Jesus Christ Is Creation, Continuation, and Culmination
Creation, Christ, and the Meaning of Everything
Four views are often brought to Genesis 1, but the real issue underneath all of them is bigger than the debate itself. The questions are: How was it all made? Who made it? Why was everything made? What will happen with all of creation? The readings move through Genesis 1, John 1:1–18, Colossians 1:11–20, Hebrews 1, and Revelation.
The Four Views
Theistic Evolution
God spoke, and His voice caused a theistic evolutionary process. God created life through an evolutionary process over time.
Old Earth
God created the world over a very long period of time, often allowing for gaps, ages, or long eras within the Genesis account.
Young Earth
God created the world recently, usually understood as about 6,000–10,000 years ago, based on a straightforward reading of Genesis.
Founded on the Floods
God, who is light, brought order out of a flooded and judged world in Genesis 1, with the waters reflecting an earlier judgment connected to Satan’s fall and helping explain fossils and other ancient remains.
The Four Questions
1. How was it all made?
The answer given in Genesis 1 is that everything was made by the Word of God. The point is not merely the sequence of days, but the repeated emphasis that God said. Genesis 1 is a polemic, an argument meant to challenge, expose, and tear down what is false. In this case, it tears down the false gods of the nations by showing that the true God simply speaks, and creation obeys.
The ten “God said” lines in Genesis 1
- Genesis 1:3 — “And God said, ‘Let there be light.’”
- Genesis 1:6 — “And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters…’”
- Genesis 1:9 — “And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’”
- Genesis 1:11 — “And God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation…’”
- Genesis 1:14 — “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens…’”
- Genesis 1:20 — “And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures…’”
- Genesis 1:24 — “And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds…’”
- Genesis 1:26 — “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’”
- Genesis 1:28 — “And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…’”
- Genesis 1:29 — “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed…’”
The contrast with the false gods
Genesis 1:3 — “And God said, ‘Let there be light.’”
Egypt tied power to the sun god Ra, but Genesis says light exists because God spoke. The power is not in the sun. The power is in the Word of God.
Genesis 1:6 — “And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse…’”
Ancient myths described cosmic order coming through battles among divine beings. Genesis says God simply spoke the heavens into place.
Genesis 1:9 — “And God said, ‘Let the waters… be gathered… and let the dry land appear.’”
Mesopotamian mythology could personify the sea as Tiamat, a primordial force of chaos. Genesis puts the sea under the direct command of God.
Genesis 1:11 — “And God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation…’”
Fertility religions tied fruitfulness to Baal and similar gods. Genesis says the earth bears fruit because God commanded it.
Genesis 1:16 — “God made the two great lights…”
The nations looked to astral powers, but Genesis says the heavenly bodies are created, not divine.
- Sin (Nanna) — Moon
- Ishtar (Inanna) — Venus
- Shapash — Sun
Genesis 1:21 — “God created the great sea creatures…”
Sea creatures and dragon imagery in the ancient world were often linked to chaos powers, but Genesis presents them as creatures made by God, not rivals to Him.
Genesis 1:24 — “And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures…’”
Animals are not divine manifestations. They are created beings under God’s command.
Genesis 1:26 — “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image…’”
In pagan systems, kings alone were often treated as the image of a god. Genesis gives the image of God to humanity. That is the ground of human dignity and the basis for saying that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.
Psalm 33
“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”
Psalm 33:6–9, KJV
Lake Superior, camp, the clouds from an airplane, the beauty of the earth, the sun, the water, the sky, all point beyond themselves to the One who spoke them into being.
2. Who made it?
The answer from John 1 is that the One who made it is the Word, and the Word is Jesus Christ. John 1 parallels Genesis 1 on purpose. The language is meant to identify Jesus as Creator.
Seven Genesis–John parallels
1. In the beginning
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1
2. The Word
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” — Genesis 1:3
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1
3. Light
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” — Genesis 1:3
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:4–5
4. Darkness
“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” — Genesis 1:2
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5
5. Life
“And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures…’” — Genesis 1:20
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” — John 1:4
6. Creation
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1
“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” — John 1:3
7. The world
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1
“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” — John 1:10
Jesus and authority
“So Pilate said to him, ‘You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above…’” — John 19:10–11
“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” — Matthew 26:53
The One who made everything is the same One who willingly went to the cross. He was never powerless. He was never trapped. He gave Himself. That changes prayer, confidence, and the understanding of how much God loves His people. Jesus is not merely involved in creation. Jesus is the embodied love of God, the Creator Himself.
