is far from what we would have done!)! He created us in His own image knowing that we would choose sin, and Jesus would have to give His life for ours, He would be the very lamb who came to die for you and me, to redeem us “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”! He loved us then, and He loves us now, calling us to Himself.
“He was in the world,
and the world was made by him,
and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own,
and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him,
to them gave he power
to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born,
not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man,
but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him,
and cried, saying,
This was he
of whom I spake,
He that cometh after me
is preferred before me:
for he was before me.” John 1:10-15
Jesus pre-existed John, even though John was conceived 6 months before Jesus—John is telling us that Jesus is deity. He IS God. And while many claim that Jesus never said that, the truth is HE did, more than once.
“My Father,
which gave them me,
is greater than all;
and no man is able to pluck them
out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.” John 10:29-30
“The woman saith unto him,
I know that Messias cometh,
which is called Christ:
when he is come,
he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her,
I that speak unto thee am he.” John 4:25-26
While poems claim that only God can create particular things (a tree, a bird…etc.), God is the creator and sustainer of all things, but not without the Son. While the Son isn’t mentioned in Genesis 1 by name, He was/is there.
“And God said,
Let us make man
in our image,
after our likeness:
and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle,
and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man
in his own image,
in the image of God
created he him;
male and female
created he them.” Genesis 1:26-27
But you might ask, “How do we know that Jesus was there?” Well, as the children’s song says, “The Bible tells me so!” (from ‘Jesus Loves Me”, written by Anna Bartlett Warner over 100 years ago!). So, let’s dig in to some passages that help answer that question, and then next week we’ll dig deeper. We’ll start with John’s beautiful passage that clearly points to the ‘creator’ Jesus.
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 The same was
in the beginning
with God.
3 All things were made by him;
and without him
was not any thing made
that was made.
4 In him was life;
and the life
was the light of men.
5 And the light
shineth in darkness;
and the darkness
comprehended it not.” John 1:1-5
John makes it clear that Jesus IS creator, and we will look next week at the fact that God created by “speaking” things into creation, and Jesus is “The Word”! But let’s examine even more Biblical evidence.
“God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners
spake in time past
unto the fathers
by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days
spoken unto us
by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir
of all things,
by whom also
he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory,
and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things
by the word of his power,
when he had by himself
purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand
of the Majesty on high;” Hebrews 1:1-3
Did you get that? God made the worlds by HIM, Jesus! And He is the essence that holds this world together—without Him we would be helpless and hopeless! It is HIS blood that saves and transforms lives still today.
“Giving thanks unto the Father,
which hath made us meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints
in light:
13 Who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness,
and hath translated us
into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption
through his blood,
even the forgiveness
of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him
were all things created,
that are in heaven,
and that are in earth,
visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones,
or dominions,
or principalities,
or powers:
all things were created
by him,
and for him:
17 And he is before all things,
and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body,
the church:
who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things
he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father
that in him
should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace
through the blood of his cross,
by him to reconcile
all things unto himself;
by him, I say,
whether they be things
in earth,
or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:12-20
And to wrap up today, God is not only The Creator of all things physical, but also the spiritual. Just as John said:
“12 But as many as received him,
to them gave he power
to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born,
not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man,
but of God.”
Born of God by the power of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. He created us and bought us back to Himself by the blood of Jesus. We can choose to receive the gift of salvation or perish without HIM!
“That at that time ye were without Christ,
being aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers
from the covenants of promise,
having no hope,
and without God
in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus
ye who sometimes were far off
are made nigh
by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace,
who hath made both one,
and hath broken down the middle wall
of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh
the enmity,
even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances;
for to make in himself
of twain
one new man,
so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both
unto God
in one body
by the cross,
having slain the enmity
thereby:
17 And came and preached peace
to you which were afar off,
and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both
have access by one Spirit
unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more
strangers
and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens
with the saints,
and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation
of the apostles
and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone;” Ephesians 2:12-20
Is HE your creator? Is HE your Lord and Savior? He came that you and I might have life—eternal life—abundant life—God’s life in us (that part which died when Adam and Eve sinned!). And here are a few passages that help us understand what that means.
“And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3
“And this is the promise
that he hath promised us,
even eternal life.” 1 John 2:25
“And this is the record,
that God
hath given to us
eternal life,
and this life
is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son
hath life;
and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life.” 1 John 5:11-12
Do you know the “life” of the “creator”? I pray that you do!
Amen and Amen!!! We’ll continue next week, Lord willing!
Bible Ballistics 