Genesis and the Trinity

Genesis chapter 1, beginning in verse 1. We are in our series, "Christ in the Old Testament." I have never been more excited to preach a sermon series than this one. I have learned so much and continue to learn as I study the Old Testament in greater detail than ever before. Christ is all over the Old Testament. The Bible is a book about Christ—the story of God's redemption from Genesis to Revelation, spanning both testaments. The title of my sermon this morning is "Christ the Creator."

Let's read Genesis chapter 1, verse 1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Verse 2: "And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Verse 3: "Then God said, 'Let there be light.' And there was light."

Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we thank you so much for your word. Here at the very beginning of creation in our Bible, we will see your glory. Lord, we pray that you would enable me to preach and put your glory on display for all to see through your word. May our eyes be opened, just like the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. May our hearts be inflamed. May our understanding be enlightened, that we may see Jesus and glorify Him. This is our request this morning. Let us see and savor our glorious Savior as we exalt you as our Creator. In Jesus' name, amen.

Genesis 1, verses 1 through 3. You could preach for weeks on these three verses. There is so much here that it has been a struggle to narrow it down for this one sermon. We will look at Christ the Creator.

I want to give you an introduction to the book of Genesis. Genesis is wonderful. It is so theologically rich, but it's also good literature, good narrative, good reading. If you want to do some in-depth reading, pick up the book of Genesis. The narratives, the history, the characters—they are so rich. First things are important.

Perhaps you remember your child's first word. With Clay, it was "daddy." I hope he remembers. I remember it that way anyway. It was "daddy." First impressions are usually always remembered. You make a first impression, you often make a lasting impression. We draw so many conclusions from a first impression.

Perhaps you remember the first time you saw the person who would become your spouse. You may recall what they were wearing or how they had their hair. I remember seeing Allison for the first time. It was at her dad's church. I remember thinking—it wasn't this high and holy thought like, "Man, what a virtuous woman she must be." No, it was, "I think she's pretty hot, but I wonder if I'd get to know her." Years later, I finally did get to know her because she was stalking me. I claim it. She was stalking me. She followed me to every church I went to.

First things are foundational. When you build a house, you first need to clear the land, and then you lay a foundation before you do anything else. No matter how big or nice the house you build, it has to have a firm foundation. The book of Genesis serves as the foundational book for us as believers.

The book of Genesis has been called "the book of beginnings." Where do we get the word "Genesis" from? It comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint. And the word "Genesis" literally means "origins." The Hebrew title of the book comes from the Bible's first words, which are translated into English as "in the beginning." It is the book of beginnings, the book of origins.

This book of Genesis serves as the first of the five books of the Pentateuch, the first scrolls, known as the Law of Moses. Its authorship is traditionally attributed to Moses. There is a strong argument from Jewish history and from the Lord Jesus himself, who, when he quotes from the Pentateuch, attributes its writing to Moses. Moses wrote this sometime after the Exodus, which occurred in 1445 BC.

People question: "How on earth did Moses, who lived several hundred years after the events in Genesis, get it right?" That's a great question. There were oral traditions, and oral traditions were highly accurate at that time. Most importantly, we have the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who superintended Moses as he recorded these first events in human history. We also need to know that the book of Genesis is not a book of science in its creation accounts. It deals more with the "who" of creation, rather than the "what" or "when" of creation.

This book is not to be read as poetry. We read of real events, real people, and real space-time history. We have archaeology that confirms dates, people, and places recorded in it. Therefore, Genesis is to be read as a historical narrative. These are real events that happened to real people in real time. The book of Genesis is not a book of science in its account of history.

Genesis is also foundational to a proper understanding of the New Testament. Genesis is quoted over 35 times in the New Testament and contains many allusions by Jesus and the apostles. This book is foundational. It's important that we as believers have a proper understanding of this book. Why is that? Because an improper understanding of the book has led to a distorted understanding of the New Testament. An improper understanding of the book of Genesis has led to errant theology, disorder, and chaos in the home and in society.

A lack of understanding concerning our origins leads to a lack of understanding of the purpose of our existence and the inherent worth of every single human being made in the image of God. Most importantly, a failure to understand this book gives us a wrong perspective of who God is. Why is that? Because from chapter 1, verse 1, we are introduced to the author of the story—God himself.

