John 1:1-5 | Jesus is Creator

We are people that crave knowledge. We want to know how things work, we want to discover things to advance life and to increase comfort and ease. But we are also a people who is very much concerned with origins. People will travel to Ellis Island, or now they can do it all from the internet, to find out when they arrived to America. Some will do DNA studies to figure out where their ancestors are from. Or you can register on various sites such as ancestry.com to figure out who your distance relatives are.

It does not really affect us very much does it. But we have a desire to know who we are and where we are from. It is innate within us. Even when you meet someone for the very first time, you want to know who they are (what is your name) and where they are from.

This curiosity has been there for as long as time has been around. One speculated that

18,000 years, the first living being was P’an Ku, who grew inside a cosmic egg. When he hatched, the shell above him became the sky while the piece below became the earth. The opposites in nature were separated as well—male and female, wet and dry, light and dark, yin and yang, etc.

After all this effort, P’an Ku literally fell to pieces and his features became the natural world. His limbs turned into mountains, his blood to rivers, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder, his hair the grass, his sweat the rain, and so on. His left eye became the sun and his right became the moon. Some people say that the parasites on P’an Ku’s body became mankind.

Others say that, many centuries after P’an Ku’s death, a lonely goddess named Nü Wa saw her reflection in a pond and made some beings like herself out of mud. These became the aristocrats. Creating these beings was hard work, though, so Nü Wa swung a muddy vine through the air and its droplets became the commoners. Years later, the heavens collapsed, creating holes in the earth through which waters rose to form a great flood. Nü Wa patched the earth, but became exhausted by her labors and died. Her body became yet more features of the world. inside a cosmic egg. When he hatched, the shell above him became the sky while the piece below became the earth. The opposites in nature were separated as well—male and female, wet and dry, light and dark, yin and yang, etc.

After all this effort, P’an Ku literally fell to pieces and his features became the natural world. His limbs turned into mountains, his blood to rivers, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder, his hair the grass, his sweat the rain, and so on. His left eye became the sun and his right became the moon. Some people say that the parasites on P’an Ku’s body became mankind.

Now some of you are thinking why is he telling us this? That is not at all how the world was created.

The Sumerians taught that the sea goddess Nammu ‘the mother, who gave birth to heaven and earth’ evidently created all things and with the help of other gods such as Enlil- the king of all lands and organizer of the earth and its argicultural features were responsible for what we have and see around us.

Others say that, many centuries after P’an Ku’s death, a lonely goddess named Nü Wa saw her reflection in a pond and made some beings like herself out of mud. These became the aristocrats. Creating these beings was hard work, though, so Nü Wa swung a muddy vine through the air and its droplets became the commoners. Years later, the heavens collapsed, creating holes in the earth through which waters rose to form a great flood. Nü Wa patched the earth, but became exhausted by her labors and died. Her body became yet more features of the world.

The Akkadians had a different account recorded in the creation epic we know as Enuma Elish. In Enuma Elish the human race is made from the blood of Kingu, leader of a rebel horde against the creator god Marduk.

The Egyptians, the Levantines, and many others have their own creation accounts. And it some are very entertaining. One of my favorites is how 18,000 years, the first living being was P’an Ku, who grew inside a cosmic egg. When he hatched, the shell above him became the sky while the piece below became the earth. The opposites in nature were separated as well—male and female, wet and dry, light and dark, yin and yang, etc.

After all this effort, P’an Ku literally fell to pieces and his features became the natural world. His limbs turned into mountains, his blood to rivers, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder, his hair the grass, his sweat the rain, and so on. His left eye became the sun and his right became the moon. Some people say that the parasites on P’an Ku’s body became mankind.

How did we get here? Well, l

How did we get here? Well, last week, we looked at how John, from his opening words brought the reader to the fact that Jesus is God. That bears weight in not just the words that would follow in his book. But it bears weight to everyone’s lives because being God, He makes the rules. He does not submit to humanity or to false deities. He is God. And that is a comfort as well, because we know that Jesus is God. He was not a lunatic, he was not a crazy man that said some wise fortune cookie things. He spoke the truth as he himself is the truth.

But this morning John presses into the mind of the readers the fact that Jesus is not only God. But Jesus is Creator. And like we had discussed very briefly this morning several creation myths, John is not shy in saying things that may hurt people’s feelings. He tells them the truth. And it is a wonder that even nowadays, there is still a challenge in this. We have modern interpreters of the Bible claiming facts contrary to His Word.

For example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that Jesus is not God. But that he is actually Michael the Archangel who became a man. He is a created being.

