John 1:1-3 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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 were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Apostle John chose these words to indicate their connection to Genesis 1, “In the beginning.” As we read in Genesis 1, it was the word of God that formed the Earth. Thus, John uses “The Word” to symbolically represent Jesus as the original Creator. Indeed, in verse 14 of John 1, it clearly states that Jesus is who he meant as “The Word.”

It may be surprising to some that Jesus was an agent of creation. Many think He began in Bethlehem, but the Bible is clear that Jesus has ever been the main agent of interaction with humans beginning at the creation of humans. For example, when Moses was commissioned at the burning bush, he asked God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13). God answered:

Exodus 3:14 – “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

God took the name I AM. He is the eternal, self-existent one who needs no further explanation. Interestingly, when Jesus was speaking in the synagogue in Nazareth, He stated, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). The hostile Jews in the synagogue then said, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (John 8:57). The answer Jesus gave was profound:

John 8:58 – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Jesus took for Himself the name of the Creator, I AM! He claimed to be the one who called Moses to deliver God’s people from Egypt. The Jews understood it that way, for they immediately tried to kill Him for blasphemy. This would make Him also the major agent of interaction with humans. The Hebrew name for God in the Old Testament, translated into English as Lord (with all capitals), transliterated as YHWH, which is closely related to the Hebrew expression for “I am.” Thus, throughout the Old Testament, we can rightly interpret the word, Lord, as referring to Jesus before the incarnation.

The Bible supports the idea that God the Father was also involved in creation. For example, the word for God in Genesis 1 is plural. Furthermore, God said “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26), indicating a joint effort. Even the Holy Spirit was involved as it says “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2). Paul seems to agree with this in his letter to the believers at Corinth:

1 Corinthians 8:6 – for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Nevertheless, it seems that Jesus is most often described as the Creator:

Colossians 1:16 – For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Hebrews 1:1-3 – Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

The glorious truth is that our Creator is the one who left the courts of heaven to become a human and suffer the death that His own law imposed on us humans.

Philippians 2:6-8 – though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Isaiah 53:5-6 – But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.