3. Why was everything made?
The answer from Colossians 1 is that everything was made through Him and for Him, and in Him all things still hold together. Jesus is not only Creator. He is Sustainer.
Colossians 1
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” — Colossians 1:15–17
There are invisible forces all around us holding things together. Gravity keeps worlds in place. The strong nuclear force holds the atom together. The Higgs field gives mass to matter. These forces cannot be seen directly, but they are known by what they do. In a far greater way, Colossians says that in Christ all things hold together. The universe is not loose, random, or spinning outside His rule. King Jesus is sustaining all things in heaven and on earth by His power.
Contrast with animism
Animism is the belief that spirits or spiritual power inhabit nature, animals, objects, places, or ancestors. A number of cultures are commonly associated with animistic systems:
- Celtic peoples
- Many Native American tribes
- Traditional African religions
- Shinto in Japan
- Australian Aboriginal traditions
- Inuit traditions
- Siberian shamanistic cultures
- Pacific Island traditional religions
- Amazon tribal religions
- Ancient Germanic and Norse peoples
The biblical claim is different. Christ is not a spirit living inside objects. He is the Lord over all things, holding all things together. Worry, panic, stress, and fear all sit underneath that truth: while everything feels unstable, Jesus is still sustaining the moment.
For Him
“Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” — Revelation 5:13, KJV
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” — Philippians 2:10, KJV
Everything was made for Him. All creation exists for the glory of the Son.
4. What will happen with all of creation?
All things are moving toward reconciliation through the blood of Christ or toward being laid at His feet as conquered enemies. Creation itself is moving toward judgment, renewal, and the reign of Christ.
Colossians and Hebrews
“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” — Colossians 1:19–20
“And to which of the angels has he ever said, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?” — Hebrews 1:13
Revelation 19
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” — Revelation 19:11–16
Revelation 21
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” — Revelation
Back to the Four Views
At the end, the four views are revisited.
Theistic Evolution
This view says God used an evolutionary process over time. Here is a blog post from a close friend who holds this view:
Chris Cantrell
11Apr26
Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts on Theistic Evolution. I would like to do so
in the form of a testimony. And I’d like to start with an honest confession that I am not a
Bible Scholar, nor do I consider myself an expert. I’m just a guy, to whom God gave an
insatiable love for all things related to science. When I began my career, as a young
Christian, I made a personal commitment that if I would have any kind of a strong faith, I
must be willing to face any tough questions about it. I walked into my career in aerospace
engineering and have had the honor to speak at length with many genuine friends of
different cultures, languages, and beliefs – from science and engineering backgrounds, and
have been delighted that most are quite open to speaking and considering spiritual things
when I listen respectfully. Through those experiences, I can say that my faith in Jesus is
stronger as I grow older, however, as that faith grows, I have also had to grow in humility and
my ability to learn and be corrected. I grew up in a very conservative church, with a strong
young-earth belief and literal interpretation in the Bible. I was told that the “morning and
evening” structure in Genesis must represent a 24 hour day. I was told that I had to chose
between man’s word and God’s word. However, as I continued to study and learn in various
areas of science: Astronomy (my favorite area), geology, genetics, climatology . . . . I
continuously run up against multiple (not just a couple) lines of evidence which seem to
very strongly point to 1) an ancient universe, 2) an ancient earth, 3) traceable and
predictable biological evolution. Many who come to this realization feel that they have to
chose between their faith and science; however, I feel that this is an unnecessary dilemma
caused by an insistence on a particular interpretation of scripture. At this point, I went
back to the Bible. Is it plausible that I have misinterpreted Genesis? Again, I am not a Bible
scholar; however it is certainly not true to state that all Bible scholars interpret Genesis as
being 24 hour days. In contemporary times, you can refer to Walter Kaiser Jr and John
Walton as respected Bible scholars, and in ancient times you can refer to Augustine and
Origen. Walton takes an approach which I prefer, which seems very honest to me . . . . to
recognize that it was not the point of the Bible to be a text book of astrophysics, geology,
and biology! It was intended to teach us about God and our relationship to him, written to
all people of all time. By this interpretation, we may be free to consider any scientific
theory by its own merit, without fear of contradiction to scripture. Insistence on an
interpretation of scripture that rejects new science out of hand – not only causes a
stumbling block to scientific-minded-believers, but also poses a greater risk to the well-
being of our neighbors by creating a mind-set of skepticism within the church towards
experts in a variety of fields. It is not within my capabilities to make a persuasive case for
biological evolution within this page; however, my prayer is that we move from an
insistence on one interpretation against all evidence, to a willingness to learn! A
willingness to be corrected! A willingness to say - I don't understand how that all works out
. . . . I don’t understand exactly how the genealogies fit into our knowledge of ancient
human cultures. . . I don’t understand exactly who Adam and Eve were within the context .