In contrast, this proper, foundational book gives us a proper perspective concerning, number one, who God is. We meet God. We are introduced to God in the very first verse of the very first chapter of the very first book. That's important, isn't it? The very first things are important. It leaves us with this primary impression. It teaches us that God is not some distant deity who spun the galaxies into space and then left us to ourselves. Genesis teaches us that God exists, that God is present with us, that God speaks to us, and that God reveals himself to us, his creatures, through his word and through the sending of His Word, His Son.

Secondly, in Genesis we come to an understanding of who we are. It's important to note that we only come to an understanding concerning who we are after we come to an understanding of who God is. Genesis reveals our origin. It teaches us that we're not just derivatives of some primordial slime or just grown-up germs that exist by chance and the right conditions over millions of years. We are the crown of God's creation, molded from the dust of the earth, breathed into by God with the breath of life. We are image bearers of our Creator. We're made for fellowship with our Maker. We exist for the glory and the pleasure of our Creator.

Genesis also establishes many institutions that are foundational to society. A proper understanding of Genesis reveals God's roles for men and women, and it teaches us about God's precious institution of marriage between one man and one woman. It also teaches us about the goodness of God in creating a perfect environment and placing Adam and Eve in a garden paradise called Eden. It also teaches us about sin and the consequences of rebellion and disobedience. It gives us an understanding of why there is sickness and suffering and death, why there is heartache and tragedy. So many people question: "If God was so good and loving and just, why do we look around and see the earth and see humanity in the state that it's in?" Friend, it's not the result of an unloving God; it's the result of mankind rebelling against His loving will.

Genesis is a book of origins. It shows us the early history of mankind. It leads us from creation to the fall, to the flood, to the dispersion at Babel, to the Table of Nations, to the patriarchs. We're going to meet Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It takes us from Mesopotamia to Canaan, and finally to Egypt.

Genesis can be divided into two parts: primeval history, chapters 1 through 11, and patriarchal history, chapters 12 through 50. Genesis covers a span of approximately 2,200 to 2,300 years. It covers a lot of ground in one book, doesn't it? From creation to the death of Joseph in chapter 50, this covers more time than the remaining books of the Bible put together.

Genesis is foundational. Genesis is important. But Genesis is also a book of theology because it teaches us about the nature of God. It gives us pictures and shadows of the coming Messiah. It teaches us the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, though presented in a vague manner. It teaches us about sin and the doctrines of man's origins and the consequences of sin. It also introduces us to the concepts of redemption, deliverance, and God's covenant promises.

Why is Genesis important for the gospel? It is important for this very reason: because in this book, chapter 3, verse 15, we have what is known as the first proclamation of the gospel, the Proto-Evangelium. The first proclamation of the gospel, in which God promises to send a Redeemer who will crush the head of the serpent. The Last Adam who will redeem Adam's race and restore God's creation.

Therefore, the book of Genesis takes us from creation to the fall, to redemption, and points us toward consummation. It promises a Redeemer from the lineage of Abraham, through whom all the nations on the earth will be blessed. But then it leaves us in Egypt (chapter 50) and leaves us on a cliffhanger. When will God keep his promise? When will God send a Redeemer? And who will this Redeemer be?

We can trace the theme of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Those four themes are in the book of Genesis and flow throughout the entire Bible. From Genesis to Revelation is the story of God's redemption. Therefore, the book of Genesis serves as that first chapter in that grand narrative. I want you to think about creation this way: In creation, God begins to frame the grand theater called "earth," upon which he will put his infinite wisdom, love, power, and glory on display by sending his Son to this earth and redeeming sinners.

Friends, we are living on the stage of God's redemption. This is a grand theater of God's redeeming love. So first things are of primary importance. Therefore, we must keep first things first. That's why we have the book of Genesis right here at the beginning.

Now let's talk about Moses' purpose in writing Genesis. Why did Moses write Genesis hundreds of years after the events of Genesis had already occurred? We need to keep in mind Moses wrote the book of Genesis against the backdrop of pagan deities who were worshipped in pagan societies. Many of these pagan deities had their own creation accounts. Christians and Jews are not the only ones whose God has a creation account. But it stands in stark contrast to the creation accounts of these pagan deities, and they are often bizarre and contradictory.

Some ancient myths, such as the Babylonian Enuma Elish—perhaps you've heard of it—describe creation as a result of battles among the gods, where the universe was formed from the dismembered body of a defeated deity through chaotic violence. It's absurd. In contrast, Moses records the biblical account of creation, and it's starkly different. Genesis presents a peaceful, orderly creation initiated by a sovereign God, who is the one true God, who merely spoke the word, and the universes were formed. This is starkly different from the pagan gods of the society that Israel lived in.

