JESUS, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

JESUS, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH Lesson 1 for January 5, 2013

THETESTIMONY OF CREATION “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork”(Psalm 19:1) The testimony of creation about Its creator is so impressive that no one can deny God’s existence (Romans 1:19-20)

THETESTIMONY OF CREATION The masterly design of the matter around us gives evidence of a purpose-driven intelligent design. How do the created things testify to God? Matter is made up of atoms. Those atoms are made up of smaller particles with electrical charges that attract or repel each other. That creates a perfect balance. That balance must be kept when several atoms join together to form molecules. If there was any unbalance that would generate chaos, not life. This world and the whole universe could not be created accidentally. God’s wisdom is reflected in everything around us.

THETESTIMONY OF CREATION Some specific circumstances in our planet make life on Earth possible. How do they testify to God’s intelligent hand? The distance from Sun: The average distance from sun is 92,955,811 miles (149,597,877 km). If that distance was slightly changed, the Sun would burn us or we would freeze. The speed of rotation: 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. That’s a perfect speed for measuring out our working and resting times. The composition of atmosphere: We have enough oxygen because plants turn the carbon dioxide into oxygen, which all the other beings breathe.

“The material world is under God’s control. The laws that govern all nature are obeyed by nature. Everything speaks and acts the will of the Creator. The clouds, the rain, the dew, the sunshine, the showers, the wind, the storm, all are under the supervision of God, and yield implicit obedience to Him who employs them. The tiny spear of grass bursts its way through the earth, first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. The Lord uses these, His obedient servants, to do His will. The fruit is first seen in the bud, enclosing the future pear, peach, or apple, and the Lord develops these in their proper season, because they do not resist His working. They do not oppose the order of His arrangements. His works, as seen in the natural world, are not one half comprehended or appreciated. These silent preachers will teach human beings their lessons, if they will only be attentive hearers” E.G.W. (Lift Him up, February 21)

WHENWASEVERYTHINGCREATED? When did God create the universe and which materials did He use? We don’t know when “the beginning” (Genesis 1:1) took place, but we are sure God didn’t use anything pre-existing to create our universe. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3) “In the formation of our world, God was not beholden to preexistent substance or matter. For the “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” On the contrary, all things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at his voice, and were created for his own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things that are therein, are not only the work of his hand, they came into existence by the breath of his mouth” E.G.W. (Selected messages, vol. 3, cp. 38, pg. 312)

HOWWASEVERYTHINGCREATED? How did God create without usingpre-existing matter? “He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding”(Jeremiah 51:15) “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9) The divine power, wisdom and understanding assembled in His voice. Everything we know came to existence by His Word. God’s creative word is not bound by the “laws” of science. God is sovereign over all His creation and is free to carry out His will. “The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in the word of God. This word imparts power; it begets life. Every command is a promise; accepted by the will, received into the soul, it brings with it the life of the Infinite One. It transforms the nature and re-creates the soul in the image of God” E.G.W. (Education, cp. 13 “Mental and Spiritual Culture”, p. 126)

WHOCREATEDEVERYTHING? We read in Genesis 1:1-2 that God’s Spirit was there when God created everything. Who else took part in the Creation process? “All things were made through Him [the Word], and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3) “For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16) “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2) Jesus –the Word of God that created the universe– is the incarnate Word. He was not created; He became the firstborn –the most important One– over all Creation (Colossians 1:15). The Creator made Himself creature to die for us and give us eternal life.

THECREATORAMONGUS Let’s study Jesus’ creative power in the next examples from His life. Which chemical reactions must take place to turn water into wine? No scientist is able to do so. But our Creator transformed the water even without touching it. THEMARRIAGE AT CANA (John 2:1-11)

THECREATORAMONGUS Let’s study Jesus’ creative power in the next examples from His life. Where did matter come from in order to create bread and fish to feed the multitude? According to the laws we know, a huge amount of energy is needed to do so (that’s something we are not able to do) Jesus just needed to order it to be done. THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND (John 6:1-13)

THECREATORAMONGUS Let’s study Jesus’ creative power in the next examples from His life. What changes took place within the blind when he was healed? Whatever the details of the man’s blindness, the words of Jesus caused molecules to form in appropriate places, forming functional receptors, neuronal connections, and brain cells so that light entering the eye would form an image, and the man would have the ability to recognize images that he had never before seen. HEALINGTHEBLIND(John 9:1-34)

THECREATORAMONGUS Let’s study Jesus’ creative power in the next examples from His life. Can a person stand on water by himself without sinking? Some animals may run on water or float by using its surface tension. However, a person is too heavy to do so. Jesus both walked on the sea and helped Peter to stand up and walk with Him. WALKINGONTHESEA (Matthew 14:22-33)

THECREATORAMONGUS Let’s study Jesus’ creative power in the next examples from His life. Can anyone bring life to a dead being? The dead cells in Lazarus’ decomposed body were replaced with life cells, and the broken organs were fixed. How will a person that died more than 5,000 years ago be resurrected by the voice of Jesus? Where are his/her bones or molecules now so they can be assembled again? Only the Creator can bring life again. THERESURRECTION (John 11:38-44)

“The same power that upholds nature is working also in man. The same great laws that guide alike the star and the atom control human life. The laws that govern the heart’s action, regulating the flow of the current of life to the body, are the laws of the mighty Intelligence that has the jurisdiction of the soul. From Him all life proceeds. Only in harmony with Him can be found its true sphere of action. For all the objects of His creation the condition is the same—a life sustained by receiving the life of God, a life exercised in harmony with the Creator’s will. To transgress His law, physical, mental, or moral, is to place one’s self out of harmony with the universe, to introduce discord, anarchy, ruin” E.G.W. (Lift Him up, February 23)

JESUS, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH