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Why does the Bible suggest that Jesus is the first of GOD'S creation, whilst Jesus is elsewhere called the Creator?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.†The text above is probably the best-known text from the Bible by all Christians. The question then remains: what does “begotten†mean? Supporters of the idea that Jesus was a created being uses the following verse: Ps. 2:7I “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.†No doubt a large percentage of references to “begotten†refers to birth. Gen. 5:4 “After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters.†This text in Psalm 2 is used as support that Jesus as not an eternal being. See the following, and understand the critical importance to rather seek end follow the interpretation of those driven by the Holy Spirit, and not come to our own private conclusions and interpretation. 2 Pet. 1:21 “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.†Referring to Ps 2, let us now see how Peter applies this text: Acts 13:33 “God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’ 34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ 35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’†Here Peter is clearly giving us an inspired interpretation and it is applied to Jesus’ uniqueness as “begotten†from the dead. Psalm 16 predicts Him to be the real Manna, not to see corruption in death. Ps. 16:10 “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.†Jesus is therefore unique, and while He conquered death, He did not start to decay. He is unique in His death and then, His resurrection. Let us cover all the “begotten†texts applying to Jesus: John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.†John 1:18 “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.†John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.†We need to believe in this unique Son of God. Heb. 1:5 “For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You� And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son� 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.†Here we have info that Jesus the first begotten was made flesh and brought into the world. Heb. 5:5 “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.†In Hebrews we see that Isaac is mentioned as the only begotten, and yet there was Ishmael before him. Here again, though, Isaac was this unique son also portrayed as a type of Christ. Heb. 11:17 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,†1 John 4:9 “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.†1 John 5:1 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.†Christ came from the Father. HE sent Him to save the world, and to reconcile the world to Him. Rev. 1:5 “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,†We now have an even clearer reference to this unique position of Christ as the “begotten†from the dead. Christ conquered death and critical to remember how Christ dealt with the following: Jude 1:9 “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!†This text shows Michael (Christ in direct battle with Satan) wanting to resurrect Moses, while Satan tries to prevent Him. Satan hopes to claim that death has not been conquered, but, Jesus draws from a future event (His own crucifixion) and He resurrects Moses. Do not overlook that we now have a person delivered from death before Christ’s resurrection. The fact is that Moses suffered the first death, merely a short sleep, as portrayed by Jesus. Jesus suffered the second death, the death of being forsaken by God the Father. Mark 15:34 “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?†which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?†Jesus had been with His Father from ages past and in this instance, He experiences a death; totally separated from God the Father. The Bible is also emphatic on Who the Creator of all things was and neutralizes the propaganda that Jesus is a created being. John 1:3 “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.†Heb. 1:2 “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;†Jesus is the beginning and end of creation. The Godhead were all present with creation but did not all partake in creation itself. The text confirms Jesus as the Creator of all things, and we should deduct from this, that Jesus was never created. Isa. 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.†Here the everlasting suggests just that, from eternity to eternity. Jesus was seen to be blasphemed by the leaders of Israel when He claimed to be God. John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.†59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.†The people hearing this was not mistaken. Jesus claimed to be the great I am, the One who sent Moses, saying that He was the God of the Old Testament. Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.†This is a Messianic text and clearly supports Jesus without origin. Jesus’ priesthood is the priesthood of Melchisedech, and look at the following: Heb. 7:3 “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.†The information in the Bible is sufficient to conclude that Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting. A well-known writer wrote: In him was life, and the life was the light of men†(John 1:4). It is not physical life that is here specified, but immortality, the life which is exclusively the property of God. The Word, who was with God, and who was God, had this life. Physical life is something that each individual receives. It is not eternal or immortal; for God, the Life-giver, takes it again. Man has no control over his life. But the life of Christ was unborrowed. No one can take this life from Him. “I lay it down of myself†(John 10:18), He said. In Him was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life is not inherent in man. He can possess it only through Christ. He cannot earn it; it is given him as a free gift if he will believe in Christ as His personal Saviour. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent†(John 17:3). This is the open fountain of life for the world.