Remember, Moses was writing to the people of Israel, who were surrounded by these pagan beliefs. He was pointing them to the one true God, who is infinitely greater than the pagan gods of the Canaanites. This God of Genesis is all-powerful. He is transcendent, yet intimately involved in his orderly creation. He speaks, and creation obeys. He is saying, Yahweh, the Lord, he is the sole Creator; he alone is worthy of our worship and trust. Not Baal, not some other pagan deity.

So I'm going to give you four points this morning. Number one, the "when" of creation. The Bible says "in the beginning." A question that often gets raised about creation is this: "When did the universe come into being?" That's a great question. There are many theories out there, as you all know, but they are just that. They are simply theories. However, we are told by the infallible and inerrant word of God that it was "in the beginning." God created the heavens and the earth.

The Hebrew word for "beginning" is Bereshit. The first four words of the Bible—"in the beginning God." But there are only two words in Hebrew: Bereshit Elohim. "In the beginning God." That is an independent clause. That's a statement of fact. That means in the very beginning God was there. Before there was anything or anyone else—God Almighty was there. Before there was anything, God was there.

This independent clause—this statement of fact—does not assume or imply, as some assume, that at some point in time God and matter coexisted. Instead, it teaches us that before there was anything, God was already present. That's the simple meaning of the Hebrew word, and it makes a profound and clear statement. Before all things, God was.

This stands in direct opposition to several other viewpoints, such as atheism, which says there is no God. Genesis contradicts this by declaring, "In the beginning, God." God is there. God exists. It is also in opposition to materialism, which teaches that matter has always existed. But Genesis teaches us that matter had a beginning. God created it. There was a time when nothing existed, and then God spoke it into existence.

It also flies in opposition to pantheism. Pantheism teaches that God is in all things and all things are divine. Kind of a naturalist way of thinking. But Genesis teaches us that God is distinct and infinitely superior to his creation. He is the Creator. We and everything else are his creation. He is above and beyond it all. He is the Creator. It also teaches us that God is set apart from his creation. He is eternal.

Think about this in the eternality of God. God being eternal means he is dependent upon nothing and no one. But everything and everyone in the entire universe is completely dependent upon him for everything. Our very existence depends upon him. While all created things have a beginning, they are contingent upon God. God himself has no beginning. You think about that long enough, your mind will explode. You'll go crazy. "You mean to tell me God has always been there?"

My little boy is a big thinker. And he likes to ask that question. "What if there was nothing? What if there was just absolutely nothing?" I tell him, "Well, that's impossible because there was once a time when there was nothing, yet something—or someone—existed. God was there." There's never been a time when God did not exist. It blows our minds, but that's why he is God and we are not. He's always been there and always will be. He was there from the beginning. He'll be forever. He's not bound by time or space. He exists outside of both of those.

Scientists tell us that in order to have these fundamental components of the universe, you must have four things to form a framework in which everything exists and operates: time, space, matter, and energy. I agree with that. You have to have all four of those components in order for anything to exist.

Guess what we find in the book of Genesis chapter 1, verses 1 through 3. We find time. It's a progression of events from past to present to future. It governs change and motion in the universe. We see time in action here in verse 1. When? "In the beginning." That's our time. That's the start of time itself.

Secondly, we have space. We have this three-dimensional continuum in which all physical objects and events exist. So where do we have space? We find it in the heavens. "In the beginning, God created the heavens."

Thirdly, we have matter. We have matter, the substance from which all physical objects are made. Where do we find matter? "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth"—here, we have matter.

And then we have energy. Where do we find energy? Oh, yes. And God said, verse 3, "Let there be light," and there was light. There's the energy. That's the divine imperative, the divine power of God's spoken word. He speaks and boom! Everything He wants comes into existence right then and there, friends. That is power, isn't it?

So, from the very beginning in the first three verses, we see time, space, matter, and energy. And it all points to God. Everything that exists is for God's glory.

Now let's talk about the "who" of creation. The Bible says God created the heavens and the earth. As I said earlier, in the very first verse of the Bible, we're introduced to the divine author, the Creator of the cosmos. Friends, this sets our perspective for the rest of the Bible, doesn't it? This is a book about God. The focus is not humanistic. The focus is theistic. We're not living for ourselves. Friends, we do not exist by ourselves, neither do we exist for ourselves. We are here by God, and we are here for God. There is only one hero in the story, and that's God.

