Mar 25 - 16 - Genesis 1:26

Then God said,

"Let us make human beings

in our image, in our likeness,

so that they may rule over

the fish in the sea and the birds

in the sky, over the livestock

and all the wild animals,

and over all the creatures that

move along the ground."

Genesis 1:26

Bible Rank: 16

One of the strangest words in scripture -- at least to me, along my young and uneducated faith journey -- was "our."

I could see God saying, "I will make human beings in MY likeness." But "let US make human beings in OUR likeness"? What did that mean?

Now, you may be way ahead of me! Yes, I went to church every Sunday. Yes, I recited the creeds, confessing in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yes, I sang Holy, Holy, Holy, celebrating "God-in-Three-Persons, Blessed Trinity." But speaking about the Trinity was really just lip service:

·       God = Father = Creator. 

·       Jesus came later, being "born into existence" halfway into the story. 

·       And the Spirit was too mystical to really be considered. 

I hope, indeed, that you are way, way ahead of me! Page one of the Bible speaks of "us." Indeed, almost before the Father is mentioned in Genesis, we see the Spirit moving over "the waters" -- the chaotic, whelming nothingness -- that IS everything before Father, Son, and Holy Spirit unleash light, love, and life. 

The first words of the Gospel of John (hinted at in yesterday's commentary), reveal that Jesus the Son wasn't born into being at Christmas as the Father's back-up plan to finally defeat sin. No! Jesus was also the "us" and "our" at creation. “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people" (John 1:2-4).

Now, this is and isn't the most important part of this verse! Arguably, the most important part of this verse is that we who are created have the majestic imprint of God all over us! Thus, we have tremendous light and potential. (In a chapter and a half in Genesis, we'll learn that on earth this potential is constantly marred by our rebellion and sin, making us, sometimes, barely recognizable. But for today, let's focus on the tremendous light and potential that God sees in us and is willing to step off the throne, come down to earth, and die on the cross to reclaim!)

We are made in God's image. And if God is Father-Son-and-Holy-Spirit, then an inseparable characteristic of God is that he is always, joyfully, and inseparably, "in relationship." Thus, perhaps the greatest message of this verse is that if you and I are made in the Trinitarian image of God, then we are made for relationship. With God. And with each other. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who had to learn

to believe what he 

technically confessed

and robotically sang