Genesis 1:1-31, Genesis 2:1-4, Psalm 8:1-9, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20.
A). THE BEGINNING.
Genesis 1:1-31, Genesis 2:1-4a.
"In the beginning God" implies that God existed before the beginning of time. No mere thing existed before the beginning, but only God. There is no duality, no struggle between equal forces of good and evil: just God.
Yet we see God in community with Himself. When God creates man, He says let "us" make man in "our" image, after "our" likeness.
We see Him as the Creator, making all things of nothing. We see Him as the Spirit moving across the face of the deep. And when He speaks the word which sets Creation in motion, we have a hint of the one whom we see more clearly in the New Testament: Jesus (John 1:1-3).
The rhythm of Creation is nicely balanced in this poem. And whilst Genesis 1 is not a scientific thesis, it would not be true to say that it is unscientific. The order of events is not in dispute.
Light is created in the first day, prior to the luminaries which we see in the sky. It is only in the fourth day that the sun, moon and stars appear.
In the second day the vapour above is separated from the seas beneath. On the fifth day both watery realms are teeming with life.
Dry land appears on the third day, giving our planet its name, Earth. Grass, herbs and trees appear, each bearing their own seed.
On the sixth day animal life is created, each after their kind (i.e. without cross-species evolution.) Finally man is created in the image of God.
We are told in this account that when God made man, "male and female created He them." Our communal existence echoes the community within the Godhead. We have a rational soul, and the in-breathed spirit of God.
Each of the days of Creation is punctuated with "the evening and the morning." Yet when we come to the seventh day, the sanctified day of rest from God's original labours, the formula is absent.
Proverbs 8:22-31 provides a fitting commentary on this chapter from the point of view of God's wisdom.
B). A PRAYER OF PRAISE.
Psalm 8:1-9.
This is the only praise Psalm which is addressed entirely to the LORD. No call to worship like Psalm 95:1, ‘O come let us sing unto the LORD.’ No asides to the congregation like Psalm 107:2, ‘Let the redeemed of the LORD say so’.
Psalm 8:1. The vocative brings us straight into the presence of the LORD (Yahweh): “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” That presence is maintained throughout the meditation, right down to the repetition of the same line in the final verse (Psalm 8:9). This brackets the whole Psalm with the awareness of the One to whom our address is made. Thus we may ‘boldly approach’ (cf. Hebrews 4:16) the LORD, the Sovereign, the maker of heaven and earth.
Although bold, the very use of the vocative suggests a sense of awe in this approach to the LORD. Yet it is not cold fear, but an approach to One who we can call “our” Adonai, “our” sovereign - ultimately “our” Father! The approach celebrates the excellence, the magnificence of God’s great name “in all the earth!” and reminds us how He has set His “glory”, his ‘weight’, as it were, “above the heavens.”
Psalm 8:2. Jesus quoted “out of the mouth of babes and sucklings” as a challenge to ‘the chief priests and scribes’, who wanted to silence the children from singing ‘Hosanna to the son of David’ (Matthew 21:15-16). The babbling of “babes and sucklings” is better than the bitterness of the unbelief of ‘religious’ people! The “babes and sucklings” represent the ‘babes in Christ’, new disciples (Luke 10:21; Mark 10:15; John 3:3), or maybe even all disciples (1 Corinthians 1:27).
Such babbling “stills the enemy and the avenger.” One faltering lisping prayer from faith-filled trusting lips has more value, more weight before God than all the litanies of unbelief. The Psalm’s “thou hast ordained strength” becomes ‘thou hast ordained praise’ in Matthew 21:16. I would suggest that that is where our ‘strength’ lies - in ‘praise’!
Psalm 8:3. The glory of the LORD has already been recognised as “above the heavens” (Psalm 8:1). Now we turn to the heavens themselves, the visible heavens.
I learned this Psalm by heart, in the Scottish metrical version, under the tutelage of a Free Church Minister, the Chaplain of my High School days. This verse in particular remained with me even in my unbelieving years in my late teens and early twenties. It seemed only apt since the Apollo missions were just getting under way.
“When I look up unto the heavens,
which thine own fingers framed,
Unto the moon, and to the stars,
which were by thee ordained…”
Psalm 8:4-6. At the centre of the Psalm is a meditation on the question, “What is man?” Man in his first estate, in paradise, was given a certain dignity and authority within God’s creation. That dignity and authority, though marred by sin, is not entirely eradicated.
