In The Beginning
In the first chapter of Genesis, we see that God’s voice of command was the only act necessary for the creation of the Universe. God did not have to mix and match nebulas, wait for the establishment of quantum particles, or calculate the initial parameters of the Big Bang. He simply spoke, and the Universe and all its attendant intricacies and complexities were set into motion. In contrast, when we, who lack God’s omnipotence, desire to make something, we are reminded that we cannot make something out of nothing. The artist and builder still need their artistic mediums and building materials to work with since making a painting still requires paint and constructing a brick house still requires bricks. Another important distinction between our creative process and God’s is this: when we aspire to create something, the process involves the labor intensive task of articulating a design, building the object, and then—assuming that everything went as planned—appreciating the final result. For God, however, there was no intermediary step between His articulation and appreciation. He said one command, and then He called it “good.” To put it another way, there was a direct link between God’s intent and the content of His creation.
Although God’s wielding of transcendent power and creativity in the act of physical creation is awe inspiring, there was something else that was formed on that same day that may be equally as important—on that first day, God created human language. By labeling His creation as “good”, by defining light as “day”, and by establishing darkness as “night”, God set forth the metaphorical and propositional framework that would form the basis of language and the building blocks for understanding truth. In a modern world that denies the existence of truth and that has scorned any objective meaning to words, it’s interesting to see God infusing words with differentiation, distinctiveness, and meaning even at the very inception of the Universe. And like the difference between “day” and “night”, God later uses human language to communicate moral distinctions between right and wrong, good and evil, and holiness and sin. Words are not solely the creation of man, they are the reflection of the character of God.
The Word of God
In John 1:1-5, we read the following about Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
Christ is described here as “The Word of God.” Specifically, the incarnation was not only God’s physical presence invading humanity, but Jesus was also the embodiment of the very “language” or will of God. And this “language” that Jesus brought into the world was the quintessential differentiator between “light” and “darkness” and, therefore, between good and evil.
Jesus says in Matthew 10:34, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus Christ is the radiant light of the Gospel message. However, all those who do wicked—including us before we were saved—hate the light because it exposes the hearts of men as vile. It shines a spotlight on the adulterer, it exposes the thief, and it reveals the liar as two-faced and wretched. And this uncovering light not only illuminates the repugnant physical acts of men, but it also exposes the foul inclinations of their hearts. Under pious garbs and flowing robes, men can hide the corruption of their souls under a pretense of holiness. But the piercing light of Jesus violently rips apart the thin veneer of piety to reveal a blackened and decayed core.
The religious legalists and self-righteous leaders of that time hated Jesus with a passion. Jesus had revealed them as imposters whose love was of fame and power instead of God, and whose doom was the fires of hell. On the other hand, those who were downtrodden, were caught in the act of adultery, or were ostracized from society worshipped Jesus because he offered something more than the condemnation taught by legalist of his time—forgiveness. Although Jesus’ life unflinchingly exposed the sins that infect man, his life also revealed the brilliant and transforming radiance of forgiveness, love, and hope. In the words of Isaiah, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” As the embodiment of the Word of God, Jesus brought us this glorious Christmas message!
