Who Is Jesus?
Names and Descriptive Phrases of Jesus - Part 2
By Allan E. McNabb

Last week we began a series on the names and phrases expressing Jesus’ identity, talking about Jesus as the Word.

This week, we want to talk about Jesus as our creator, and the relating assurances we have from God.

Jesus is the Word
Last week we discussed in detail the fact that Jesus is the Word, and thus one of the three persons of the Godhead (Jn. 1:1; Col. 2:9).

As the Word, Jesus had a role in creating everything that was created.

  • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (Jn. 1:1-3).

The Godhead at Work During Creation
The Bible begins with, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

The word for “God” is the plural form of 'elohiym, obscurely revealing the doctrine that the three persons of the Godhead were at work during creation.

Then when it came time to create man, God said, “‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . .’” (Gen. 1:26), again indicating that separate persons of the Godhead were at work.

Jesus, The Word, Creation
Genesis doesn’t give specifics as to the exact part of creation performed by Jesus, but John and Paul give insight into Jesus’ work as the Word.

The Bible says:

  • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1).
  • “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (Jn. 1:3).
  • “. . . the world was made through Him . . .” (Jn. 1:10).
  • “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16).

So we ask ourselves, “What does the Bible tell us about the role of Jesus in creation?”  I believe He was the Word.

So then, what did Jesus, as the Word, do during creation as we read the Genesis account?  I believe He spoke the word of God, whereby each thing was created.

There may be other ideas regarding the role of Jesus as the Word in creation, but this point is important to understand, whereupon our hope rests today with Jesus as the Word of God.

We Can Trust Jesus’ Word
The book of Hebrews begins speaking about the word of God, comparing the days in which God spoke through prophets, with the last days in which God spoke through His Son, Jesus.

  • “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son . . .” (Heb. 1:1-2).

To express the surpassing blessings of the word spoken by Jesus, and the resulting covenant, Paul sets forth six facts in Hebrews 1:2-4.

  • Jesus is heir of all things.
  • God made the world though Jesus.
  • Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory, and the exact representation of His nature.
  • Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power.
  • Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, having made purification for sins.
  • Jesus is much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name.

Two of the above facts relate to Jesus as our creator, and the One who sustains the creation, which is our topic in this article.

With these facts, the Scriptures impress upon us that we can trust Jesus and His word for salvation.

  • “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).
  • “. . . receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.  But prove yourselves doers of the word . . .” (Ja. 1:21-22).
  • “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (Jn. 12:48).

Paul also uses these facts to warn us, that we carefully heed the word spoken by Jesus.

  • “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.  For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Heb. 2:2-3a).

We Can Trust Jesus as Our Savior and Leader
In Colossians 1:15-20, Paul uses the fact that all things were created through and for Jesus, and that they all hold together in Him, to show His preeminence over all things.

Therefore, we can trust Jesus as our Savior.

  • “For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him . . .” (Col. 1:19-20).

And, we can trust Jesus as our leader, the head of the church.

  • “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything” (Col. 1:18).

To Be Continued
In future articles, we’ll explore more names and descriptive phrases of Jesus.