The phrase “in the beginning” comes up three times in the Bible. Once at the start of Genesis and then twice at the start of John’s Gospel.
In Genesis it says “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And it goes on to describe God’s creation in plural terms. The Spirit of God moves upon the waters (Genesis 1:2). The Word of God brings everything into being. And when this God decides to make humanity, it’s a committee decision: “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26).
In John it says: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1-2).
John is just refreshing our memory of Genesis. (Something we would all do well to regularly do) In the beginning there was one Person called “God”, who John later calls “the Father” (v14). But there was another Person called “the Word”. He also has the right to the title “God”. Yet perhaps we know Him by some more familiar names: “The Son of God” (v14) and “Jesus Christ” (v17). Later on John will also tell us about the Holy Spirit – He too was in the beginning.
So this is ultimate reality according to the Bible. Before anything else, there was a Father loving His Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit. We call this Trinitarian Unity. And it means that for all eternity there was give-and-take, back-and-forth. There was closeness, friendliness, companionship, sharing, interaction, intimacy. In short, in the beginning there was love.
What’s the meaning of life when we understand this beginning?
Well we’re saved from nothingness and we’re saved from chaos. But wonderfully we are not delivered into the hands of a lonely god, to be mere slaves. God does not just create to display His power but to spread His love. The meaning of our lives is not to cower before our creator but to be wooed by our Heavenly Loving Father. We relate to God not, basically, by submitting to His unquestioned will but by receiving His unconditional love.
New Years’ Day is a time to think of beginnings. Yet, before we go jumping into new resolutions to make our own beginnings, let’s remember the good news. An ultimate beginning has been made – one that shapes everything. The controlling reality of our lives is not fate or a force but a Fellowship. And His unshakeable resolution is to draw us in.
Be drawn this year.
