The old “in the beginning”
In John 1:1, Scripture repeats the phrase found in Genesis 1:1, “in the beginning”. This phrase refers to the beginning of our universe with its dimensions of time and space. It keeps with the view that God is looking down on His creation as an outsider. He is distant from us and this is the view that many people hold. Even most agnostics hold to a view that if God does exist, He is out there somewhere looking on.
The new “in the beginning”
However, unlike the story in Genesis chapter 1, the gospel of John chapter 1 goes beyond the origins of the universe. It gets downright personal. John 1:14 provides a most amazing clause, “And the Word was made flesh”. The apostle John tells us that at one point in history, God the Son lowered Himself to be one of us!
Verse 14 changes everything. Man is no longer bound to a vertical relationship with God. Now that God has become a man in the person of Jesus Christ, our relationship to Him CAN BE horizontal as well. Christ never ceased being God but has now added on the nature of a perfect man. Of course, this was God’s plan right from “in the beginning”. God knew that man would sin against is His law. But, because of His great love for us (John 3:16), God planned upon identifying with us and to be sacrificed upon the cross of Calvary.
The point of my blog today is this: the purpose of being a creationist is NOT to win endless debates against evolutionists; rather, it is to establish the connection between John 1:1 and John 1:14. God created and then God saved. All people upon this earth have benefited from John 1:1 but not everyone benefits from John 1:14. The latter requires the individual to humble themselves before a holy God and ask for the salvation of Jesus Christ. Something to seriously consider!