Wednesday: Jesus, Creator of Heaven and Earth
Read John 1:1-3, 14; Colossians 1:15, 16; Hebrews 1:1, 2. How do the
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New Testament writers identify the Creator? What are the implications of the answer?
John refers to Jesus as the Word (&8220;Logos”) and equates Him with God. More specifically, Jesus is the One through whom all things were created. In John’s day, the term logos was commonly used to represent the creative principle. John’s readers would be familiar with the concept of logos as a creative principle or even as a creator. John applied this familiar concept to Jesus, identifying Him as the true Creator. Jesus, the Logos, the Incarnate One who lived among us, was not only present in the beginning, He was the One by whom the universe was created. This means that we could read Genesis 1:1 as “In the beginning, Jesus created the heavens and the earth.”
Paul’s words in Colossians 1 resonate with those of John in the identification of the Creator as Jesus Christ. By Him, all things were created. Paul adds two other attributes of Jesus. First, He is the image of the invisible God. In our sinful state, we cannot see God the Father, but we can see Jesus. If we want to know what God is like, we can study the life of Jesus(John 14:9). Second, Paul calls Jesus the “firstborn” of creation (Col. 1:15). In this context, “firstborn” does not refer to origin but to status. The firstborn was the head of the family and the heir of the property. Jesus was the “firstborn” in the sense that, as Creator and through the Incarnation (His taking upon Himself our humanity), He is the rightful head of the human family. Jesus was not a created being; rather, from eternity He was one with the Father.
Hebrews 1:1, 2 repeats the same points as in the Colossians passage. Jesus is appointed heir of all things and is the One by whom the world was created. In addition, He is the exact representation of the Father’s nature, another way of stating that He is the image of God.
How would you respond if someone were to ask you, “What is your God like?” What justification could you give for your answer?
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The book of Genesis shows a God creating by saying "Let there be". The evangelist John identifies Him as "The Verb" and he adds "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us". Isn't it fascinating? - The great creator became like his creatures! It surely was an act of love to say the least. What to say when the Bible states that He created the worldS, the things visible and invisible?
No wonder when Jesus rebuked the winds at the sea of Galilee there was a great calm. No wonder Mary stopped her sinful life after Jesus comunicated her power with the words "go and sin NO MORE". No wonder after a time of fast in the wilderness Jesus commanded a fig tree to not yield fruit any more and it
To know that Jesus died for my sins has humbled me over the years. I am so blest to know he is the for me! And to know loves me so much to die for me! Give praise all the days of my life, thank God for Jesus.
The book of Genesis shows a God creating by saying “Let there be”. The evangelist John identifies Him as “The Word” and he adds “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. Isn’t it fascinating? – The great creator became like his creatures! It surely was an act of love to say the least. What to say when the Bible states that He created the worldS, the things visible and invisible?
No wonder when Jesus rebuked the winds at the sea of Galilee there was a great calm. No wonder Mary stopped her sinful life after Jesus communicated her power with the words “go and sin NO MORE”. No wonder after a time of fast in the wilderness Jesus commanded, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” and it dried from the roots and withered away. He was the God almighty and should have more respect and apreciation from the people He came to save. Glory ascend to Jesus in this new year more than in the year before! Glory to his powerful name!
To Him we all owe our existence.
The lesson says, "In John’s day, the term logos was commonly used to represent the creative principle." I really don't know how true that was. John seems to be the only one that used it in that way and when he does he not only saw the power of God but also saw it the same way that Jesus applied the Old Testament to Himself (Jn 5:39). Besides, John didn't always use logos to represent Jesus, for instance (words from logos in bold):
For in this the saying is true:`One sows and another reaps.' (Jn. 4:37 NKJV)
Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" (Jn. 6:60 NKJV)
"What is this thing that He said,`You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come '?" (Jn. 7:36 NKJV)
"If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken) (Jn. 10:35 NKJV)
"He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him-- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day." (Jn. 12:48 NKJV)
There are over a dozen such verses in John's writings and from what I can see only three verses in all his writings can definitely be considered in the way the lesson says it is Jn 1:1; Jn 1:14; Rev 19:13.
