Jesus and the Other Beginning
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life. John 1:3, 4, ESV.
The first beginning in John's Gospel is one without a beginning, reflecting on the eternal preexistence of the divine Christ.
But John portrays a second beginning in verses 3 and 4--the beginning of Creation. Paul comments upon that one when he writes "in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,...all things were created through him and for him" (Col. 1:16, RSV). And the book of Hebrews states that it was through Christ that God "created the world" (Heb. 1:2, RSV).
Thus it is that the Babe of Bethlehem was much more than just one more person in the tired history of this world. The Bible sets Him forth as the Creator God, who has "life" in Himself in the same way that "the Father has life in himself" (John 5:26, RSV). The Desire of Ages captures that truth when it claims that "in Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived" (P. 530).
It is that life in Himself that positioned the Word to act in Creation. And it is no accident that John describes the creative Christ as the Word. After all, it is the act of speaking that ushers in each day of Creation Week. "And God said" reflects on the meaning of the creative Word in John 1:1-5 (see Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24).
As a result, it was also that eternal Word who kept the Sabbath at the end of Creation week. "Thus," we read, "the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation" (Gen. 2:1-3, RSV). With that in mind, there is little wonder that Jesus noted that "the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath" (Mark 2:28).
John's Gospel doesn't fool around when it comes to introducing Jesus. He is not merely that child born in Bethlehem.
No! He is eternal God. He is the Creator of all that is. He has life in Himself.
As we turn our eyes upon Jesus our minds are challenged and astounded regarding the true identity of our Savior.
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life. John 1:3, 4, ESV.
The first beginning in John's Gospel is one without a beginning, reflecting on the eternal preexistence of the divine Christ.
But John portrays a second beginning in verses 3 and 4--the beginning of Creation. Paul comments upon that one when he writes "in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,...all things were created through him and for him" (Col. 1:16, RSV). And the book of Hebrews states that it was through Christ that God "created the world" (Heb. 1:2, RSV).
Thus it is that the Babe of Bethlehem was much more than just one more person in the tired history of this world. The Bible sets Him forth as the Creator God, who has "life" in Himself in the same way that "the Father has life in himself" (John 5:26, RSV). The Desire of Ages captures that truth when it claims that "in Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived" (P. 530).
It is that life in Himself that positioned the Word to act in Creation. And it is no accident that John describes the creative Christ as the Word. After all, it is the act of speaking that ushers in each day of Creation Week. "And God said" reflects on the meaning of the creative Word in John 1:1-5 (see Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24).
As a result, it was also that eternal Word who kept the Sabbath at the end of Creation week. "Thus," we read, "the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation" (Gen. 2:1-3, RSV). With that in mind, there is little wonder that Jesus noted that "the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath" (Mark 2:28).
John's Gospel doesn't fool around when it comes to introducing Jesus. He is not merely that child born in Bethlehem.
No! He is eternal God. He is the Creator of all that is. He has life in Himself.
As we turn our eyes upon Jesus our minds are challenged and astounded regarding the true identity of our Savior.
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