I am sure you have pondered the idea of creation verses evolution. In this podcast we look at it from a very different perspective. Jesus in his miracles actually repeats the miracles of creation as he ministers to people. If He is able to do that, there need be no question he could do it at the beginning of life on this planet.
SHOW NOTES
Jesus repeats Creation in His Miracles
There is constant debate between evolutionists and creationists. John Lennox and I grew up in a creationist family and went to a creationistic High School and then to an evolution promoting University and I could not make up my mind. It seemed to me that there were valid arguments for both sides. For a few decades I was ambivalent. Then I realized that Jesus replicated all the miracles of a seven-day creation.
Day 1 (environment)
Genesis 1:3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day.
Jesus made light
Literally for the man born blind (John 9:1-7). Jesus brought spiritual light to this planet. He created the Christian Church. Jesus brings light to every human being. It is insight or light we would never have otherwise had (John 1:4-5).
Day 2 (environment)
Genesis 1:6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning-the second day.
Jesus separated water from water
Literally Jesus separated the water in the boat from the water under the boat from the water in the sky and created order for the water. Jesus took Peter out of the water which threatened to engulf him (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus literally takes the chaos of our lives and brings order or peace for us.
Day 3 (environment)
Genesis 1:9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning-the third day.
Jesus created land in the midst of the water
Literally when Jesus on water He is making land, the place where we walk (John 6:16-21).
Spiritually, Jesus creates a safe place for us in spite of the waters of anxiety and fear.
Day 4 (inhabitants)
Genesis 1:14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights-the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning-the fourth day.
Jesus created the inhabitants of light
Literally Jesus creates sources of light all over the world (John 8:12; ) in Christian congregations and in individual Christians. Jesus will say to his followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Spiritually: Jesus is the Saviour or light of earth-bound men and women. He recreates within them the desire and the faith that will take them to live in light (Heaven) with Him (Ephesians 5:8).
Day 5 (inhabitants)
Genesis 1:20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth. 23 And there was evening, and there was morning-the fifth day.
Jesus created the inhabitants of the sea and sky
When Jesus multiplies the loaves and fishes he is creating fish as much as when He makes them at Creation. When he tells the disciples who have caught nothing all night to fish on the "wrong" side of the boat and they catch 153 fish, He is showing His creative ability to make these fish for the disciples (John 21:1-11).
When Jesus ascends to heaven He demonstrates His ability to master the sky. He can float upwards in air (Acts 1:9-10). Jesus is making you ready to live in the sky/heaven. Our thoughts and hopes are focussed in heaven. One day we also will float up through the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
Day 6 (inhabitants)
Genesis 1:24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the groundCeverything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.
Jesus created the inhabitants of the land
When Jesus resurrects people He is remaking them. Perhaps one could argue that He resuscitated the widows son or the Centurion's daughter but Lazarus had been dead for four days. His body would have been in serious decay. It is easier to make a living being out of clean clay that decaying, maggot infested flesh. The resurrection of Lazarus is impressive but it is not the crowning evidence that Jesus is the Creator of all. The crowning evidence is that Jesus could resurrect Himself from the dead. That is as good as it gets. Thus, he can say,
John 11:24-25 NLT “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.
Then to demonstrate his creative power he also says,
John 10:18 NLT
No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” (Only the NLT uses the word “sacrifice.” Thus it is not used to parallel animal sacrifices.)
Because of Jesus we can survive living on this planet. One day we will live on the New Earth.
Day 7 (environment of time, inhabited by God)
Genesis 2:1 NLT
So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation
Jesus rested on Easter Sabbath or the Seventh-day. He also gave salvation rest to man.
Matthew 11:28-29 NLT Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
This rest includes rest from anxiety about our future.
Hebrews 4:4-10 NLT We know it (God’s rest) is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” (Psalms 95:11) 6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words alreadyquoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” 8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest (Sabbath rest in God) still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from labors, just as God did after creating the world.
God’s rest is the security of knowing our future is secure in him. We can rest from all our anxieties about the present and the future.
Conclusion
I am a Creationist because Jesus repeated the miracles of creation in his ministry. I am not a Creationist because of scientific evidence because the evidence can be interpreted to suit either the Evolutionistic Theory or the Creationistic Theory. I am a Creationist because Jesus Christ replicated the days of Creation in his miracles but more impressive yet, created a new heart within my “old” body! All is new and ready for eternity!
Ian Hartley May, 2020.
Comments