Reflection 1: Christ at the Beginning
Genesis 1:1 — In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Good morning, brother or sister in the faith. My prayer is that you will be blessed in Christ, enjoy a good day and live for the glory of God.
We begin our study of Genesis with chapter 1, drawing out important lessons and applications from it.
As we consider this text, we should also consider the later revelation of Scripture and the way John presents it:
John 1:1 — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John takes the revelation we have received about creation and brings Jesus Christ into focus. We can understand this as an authoritative, divinely inspired commentary on the opening chapter of Genesis written by Moses.
In verse 14, John also reveals that this Word is Jesus. Paul shows us that Jesus is the centre and foundation of all things, telling us that all the fullness of deity dwells bodily in him (Colossians 2:9).
From this we can draw several important applications.
First: the Bible begins with Christ and ends with Christ himself
Jesus Christ gives direction to the journey unfolded in God's revelation. He is the centre of everything in life. We are called Christians for a reason. Many difficulties and problems arise when we leave Jesus out of our lives.
Second: we are easily enticed into the trap of sin
In John 15:5, Jesus says that he is the vine and we are the branches, and that apart from him we can do nothing. Our Christian life should be marked by seeking Jesus and remaining in him at all times. Only in him will we find the strength and ability to resist sin and temptation. How much of your time do you give to Jesus? How much time do you spend speaking with him in prayer? Pause and reflect on these things.
Third: we become intimidated and lose sight of life's deepest purpose
No one can say that life is easy. All of us face difficult situations at different points in our lives. Yet life becomes more bearable when we stop relying on ourselves and look to the one who overcame the world, including Satan and his demons: Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that Peter began to sink after walking on the water because he turned his attention away from Jesus. This is recorded in Matthew 14. In Scripture, water can symbolise judgment: remember that the earth was destroyed by a flood. In God's judgments on this earth, and amid the enemy's attacks through life's storms, our hope and protection are found in coming to Jesus and waiting on him without turning our eyes away. Are you looking to Jesus? Are you trusting him?
This brings us to a practical question: how can we remain in Jesus and keep our attention on him?
Through the Bible, we can know him more deeply
Jesus said that the Scriptures bear witness about him. A film about Jesus or a documentary about his life cannot provide the authoritative testimony we need. We may certainly learn useful things from them, but we must recognise that the writings inspired by God and given for our benefit are the Holy Scriptures: the Bible.
Through prayer, we can enjoy fellowship with him
In Matthew 6:6, Jesus speaks of a private room, a secret place where we can come to God and commune with him. The very idea of a quiet, sheltered place expresses the intimacy and trust we should have towards God. Jesus himself withdrew to pray and continued in prayer. He also rebuked his disciples when they were unwilling to watch and pray for an hour.
Through fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the church
The Christian faith does not belong to an isolated individual. We share it with others who, like us, believe in Jesus as their Saviour. People influence one another through their activities, interests, sports and everyday preferences. In the same way, we need to spend time with our family in the faith if we are to receive its influence. You need friends who lead you towards Jesus, not away from him. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Theological reflection
Every beginning, every created thing and every accomplishment must ultimately have its origin in Jesus, because he is God and must have first place in all things. Whatever you seek—wisdom, virtue, honour, happiness, peace or any other good thing—seek it for his glory and honour. In this way, we guard against treating our victories and achievements as though they belonged to us alone and existed only for our benefit. All glory belongs to God, and he does not share his glory with another.
May God preserve your life in Christ Jesus, prosper you, guide you and build you up in his love and truth.
Reflection 2: Light in the Darkness
Genesis 1:2 — The earth was without order and empty, darkness covered the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
“The earth was without order and empty, and darkness covered the surface of the deep.” As we read, we notice that the text does not explicitly say here that God created darkness. Darkness was already present. What the text does say is that God created light and called the darkness night.
We can begin to draw the following lessons and applications from this passage.
Darkness covered the surface of the deep
One point to consider is that evil was already on the earth. We will later see it embodied in the serpent and in the way it influences human beings to disobey God. God is not the author of sin, nor does he create evil. James teaches that we are not tempted by God but drawn away by our own desires. We should ask ourselves: am I blaming God for everything that happens? Is God responsible for the consequences of sin and of my own poor decisions and actions?
We have already seen how John comments on the words “in the beginning”: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” This shows us that Jesus was with God from eternity.
Genesis 1:4 — God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.
Darkness has also been used as a symbol of evil
God separates light from darkness, setting boundaries and bringing order to his creation. This teaches us that evil must be identified, defined and restrained. We must not confuse evil with goodness. God himself is our perfect reference for recognising what is good and what is evil. Consider how he deals with this distinction. Have you thought about God as the one who has the authority to define right and wrong? Do you understand that he has revealed his will in the Bible so that we can distinguish truth from error?
If God separates light from darkness, he expects us to do the same
We must learn to serve God and his righteousness, upholding his commands and teachings. We cannot treat truth as ambiguous or merely relative. We believe in absolute truth, in heaven and hell, and in the reality of evil in the world. We should seek to identify and restrain evil not only in our own lives but also within our relationships—with family, friends, children and neighbours. Are you developing discernment? Do you understand the need to separate yourself from evil? Sometimes this will be straightforward; at other times it will be a struggle because our sinful nature resists submitting to God's Word. True discernment involves more than distinguishing good from evil, a distinction even a child may recognise. It means distinguishing what is good from what is almost good.
Theological reflection
Jesus Christ is the light that brings understanding to the heart and mind. A story is told of someone living in a dark room filled with damaged things, broken furniture, dirt and dust. When another person brought in a lamp and lit it, the occupant saw the room's condition and chose to throw the lamp away, removing the sight and awareness of its miserable state. Many people respond to the gospel and the light of Christ in the same way. Instead of coming to Christ to have their sinful hearts cleansed by his blood, they prefer to remain in darkness so that they do not have to see the condition of their souls. If God has shone his light into your life and shown you your spiritual condition, come to Jesus so that he may cleanse your soul and give you eternal life.
May God preserve your life in Christ Jesus, prosper you, guide you and build you up in his love and truth.
Take a moment. Bring what you have read before God.