I Believe what that lesson's author wants to say is that one of the the uses of the term "logos" is equated to the creation principle (or origin of all things). I don't believe this is the only way to translate the word 'logos'. I guess your attention to those verses is correct but just remember that like other terms such as the previous one in the same verse: 'archē', which means both 'beginning' and 'ruler' and in this case it is applied to the context as 'beginning.' because if we use the meaning of 'ruler,' it doesn't fit convincing enough in the verse 2 of John 1. So it is a case where the word chosen by John in here doesn't give the opportunity to any other translation, but the creation principle. Other fact we should considered is the fact that John has being writing to a Gentile public (Greeks in most of the cases) and the term 'logos' is also found in the secular literature of John's days as the disciples of PLATO believed to be a reason, a human or even the being but also among the definitions was the reference to a person (or God) able to create everything out of nothing or someone able to translate the creative power of a God. So concluding, the term 'logos' is not always applied to creation, but always referred to a spoken word or saying. This way we could imagine that the use of word 'Logos' had to do much more with the calling attention to 'some specific' public than the meaning of the word itself, and for this reason on the verse two of John 1, the author identifies who was representing 'logos.'
GOD, being WHO HE IS, is capable of being the FATHER, the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT at once. Who are we then to question such AUTHORITY? We should mind NOT to stumble on CHRIST!
God is The God, the beginning and the end, He is the creator of all. All you have to do is look around to see Him in any living thing, He truly is awesome.
All of these words give us pictures of what Jesus is and the nature of His position. Still, we must just accept them and imagine because we can only understand so much. We see through a dark glass for now, but the more we look, the more we know. I am so glad that we are in the capable hands of the Creator, and that He came down to our world to live among us and demonstrate Who God really is. . . Love!
It is just making me feel sory for those who say Jesus Christ is not God, the bible cleary tells us that Jesus was the one in which all the universe was created by Him, we have a big task to teach others the truth about Jesus Christ.
Jesus as God and Creator brings more hope and Joy. without this thought we would live like animals without meaning in this life.
Paul calls Jesus the “firstborn” of creation (Col. 1:15). In this context, “firstborn” does not refer to origin but to status. The firstborn was the head of the family and the heir of the property. Jesus was the “firstborn” in the sense that, as Creator and through the Incarnation (His taking upon Himself our humanity), He is the rightful head of the human family. Jesus was not a created being; rather, from eternity He was one with the Father.
This section of the lesson is not complete as verse 18 of Colossians makes an addition to the above statement.
"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"(Col 1:18)
This verse clearly points out that Jesus is the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD. Thus, Jesus became man, died and rose from the dead to IMMORTAL LIFE and has been the ONLY person to do this -- so far. Other human beings will have to wait for the first resurrection when Christ returns.
The Bible does not support any other conclusion.
I thank you for pointing to verse 18 of Col 1 to further flesh out Paul's explanation and wisdom in referring to Jesus as the "firstborn" Your point was very well taken.
What would you say of Moses....wasn't he the first resurrected to immortal life?
Delroy
My God is full of love. He rules all by it. He has matchless grace, and I am indebted to Him forever. I experience joy and peace every day, even in the midst of trial or suffering. He has helped me to love others, opened my eyes, my ears,to see and hear what is Truth. God is my source of strength. His word helps me see where He has led in the past, and where He is in the future. He is unchangeable, forever Truth.
God truly is amaizing. Who in this earth can create anything by the power of the word. No1 which greatly shows that we have to b thankful each nd evryday 4 ds gift. Therz power in the word indeed
It is evident that every person should believe in Jesus first that he is God. Without these, then salvation is far off from us.
At the 3rd to last paragraph in the lesson it stated that JESUS is not a created being.
As a child i recalled reading about the creation story in a book by E G White where is postulates that Lucifer was jealous of JESUS the chosen of GOD to be instrumental in the creation of Earth.
How does Michael the arch angel relates to all this?
If you would like to see the power of our God type in whirlpool galaxy. look at second picture it is called the x photo. these are pictures from the hubble telescope. He is GREAT.