“In the Beginning…”

 

DISCUSSION                                                                  

                Finish this statement from a Biblical perspective, “In the Beginning ….”.  Most people would immediately go to Genesis 1.1 and say, “In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Of course that would be a correct statement, but so would “In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (John 1.1).  Both Genesis and the Gospel of John begin with the same introduction of, “In the Beginning…”.  However, the similarities end there, because the two books go in complete opposite directions.  The book of Genesis begins with the beginning of time as we know it, explaining to us what happened during the story of creation and moves forward.  Yet, the Gospel of John gives us some insight to what existed before time as we know it, before the creation of the world!  John seeks to help us understand that before time, as we measure it, existed, there was God and the Word.  This Word was with God, and at the same time the Word was God.  Did you get that?  I said that this Word was with God and at the same time was God!  How can something/someone be with someone/something while at the same time BE the same someone/something.  This passage is so unique that if you place any other words in place of “Word” only add to its confusion.  For instance, “In the beginning was Matt and Matt was with Leah, and Matt was Leah.” What about this one “In the beginning was Alabama and Alabama was with Auburn, and Alabama was Auburn.”  (Preacher, you speak sacrilege!)  The only way that this passage can truly be understood is by reading John 1.14 as it describes to us that the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us”.  The “Word” is Jesus!  Therefore, the passage now can be understood to read “In the Beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God.”  Although our feeble minds may never be able to truly understand how Jesus can be with God and be God at the same time, it does simply just affirm what the remainder of the Gospel further illustrates; Jesus came to this earth as a human being and yet was God and even though I don’t fully understand it, I don’t have to! Because faith is the believing in something, that we might simply not be able to fully understand.

 

 

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