Pictures of Jesus in Genesis Page 2

Welcome back!  I was thinking about our picture album and this week’s ‘photo’ and it occurred to me that most of my life I thought that the main purpose of the book of Genesis was to tell the story of creation. It is one of the reasons we have the book of Genesis, but the primary purpose is to reveal God’s plan of redemption for mankind…and that plan is about Jesus.  We have the advantage of having the New Testament to shine a light back into the Old Testament and make things clearer.  It helps all these old ‘photos’ make sense.

Incase you are just joining the study, we are looking back at the book of Genesis at all the pictures of Jesus. It’s an amazing story and I hope you’ll enjoy looking thru the photo album with us.

The very first sentence of the Bible tells us of Jesus. He was there in the Beginning…In the Beginning was the word and the word was with God. Jesus is the Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us…

As the Spirit of God moves upon the Earth, we see another picture when God said “Let there Be Light, and there was light.”  Jesus himself said, ” I am the Light of the World.” Jesus said,  ” I am come into this world, that whosoever believeth on me should not dwell in darkness.” John 12:46

On the second day of Creation God separated the waters of the Earth from the Heavens. Jesus, the Light of the world,  is the great separator. He separates the things of this world from the things of heaven. He separates light from darkness.

Mornings are my favorite time of day. I love sitting on my porch and watching as all the little creatures begin their day. I don’t need an alarm clock…the birds wake me every morning with their singing.  The wrens have the loudest little songs for such tiny little birds!  I enjoy my first cup of coffee watching the squirrels chasing each other thru the trees. Lots of birds dart to and fro from the bird feeders and birdbaths. It’s a happy,  cheerful time.

While the presence of the light attracts some, it repels things that love darkness….bats, owls, and bloodthirsty animals seek the cover of darkness. Even misquitos prefer the shadows rather than the sunlight!

John 3:19-21 says “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh into the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that are wrought in God.”

Have you ever noticed that people who do wrong do it under the shroud of darkness? I don’t have the statistics, but I imagine most crimes are committed at night. And if not at night then, behind closed doors, with curtains pulled, in closets or secret places. Behind tinted windows and under covers. People rarely sin in the open public eye.

In fact, one of the first lessons we can teach our children is that if there is something you want to do that you don’t want anyone to know about…..you ought not do it. Let that be your first sign….it is wrong!  You don’t sneak around to do good. (And if you do, it’s something you want someone to find out or to notice)  People sneak around to hide their wrong.

Ephesians 5:8-13 reminds us…”For you were once darkness but now your light is the light of the Lord. Live as children of the Light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.   Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.”

God made it clear from the beginning that there would be a distinct difference between the things of heaven and the things of earth. Between light and darkness, between good and evil. And Jesus is that difference.

Next week we will dust off an old picture of a man we have all heard about…..Adam ~ and we’ll be dusting off his wedding day photos.

See you soon…. it’s going to get really interesting next week!