Who Showed Up at Creation? The Entire Trinity
When we picture creation, we usually attribute it to God the Father without realizing that the Father wasn’t alone. The entire Trinity was involved. Everyone was there. Though each was distinct enough to have a separate name – Father, Son, Spirit – these three did not operate independently. That’s how God does oneness.
God the Father
The very first verse of the Bible tells us that the invisible God created visible matter. In this verse He’s called “God” (Elohim); in other places, He’s called either Yahweh or Father. When we picture creation, we usually attribute it to God the Father without realizing that the Father wasn’t alone.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
God the Son
Jesus was there as well. The apostle John (who calls Jesus the “Word”) tells us Jesus spoke the words that brought everything into being.
John 1:1 In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Did you notice how closely the first chapter of John matches the first chapter of Genesis? In the beginning appears both in Genesis 1:1 and in John 1:1. Moses (the author of Genesis) writes about life and light. John writes that the life in Jesus was the light of men. In John, Jesus’ light shines in the darkness, just as light shone into darkness at the creation of the world. What remarkable repetition, considering that these two accounts are separated by millennia and written by different authors. The parallels are exquisitely exact, and the claims made by John are remarkable.
God the Spirit
The Spirit of God was also a participant. He hovered over the formless, empty, dark chaos as it took on order and filled with abundance and light.
Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
The word “moving” misses the intensity of the Spirit’s presence. It translates better as “hovering.” Deuteronomy 32:11 uses that same word to refer to an eagle hovering over its nest to watch out for the welfare of its young. Hold that image in mind when you think of the Spirit’s presence at creation. From the very beginning (and still), God hovers near to watch over and protect us.
Who Showed Up at Creation? The Entire Trinity.
© Lynne Fox, 2017
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