In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1)
If we want to know about someone, we go back to their origin. Psychology has come to understand that family of origin is crucial to gaining perspective. John used the same tack in helping us understand Christ. He wants us to understand Christ fully. So he takes us back to the beginning. But it isn’t Jesus’ beginning… it’s the beginning of creation. We can’t know anything about Christ before we existed. He was simply “in the beginning with God.”
John’s opening words echo the words of Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created…” The beginning is that timeless time before time when God as Father, Son and Spirit alone existed. It was the moment in forever when God would act and begin the work that would create us. That’s where the Word was. That’s who the Word was with.
And then the Word made all things. How did that happen? I think it’s interesting that John referred to Jesus as “the Word.” And how did God create in Genesis 1? He created through His Word. He spoke, “Let there be light!” The Word, or the Son is clearly the agent of God in creating all things. God speaks, the Word moves. The Father wills, the Son makes it happen.
Look at his involvement again. “without him was not anything made that was made.” Some people say there is room in Scripture for God creating the world over millions of years. There may be. But there is no room for a process of creation that doesn’t need the Son to bring into existence everything that is new. Every new gene, every new element, every new atom was brought into existence by the Word of God, who is the eternal Son.
Matthew’s genealogy takes us back to Abraham. Luke’s genealogy takes us back to Adam. John’s takes us back to the time before time. And confirms that the Word is there! And he is active – the agent of God – through whom all things exist and move and live.
Most of us create an image of Christ that is much smaller than who He really is. In doing that we limit his importance, his authority and his power in our life and world. In your heart and mind, don’t just place him in a manger, or even on the cross, but place him at the beginning; conferring with and acting on behalf of the Father. Today, worship the Christ who brings about the creative will of God. Thank the Son, without whom we would never exist and never have the hope of knowing the Father.
How have you limited Christ and his role in your life?
See the next post on John 1:4-5 here.
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THAT…was awesome!
Thank you sir!
Good thoughts Jim. In recent years I have pondered the question, “Individuals debate the question of thousands of years vs millions of years for the creation of the heavens and the earth.” Can we ponder the fact that our Lord could have created all things in six nanoseconds? Creation is a beautiful portrait painted by the master artist of the universe. God’s glory is reflected to some degree in the magnificence of his creation.
Agreed. I think we, as humans, struggle with Creator-God because creating implies ownership. We don’t typically like the idea of God owning us. Thanks for commenting.