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!