“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God , and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” John Chapter 1 verse 1 -2.7
These words would have been read at services in churches as we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus -they are always used on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day- and remind us that Jesus, described as “the Word” was with God from the beginning of time. They echo the first words of the Bible which are contained in the first verse of the first chapter of the Bible “In the beginning God” Genesis Chapter 1 verse 1. If we read on into the second verse we see that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”
What this is telling us is that from the beginning of time “God was” and Jesus, who was sent by the Father to the world that He loved so much to redeem or save the world, was there with the Holy Spirit -the Trinitarian God that Christians believe in and follow. While we celebrate the birth of Jesus every Christmas, we must move on from remembering the baby, of whom we are told little of in the Gospels to focus and learn about the Son who taught, healed, performed miracles and was killed on a Cross before he rose from the dead and repeated his command to follow him.
I write as the papers are reporting that scientists are announcing they are close to finding the Higgs Boson “God particle” which, as I understand it, helps explain how the Universe was formed after the “Big Bang” In fact it is rather misleading to call it a “God particle” when they still cannot say who or what caused the “Big Bang” which is how we come back to the first verse of the first chapter of the Bible!
One of the questions children will often ask me, if I ask them for any questions , is “Who created God?” and I answer that God was before time began and if he was created he would no longer be God! It is right that we should have questions and seek to find answers but Jesus answered many of the questions of life that we have and the rest of the Bible answers many more.
So if you are planning to make a New Years resolution at the beginning of 2012, how about trying to find out more about the answers to life that are contained in the Bible. In the last Book of the Bible we read “I am the Alpha and Omega” says the Lord God” Revelation Chapter 1 verse 8 which means the beginning and the end. As the song says “Let’s start at the very beginning….. That’s a very good place to start” and if we can’t trust good ol’ Julie Andrews to set us on the right track, who can we trust?!
I wish everyone a very happy New Year and look forward to what this year will bring!
With Love,
Stephen