I want you to pay attention. This is very cool. In Genesis 1, we're introduced to our Creator by the name of God. In Hebrew, it's Elohim. Very interesting. Elohim is plural. Yet, the verb "created" is singular. That tells us that multiple persons were involved in the creation of the universe. The plural name with a singular verb points us to the concept of the majestic plural. That's a linguistic tool that hints at the multiplicity—multiple persons within the Godhead.

Then we see it again in verse 26, where God says, "Let us make man in our image." Who is God talking to? He's talking to someone, but no one, humanly speaking, exists at this point. And He can't be talking to angels, because we're not made in the image of angels. We're made in the image of God. Therefore, the person he must be talking to must also be God. Here's the plurality. In the very beginning, we're introduced to the idea that God exists eternally in three distinct, equally divine persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God the Father speaks the creative word, and He brings the universe into existence. Where do we get Jesus, God the Son? God the Son then carries out these creative decrees as the agent through whom all things are made. The Bible says in John chapter 1, verse 3, "All things were made by Him. Without Him, nothing was made."

But where do we find the Holy Spirit? We find Him in verse 2. The Bible says, "And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." How amazing! For those who want to deny the doctrine of the Trinity, it's right here. For the Orthodox Jews who read the Law of Moses, they say God is only one person. It's right here in the first verse of their book. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, here's the Trinity. This is absolutely undeniable.

So here in creation, we get a glimpse of the Triune God. But also in the new creation, we see the work of the Trinity. The Bible teaches us in Ephesians chapter 1, verses 4 through 5, that God chose us in Christ before creation. Before He spoke anything into existence, He already knew us. He had already planned to create and redeem us. That in the beginning, before time even began, He knew you. He loved you. He chose you. He planned your redemption from before creation.

Then Ephesians 1:7, God the Son redeems us through His life, His death, His resurrection, and He secures our salvation from eternity past. We also see God the Holy Spirit who seals and fills believers and guarantees their redemption. Just as we see the Trinity at work in creation, we see the Trinity at work in making us new creations. You see the parallels? Creation, new creation, because the Bible says we are new creatures in Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:17: "If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things become new." Creation is a Trinitarian work in new creation. That is, salvation is a Trinitarian work of God.

It is essential for us as believers to know that Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, is the foundation of creation. 1 Peter 1:20 and Revelation 13 affirm that God's plan in creating this earth was always to send His Son to restore what Adam and Eve had ruined. Creation itself serves as a blank canvas wherein God would paint His masterpiece of salvation. From eternity past to eternity future, Jesus is the center of creation. The creation of this universe served as the stage upon which the divine attributes of God—His mercy, His justice, His righteousness, His eternal love—would be beautifully displayed by the sending of His Son to this planet He had made and redeeming His creatures. All of creation centers around the story of God.

Now there's some things I want to point out about this God, this "Who" of creation. We learn this from the very first verse. Firstly, that God is self-existent. "In the beginning, God." It's a declaration that applies to no one and nothing else. Everything and everyone else depends on something else. We need water, we need food, we need shelter. We are dependent creatures. But God was eternal before there was anything. And everything and everyone else depends upon Him. He is eternally the great I AM. Exodus 3:14.

Is everybody familiar with the concept of cause and effect? Every effect has a cause. Every cause has an effect. But no one calls God to come into being. Rather, He is the cause of everything and yet He Himself remains uncaused. Some theologians say that God is the uncaused cause. He was always there from the beginning. His existence depends on no one else. And yet everyone else remains dependent upon Him. He is the one who was and is and is to come. He is transcendent above all.

Secondly, God is self-sufficient. He is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Provider of all creation. He is the Giver of all good things. James 1:17: "Every good and perfect gift comes from God." But He needs nothing from us. Some people ask, "Why did God create us?" "He must have needed something from us." No. That's not true at all.

I want you to grasp this concept. God has need of nothing and no one. He is absolutely, eternally self-sufficient. He was never lonely. He never needed someone to commune with. That's not the reason why He created Adam and Eve. There was perfect communion, perfect fellowship and community within the members of the Trinity. God was always loving the Son and the Holy Spirit was always loving the Father. No matter how you rephrase it, they were always dwelling in intimate fellowship. So it couldn't be that. "Well, God needed love?" No. Perfect love existed within the members of the Trinity. "Well, He must need something from us." Maybe He needs our worship? No. God doesn't need anything from us.