Psalm 8:4. “Man” is a singular noun, although it might indicate a gender inclusive collective (cf. Genesis 1:27). What can “man” be, that the LORD should be “mindful of him?”
“Son of man” - literally “ben Adam” - is also singular, but it cannot refer to the man Adam in his first estate, nor the man Adam after the fall, since the man Adam was no man’s son! We must keep the translation “son of man” in the singular to see what is ultimately meant: not ‘mere mortals,’ as some would have it, but Jesus Christ, whose preferred name when referring to Himself was, ‘the Son of man’!
Psalm 8:5-6. Well, everything about “man” is significant because of what God has done: “thou hast made him…”, and “hast crowned him”. “Thou made him to have dominion…; thou hast put all under his feet.”
Psalm 8:5. The New Jewish Publication Society of America translates this verse, ‘For thou hast made him a little less than divine’. The Hebrew word is doubtless, “Elohim” which reads as God, or gods, or even ‘heavenly beings’. ‘Angels’ is the preferred translation of Psalm 8:5 in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. This appears to be the translation quoted in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 2:7; and Hebrews 2:9).
Psalm 8:6. There is only one way that mankind has “all things under his feet”, and that is mankind in Christ, mankind in the risen Lord Jesus, ‘the church’ (Ephesians 1:20-22). This is where ‘church’ is: ‘sitting together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians 2:6). It can be said of Christ, as it can be said of man, even redeemed man, ‘But we see not yet all things put under him’ (Hebrews 2:8). ‘For He (Jesus) must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death’ (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).
Psalm 8:7-8 lists the earthly limits of man’s original stewardship. Perhaps we should learn to look after life here before we spend our fortunes trying to find life elsewhere in this magnificent universe?
Psalm 8:9. Which brings us back full circle to the repetition of the psalmist’s adoration: “O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”
C). PARTICIPATING IN THE TRI-UNE GOD.
2 Corinthians 13:11-14.
The final imperatives of this letter seem quite abrupt, almost staccato, but they sum up the situation which gave rise to the challenges of the previous four chapters. The closing benediction comes as a pleasant surprise, and something of a relief. Nothing that God asks us to do is beyond His capability to accomplish it in us.
I. “Finally brethren,” says Paul (2 Corinthians 13:11). Even God’s wayward children are still His children. Even those within the church with whom we disagree are still our brethren, and we theirs.
1. Then Paul says, not ‘farewell’ as some of our translations suggest, but “rejoice.” It may seem a little incongruous for the Apostle to instruct those with whom he has been exchanging stern words to ‘cheer up and get over it’ - or as one contemporary song suggests ‘don’t worry, be happy’ - and this is not what he is saying here. On the contrary, he is using the same imperative as in the ‘always rejoice’ of 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
Yet how, in what, in whom may we rejoice? The answer is familiar enough: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, rejoice’ (Philippians 4:4). It is always good therapy if we would focus a little less on our problems, and a little more on the Lord.
2. “Be perfected.” Put things in order. Aim for perfection (cf. Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15-16).
3. “Be encouraged.” Be exhorted. Accept my rebuke. Listen to my appeal. Be of good comfort. Encourage one another.
4. “Be of one mind.” Agree with one another. Literally, ‘think the same thing’ - or ‘set your mind on the same thing.’
5. “Be at peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” Not that the God of love and peace will be with you as a ‘reward’ if you live in peace: but rather that you cannot live in peace, or do any of these other things, ‘except that’ the God of love and peace is with you.
II. “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (2 Corinthians 13:12). Kiss and make up. Shake hands.
Regardless of their internal troubles, the Corinthians are part of the much wider fellowship of the church: so they might draw encouragement from the fact that “all the saints salute you” - send you greetings (2 Corinthians 13:13).
III. Now we come at last to the Trinitarian benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14.
1. This familiar formula begins exactly where our encounter with God begins: in the “grace” discovered to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Triune God makes the first move to secure our salvation, by sending Jesus to become man and to die for our sins. GRACE is spelt out in the acrostic: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
a) The name ‘Lord’ represents His deity - the same title is used of the unspoken name of God in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. To say that Jesus is Lord is to say that Jesus is God. ‘No man can say Jesus is Lord, except in (or by) the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 12:3).
b) The name ‘Jesus’ also contains the name of God. It is the same as the name ‘Joshua’ in the Old Testament, and means ‘the LORD saves’ (cf. Matthew 1:21).
c) ‘Christ’ is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word ‘Messiah’ - Anointed One. Prophets, priests and Kings were anointed in the Old Testament. So is Jesus in the New.