The Mormon’s or LDS teach that Jesus is the first spirit born of God. And that Satan is his spirit brother.

Islam, buddhism and atheism teaches that Jesus was just a wise prophet. A man of wisdom and good works.

But stated very clearly to us that Jesus is not created, but eternal from the beginning of beginnings. That he was more than a man, but God. And not only that, but Jesus created everything. Not one thing that has come into existence is by accident. Jesus created it.

John wants to be perfectly clear about it so he says all things which were created. So everything that can fall into the category of being created is from God. And if you read that with any ambiguity, John says a second time, apart from Him, not one thing was created. So we have here being expressed that Jesus created everything.

So if you were to try and run through a list of created things, you can find their authorship to be Jesus. But is this just John.

Well the author of Hebrews would be in agreement

Holman New Testament Commentary: John A. Revelation of the Lamb (1:1–5)

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe” (Heb. 1:1–2).

Well Paul expresses the same thing in

the firstborn over all creation. h

vs 15-16 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him.

16 For everything was created by Him,

in heaven and on earth,

the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him.

whether thrones or dominions

or rulers or authorities—

all things have been created through Him and for Him.

That seems like a person who is exhausting the entirety of the Greek language to express that Jesus did in fact create everything.

Everything from the smallest to the largest, from the subatomic particle and the elements they create to the universe and all of the galaxies, planets and stars within, God created all things. And only God who created all things can redeem things.

Does this matter though? Why all the fuss? Is this really a little thing that bears no significance to our lives? Who cares if God created all things or all things existed eternally with God. Who cares about whether God created some things, but not all things.

The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

Well it matters. The significance means eternity. And that is not something that you gamble with. As an illustration, let’s say that I you are looking to start a business. It can be any sort of business, but for simplicity sake, let’s say you are going to build a house. Now you have no experience building a house, so you need to get some help. So you hire someone who says that he is a professional builder. Now without going any further in this analogy, if this man really is not who he claims to be do you believe that you will be able to get the job done properly? Sure, he may get some books of his own and give you some wise advice but once you find out that he is a fake, you won’t have very much confidence in the product you build.

In the same way, Jesus claims to be the way, the truth, and the life. That no man comes to the Father but by Him. Now that is a truth claim. There is no wiggle room or loopholes there. He either is or he isn’t. And that puts in question the truthfulness of Jesus. Because God does not lie. So he is either telling the truth about this or he is not.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

You see Jesus said He was the way, the truth, and the life. If we believe that Jesus was just a man. That

But not only that, we need to believe in the right Jesus.

Jesus foretold that “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.”

He continues in verse 23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! 24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.

You must have the right Jesus. Just believing in a Jesus is not good enough. You are up a creek without a paddle. This is incredibly important. This is why when we evangelize, we are careful to present the true Gospel. We also do it with love.

The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

Because He created everything. He created even those who we don’t quite get along with. God created them as well. They likewise are image bearers of God and desperately need to hear the good news of the gospel. God did not create everything and let the world run on its own with no care or regard how anything turns out.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

“This is the will of Him who sent Me: that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise them up on the last day.”

“ First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Now this is either a good thing or a terrible thing. If God is an evil, vindictive, cruel God then it is a scary thing that he created us. Maybe he is torturing us. Maybe this is some sort of cosmic hunger game we are all a part of. He is toying with us and without any certainty can we know our standing before Him.

If we believe that Jesus was just a man. That

Now this is either a good thing or a terrible thing. If God is an evil, vindictive, cruel God then it is a scary thing that he created us. Maybe he is torturing us. Maybe this is some sort of cosmic hunger game we are all a part of. He is toying with us and without any certainty can we know our standing before Him.

But God is good. He created us as image bearers of Himself and to those reborn He calls them children of God. We are given the privilege and the duty of being ambassadors of Christ. In Adam, all men fell in sin and death. But in Christ, the creator of all things, He also has granted faith. Faith so that we may believe and receive the free gift He offers of eternal life. He not only created us, but he also has the power to redeem us. And He has.

Vs 4-5 Life was in Him and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness yet the darkness did not overcome it.

This contrast between light and dark is a common theme found in John’s writing

Vs 4-5 Life was in Him and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness yet the darkness did not overcome it.

This contrast between light and dark is a common theme found in John’s writing. When the world was in spiritual darkness, the light of the world came down. And He overcame. He is triumphant. That is the God we serve. One who has created, one who has redeemed, one who has triumphed over sin and death. The darkness could not overcome him and in Him, we find life and light.

John 1:1-5 | Jesus is Creator

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