Many Christians assume Jesus was created, yet Scripture contradicts their belief. Revelation 3:14 refers to him as the arche, an Ancient Greek verb meaning something like “ruler” or “originator.”
John 1:1 describes Jesus Christ as being both human and divine, thus explaining that all things begin with Him.
Why did God create Jesus?
The Bible teaches that God created everything in existence for His glory. While this may seem counter-intuitive to our everyday experience, it’s essential that we remember that His designs for our world weren’t accidental – that it wasn’t random chaos but instead was designed deliberately.
Genesis 1 tells us that God created heaven and earth completely in six days using ordinary 24-hour days, as per Genesis 2. According to Christianity’s view of creation (ie Genesis), its perfection did not include death or sin – unlike with evolution or other non-believer’s views which tend towards chaos theory.
Christians believe Jesus to have been part of God’s original plan for creation, making his birth part of history and making the nativity story so important. It highlights Mary, an independent young woman unrelated to Joseph who gave birth to him through her virginal motherhood – something many will take comfort in knowing.
As well, it shows Jesus was God before He ever came to Earth. According to scripture, “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Paul elaborates this point even further in Colossians 1:16, writing, “for by him (Jesus) were all things created that are seen and unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers or authorities; all have been created through him and for him”.
People sometimes ask why God would create a world they knew was going to fail, yet He still did so anyway. The answer lies in God’s purpose of creation – not for Himself but us! When we accept Jesus as our savior and follower, our old lives die away; new lives begin. We become part of His divine image as His manifestation in this world around us.
At the core, it’s essential to remember why creation matters: because it reveals our purpose. Human beings were designed for fellowship with God; our failure to honor this relationship results in death and sin – but because Jesus conquered sin and death on the cross, there’s hope of restoring a closer bond with our heavenly Father.
Was Jesus a human being?
Jesus wasn’t simply human in appearance – He lived as one! Born from a woman, His family history stretched back through ancient history and scripture tells us He grew in stature and wisdom as a child (Luke 2:52), as well as experiencing emotions such as anger and fear, and needing sleep just like us (Mark 4:38).
As soon as He was captured by Roman soldiers, He was brought before a judge for trial and given a death sentence. Hanging from a cross, where His side was pierced with spears by Roman soldiers – just like we would if shot or stabbed into our bodies; His voluntary acceptance of suffering that comes with being human bears testament to this fact.
Due to His humanity, Jesus could redeem humanity. As the ultimate sacrifice He shed His own blood for our sins; fulfilling Old Testament regulations regarding sacrifice (Leviticus 17:11), which required blood from animals being used instead. But Jesus offered His own pure human blood as atonement for our transgressions.
Another reason that Jesus had to come down as human was because of how God works. When He created our world in six days and wrote down what He wrote so we would know about it (Genesis 1:2-5), Jesus had to become human in order for this process to work properly.
Jesus did not sacrifice His divine nature at His incarnation; rather, He simply laid aside some of His omnipotence to take on humanity as fully. Both natures still reside within him today (Colossians 1:17); indeed, none other can save a soul save Christ (Acts 4:12). Understanding this fact is essential if you believe in His divinity: by accepting his work on our behalf for forgiveness and eternal life it becomes essential.
Was Jesus a man?
Some have speculated that Jesus was created, yet this does not accord with Scripture. John’s Gospel uses “the beginning” as a reference to Christ as God and does not suggest He was ever created.
Genesis 1:1 uses this Greek term for God’s creation to refer to Jesus. In verse one of Genesis, “in the beginning God created heaven and earth”, thus emphasizing Jesus’ divinity and existence.
Before this point in time, John indicates that Jesus was equal with God. This statement by the author indicates his belief in his deity as expressed through Jesus being created rather than being created himself. In addition to making this claim in other places within the gospels, this passage makes clear that Jesus is both creator and not someone created from outside himself.
Noteworthy is Colossians passage where Paul refers to Christ as “the second person of the Trinity,” an obvious allusion to His divinity and place within the Trinity. There are multiple passages which reveal Christ’s deity – this central theme in Scripture plays an essential part in ensuring our salvation.
Some believe the phrase, “the beginning,” in Revelation 3:14 refers to Jesus being created; however, this doesn’t make any sense as “begins” doesn’t refer to creation in this instance and this would contradict other statements made by this author elsewhere.
Noting the Biblical evidence clearly supports human beings being created as opposed to angels is crucial, as angels have the capacity for self-reproduction while humans do not. Furthermore, Jesus was chosen by God Himself to save mankind (John 3:16) so it would make little sense if He were also made from nothing.
As God became man, He did not become half human and half divine; rather He became Theanthropos – or “God-man”. This entity is eternally divine with two distinct yet inextricable natures – divine and human.
Was Jesus a god?
Many have difficulty grasping that Jesus is God, yet Scripture makes this abundantly clear. Furthermore, understanding how incarnate he became will make it much simpler to accept that He is indeed Almighty God.
Evidence for Jesus’ divinity includes fulfilled prophecy and recorded miracles which defy nature. Additionally, He led an entirely sinless life; no other individual has ever done so before Him. Furthermore, after His crucifixion He rose from the dead – this resurrection serving as proof of His deity since it took place after He died for humanity’s sins.
Another evidence of God’s divinity lies in His creation of everything that exists (John 1:1-3). Additionally, He knows everything (Matthew 28:18-20), can do anything He pleases (Matthew 16:27), is present everywhere (Matthew 24:36), never begins or will ever cease existing (Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:8; Revelation 21:6), depends solely upon Himself for survival (John 6:44) and reigns over all nations and creation (Psalm 115:3).
Remembering Jesus as God makes this clear: If He were not true to his nature as Lord and Saviour, He would be forced to lie about something so essential as our eternal destiny. Furthermore, Jesus instructed his followers that they needed to trust in Him in this regard – an enormous responsibility! And it would be foolish to accept such responsibility while then backpedalling from their claims later.
Remembering Christ as both man and divine through his virgin birth is of crucial significance, which is why John warns that to deny that He was human is antichristic (1 John 4:2). Jesus demonstrated His humanity by being born into a human family, growing up as an ordinary boy, experiencing joy as well as sorrow during his human experience, being hungry, thirsty, tired like us humans do – He truly lived. Adherence to this truth makes up an integral part of Christian belief!