See the Gospel in Creation (Christophanies 1 of 7)

Jesus is seen on every page of the Bible. He is the focus and foundation of the entire storyline of Scripture.

We have called these glimpses of Jesus (specifically in the Old Testament) “Christophanies.”

Over the next seven episodes, we are partnering with Ellerslie’s Daily Thunder Podcast to show glimpses of Jesus throughout all of Scripture. In Daily Thunder, Nathan is teaching through a series called The Storyline of Scripture and then dives even deeper on this podcast to show one of his favorite Christophanies from that part of God’s Word.

In this episode, we dive into the creation account and discover that God has declared the Gospel and the amazing truth of our need for Jesus Christ.

Listen to or download the episode

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Jesus, as God, is the Creator of the universe (see Colossians 1:16-17 and John 1:1-3). When God spoke “Let there be light,” Paul tells us that the words came across the lips of Jesus. He is the Creator of all things.

Days of Creation

• Day 1 (Sunday): God creates light (Genesis 1:1-5)
• Day 2 (Monday): God separates the firmaments (sky and water) (Genesis 1:6-8)
  • Day of no blessing
• Day 3 (Tuesday): Land, grass, herbs, trees (Genesus 1:9-13)
  • Day of double blessing
  • Jewish weddings are often on Tuesdays (example: see John 2:1)
• Day 4 (Wednesday): Sun, moon, stars (Genesis 1:14-19)
  • Not merely for light but for “to separate the day from the night, and they shall serve as signs and for seasons, and for days and years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth” (Genesis 1:14-15)
• Day 5 (Thursday): Fish, sea creatures, birds (Genesis 1:20-23)
• Day 6 (Friday): Cattle, creeping things, beasts, man (Genesis 1:24-31)
• Day 7 (Saturday): Rest (Genesis 2:1-3)

Seeing the Gospel

Just as God spoke light in the midst of darkness, so too God speaks forth light (Jesus, see John 8:12) into our lives. Jesus is the light of our lives!

But yet, just as God continued to work, create, and “sanctify” the days to bring about the finished perfect creation, so too He sanctifies our lives so that we’d be “conformed to the image of Christ” (Romans 8:29).

You see this in the daily pattern of creation. Every day has an “evening” (Hebrew: erev) that moves into “morning” (Hebrew: boker). Each day moves from the dark, chaos, and entropy (erev) and brought to greater and greater levels of order and light (boker). This pattern repeats until you get to day seven, where there is no more “evening and morning” mentioned — though there would have been a literal evening and morning, the reality was that creation had been perfected and there is no more erev that needs to be sanctified. This process of sanctification happens in our lives as well, until we either die or Christ returns.

God has declared His Gospel and purpose throughout the Creation account.

What an amazing glimpse of Jesus in the Old Testament!

Dive Deeper

• Listen to the Daily Thunder series The Storyline of Scripture

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Show Notes / Additional Resources

• Ephesians 3:11 (NKJV) – … according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord …
• Colossians 1:16-17 – For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
• John 1:1-3 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
• John 2:1 – On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee …
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Join the Conversation

Question: How have you seen Jesus and the Gospel in creation?

Leave a response or ask a question and we will try to address it in a future episode.

The difficulty with podcasts is that they are one-sided—so each week I ask one question for you to participate in the conversation. Head over to the deeperChristian Facebook page to leave a comment and join in the conversation.

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About NRJohnson

NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) is a Christian who has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the Gospel, and Studying God’s Word. He is a writer, teacher, and communicator who helps other believers understand and apply the Bible as they grow and mature in their faith—desiring that they gain greater intimacy with Christ, experience the victorious Christian life, and transform the world through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read more about him here.

About the Deeper Christian Podcast

Many Christians feel frustrated because they don’t grow spiritually. The Deeper Christian Podcast helps equip Christians to understand the Word of God and cultivate a passionate love for Jesus that turns the world upside down.

Whether you want to learn how to study God’s Word, grow in your faith, cultivate a powerful and effective prayer life, share the Gospel boldly, deepen your intimacy with Jesus, live victoriously, or transform the world through the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit, the Deeper Christian Podcast with NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) will encourage and equip you to grow spiritually and live a Christ-centered life.