Beginnings
Our readings from this past week included Genesis 1 (Creation) and Matthew 1 (the birth of Christ). I couldn’t help but think of the powerful connection between the two. My mind kept going back to the creation and how good it was, along with the birth of Christ who is the perfect good that came to earth in order to save us.
In the beginning, God created everything out of nothing. Creation is an expression of His creativity and sovereignty. He made everything, and it was good. But Jesus was there. He is part of the godhead – the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Colossians 1:15-16 states, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth…” Hebrews 1:2 also tells us that Jesus, “whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Jesus is not a created being but is God. John 1:1-3 says, “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 any thing made that was made.” Later in the chapter he identifies the Word as Jesus.
In Matthew, we read of the genealogy and birth of Jesus. Jesus left His rightful place in Heaven and is born of flesh, living a life of obedience and dying as the sacrifice for our sins (Philippians 2:6-8). It is the beginning of the hope of eternal life in His name. He came to save our souls from the condemnation of sin. Creation was good. The redemptive work of Jesus was (is) good!
Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). In combining the account of creation with the birth of Jesus, we see that well. All was created through Him, and salvation is accomplished through Him. Life is in Jesus Christ.