. . . but I trust Jesus with my life and my future . . . and I trust that His way is best . . . .and It
brings me great joy to consider that we are experiencing the ultimate plot twist . . . that this
thing we have been fearing and fighting (evolution) is actually a mind-blowing
demonstration of God’s love and trustworthiness. It exemplifies His tendency to work
things out with great faithfulness and precision over very long processes. It exemplifies all
things, working together to culminate within His purposes. God is good. Praise the Lord.
Thank you for letting me share.
Old Earth
Old Earth is grouped closely with theistic evolution in the notes. It allows for long ages, gaps, or eras in the Genesis account. It is presented as a sincere attempt to make sense of both the world people see and the Bible they read. Again, the point is not to mock or dismiss those who hold it, but to show that faithful Christians do hold it, even if it is not the final conclusion here.
Young Earth
Young Earth is presented as the straightforward reading that the earth is around 6,000–10,000 years old, often built from the genealogies and a literal reading of Genesis. Notes acknowledge that many Christians hold this view and appreciate its desire to take the Bible seriously at face value. The point made is that a straightforward reading does not necessarily require that conclusion, and that the Bible may be saying something larger in Genesis 1 than a recent-earth framework alone.
Founded on the Floods
The idea is that Genesis 1 begins not with absolute nothingness in the modern philosophical sense, but with God bringing order out of a world already described as formless, void, dark, and covered in the deep. Notes point to the wording of Genesis, the idea that God is light, and the strange presence of darkness and flood imagery at the beginning. This view also connects that flooded and judged condition to an earlier fall, to Satan already being present in the garden, and to ancient warfare hinted at elsewhere in Scripture. It is presented as a way of making sense of the biblical language, the presence of evil before the temptation scene unfolds, and the strange remains and ancient things found in the earth. It is also said to make room for fossils and other ancient evidence without surrendering the supremacy of the biblical account.
Why Founded on the Floods?
First, God is light. If the absolute beginning were being described as creation out of sheer nothing in the way many later readers imagine it, the immediate picture of darkness, formlessness, void, and the deep raises questions. Notes press on that tension directly: if God is light, why does the opening condition appear as darkness and flood?
Second, Genesis 1:1 is treated as the beginning of a timeframe of ordering, not necessarily the philosophical statement “out of nothing” in the later Latin phrase ex nihilo. Notes reference the sense, “when God began to create,” and compare it to saying, “In the beginning of my marriage, I had three kids,” meaning the beginning of a period being described, not necessarily the absolute beginning of all existence in every sense.
This view is then connected to several biblical tensions:
- Satan is already in the garden.
- Jesus says He saw Satan fall like lightning.
- Scripture contains hints of ancient warfare and cosmic rebellion.
- The ground itself contains strange and ancient remains.
Final Position
Theistic Evolution is respected.
Old Earth is understood.
Young Earth is appreciated.
Founded on the Floods is the position taken here.
The final conclusion is not that every Christian must agree on the same model, but that the biggest truths remain fixed: God spoke creation into being, Jesus Christ is the Word who made it, Jesus Christ is the One who holds it together, and Jesus Christ is the One who will return to rule and reign over all of it.