2. In the midst of the imperatives, we have already encountered the God of love and peace (2 Corinthians 13:11). ‘God is love’ - and peace is only possible because of the prior love of God (1 John 4:8; 1 John 4:10-11; 1 John 4:19). The Father’s love is demonstrated in the sending of the Son (John 3:16).
3. We also encountered the fellowship of the wider church in the penultimate verse. This is only possible in and through our mutual fellowship - or “communion” - in the Holy Spirit. As we participate in Him, we also participate in the fellowship of the Godhead, and are thus enabled to have fellowship with one another.
Paul thus concludes with a prayer in the prophetic perfect: both a desire, and a fulfilled hope, that “you all” would participate in the grace, love and fellowship of the Triune God. Amen.
D). THE GREAT COMMISSION.
Matthew 28:16-20.
Jesus’ band of disciples now numbered eleven after the demise of Judas. They were obedient to an appointment to meet Jesus in Galilee (Matthew 28:16). This was where it had all begun: ‘Galilee of the Gentiles’ (Matthew 4:15).
Now, back in Galilee, the time had come. Prior to this, Jesus and His disciples had concentrated mainly on their mission to ‘seek out the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ (Matthew 10:6; cf. Matthew 15:24). Now the time had come for a full-blown world-wide mission (Matthew 28:19).
The mountain motif is familiar from many Scriptures (Matthew 28:16). It was a place of teaching: (Exodus 20; Matthew 5-7). It was a place of commissioning: (1 Kings 19:10-18; Matthew 28:16-20).
When the disciples saw the risen Lord Jesus, they worshipped Him (Matthew 28:17). Yet even now, some still doubted. This is like the ‘doubt’ of Peter so soon after stepping out in faith upon the water (Matthew 14:31).
Jesus approached them, and spoke to them (Matthew 28:18). Jesus has been approaching mankind since the Fall, and especially since the incarnation, and is not about to stop now. The first move has always been His.
That He approaches us at all, and speaks to us, is also a part of His gracious condescension.
He spoke of all power or “authority” having been given to Him. ‘By what authority do you do these things?’ the religious authorities had asked (Matthew 21:23). If the disciples, at least, had not known this, now Jesus was making it clear: His authority is from above.
“Therefore,” He says - because of His authority, and in His authority (cf. Matthew 10:1) - “go ye” (Matthew 28:19). The going is important (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15). Feet are important (John 12:3; John 13:4-5).
But the actual ‘going’ is subservient to the task: the preaching, teaching and baptising of Matthew 28:19-20.
1. The preaching is to all nations, ‘all the families of the earth’ (Genesis 12:3), gathering children for Abraham from the furthest reaches of the earth (Matthew 8:11). Thus, there are in heaven those of ‘every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation’ (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 7:9), who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and who sing His praises.
2. The baptism (Matthew 28:19) is an initiation into the mysteries of the Godhead, and is clearly Trinitarian. All three Persons were present in the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17), and we are obediently following in His footsteps. Sometimes the disciples spoke of being baptised in the name of Jesus (e.g. Acts 2:38): but the Trinitarian formula is implied in their teaching (Romans 8:11; 2 John 9).
3. The “teaching” is not just ‘with a view to’ baptism (Matthew 28:19), but also continues after baptism (Matthew 28:20). Making disciples is a process of ‘forming’ - making ever-learning followers of the One. In turn, they are drawn also into the commission to make disciples, down through the ages, so that we as church, or as members of Christ, are no less obligated than the Eleven.
Furthermore, Jesus is with us “to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), taking up the promise of God that He will ‘never leave us nor forsake us’ (Deuteronomy 31:8; Hebrews 13:5).
He is, after all, ‘Emmanuel, God with us’ (Matthew 1:23). Not just with the Eleven, but with all disciples in all generations - as we continue ourselves to obey, and teach others to obey.
‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31). If Immanuel is with us, then we need have no fear. If the Holy Spirit is in us, then we are empowered…