But the beautiful thing is He wants us. He doesn't need us, yet He desires us. He doesn't need fellowship with us, yet He desires fellowship with us. He doesn't need our worship, but He desires our worship and praise. So why did He create us? He created us for His own purpose, and that is to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. You say that sounds awful egotistical of God. "He thinks everything revolves around Him." Absolutely, He does. And you challenge Him next time you can speak a universe into existence. He's God. That means He's worthy of our love and He's worthy of our devotion. And He wants us to be fulfilled. He knows the only way we can truly be satisfied and fulfilled is if we are satisfied and fulfilled in Him. He is our Creator. We exist to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever.

Thirdly, we learn that God is eternal. Revelation 22:13: He's the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. These same descriptors are used to describe Jesus. I wonder why? Because Jesus is God, right? He is the unchanging, immortal God who was before anything was made and who will continue after human history comes to a close. In His eternality, He's unchangeable. Think about this: God is eternally holy. Therefore, He will never be less holy than He is now. God is eternally wise. He will never be less wise than He is now. God is eternally righteous and just and loving. And there's no diminishing to these attributes. He is eternal and unchangeable. He will never diminish. He's limitless. He's changeless. And He's beyond time.

But Genesis also teaches us that God is the God who is there. In contradiction to these pagan deities surrounding Israel who required violence, who said, "You better start killing people, bring your sacrifices to me or I'm going to come and kill you." That was their relationship. It was a relationship of fear. Moses writes about the one true God who loves His creation, who loves His creatures, who made them to live in eternal fellowship with Him in a paradise called Eden, and then the God who came down to them. A God who walked with them in the cool of the day.

How does that tie into the New Testament? We serve a God who is Emmanuel—God with us. God the Creator, who became a man, the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. He came down to the planet He had made. He drew near. He initiated the search to redeem those who had rebelled against Him. He is the God who is there. He comes to save His image bearers. He's the eternal Word made flesh. He's the one who entered our suffering. Who bore our sins and who has come to reconcile us to Himself. He is God who is with us. Who came to redeem His creation.

We're going to stop right there for today. We've got the "when" of creation in the beginning. We've got the "who" of creation. That is God. Next week we'll pick up on the work of creation and the Word of creation. We're going to tie it all in. How Jesus is our Creator. But suffice it to say the Bible says in the book of Colossians that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He's the exact representation of His person. And it is through Him and by Him and for Him all things were made.

Friends, I want to tell you Christ is right there in Genesis 1:1 as our Creator. All of creation—you look around. The sun, moon, and stars declare His handiwork. You bite into a crisp, juicy apple. That's the Father saying, "I made this for you, and I made you to enjoy it and I love you." You look at your brothers and sisters in Christ who are made in God's image. We say everything that exists is because of Christ. We find our existence, our meaning, our purpose, and our identity in Him. We exist through Him because He's the one who created us. And we exist for Him.

Friends, you and I exist for the glory of God. Therefore, if you're a sinner and you're living only for yourself, life will never make sense to you. You will continually be trying to find satisfaction in something or someone else because you were made for God, and you will only find your identity and your purpose and your satisfaction when you begin to follow God. When you find your life in God. We as believers have been made new creations through the work of God. Through the God who not only spoke us into existence but the God who came as one of us and worked our redemption. So come and give us a hymn of invitation.

Perhaps this morning the Lord is dealing with your heart. You're tired of being who you are. You're tired of this old sin. You're tired of the filth that you've been living in. You know that God is your Creator, yet you've not been walking in fellowship with Him. You know that your sin has separated you from God. Friends, I want to tell you that the same God who spoke the universe into existence, making a new creation, can make a new creature out of you as well. Your sins can be washed away. You can be born again. You can have a brand new start. You can be made new. The old things will pass away. Your sins can be cleansed. The old you can be dead and buried. And you can be raised to walk in newness of life.

Praise God that our Creator is also the re-Creator. And He can create in you a new heart. A clean heart. You can be born again. You can have a new start. A new beginning. You can be a new creation this morning. If you will trust that Jesus came and lived a sinless life. That He died on the cross for your sins. That He was buried and rose from the dead. And if you'll repent of your sins and turn to Jesus and call upon His name, He will save you this morning. And maybe you're a believer and you just want to come to this altar and you just want to worship your Creator and say, "Lord, thank you for doing a new work of creation in me." This altar is open.