Christ the Creator

However, for those with eyes to see, the New Testament makes it very clear that Jesus is our Creator! In the book of Colossians (specifically speaking of Jesus), it states,

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. (Colossians 1:16)

Now, the entire narrative of Scripture is ultimately about Jesus. And the account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is the culmination of events that reveal Jesus’ purpose in coming, as the perfect, sinless Son of God sent to pay the penalty for sin and death for those who put their faith and trust in him for salvation.

And for the average Christian, that may be enough for them. We celebrate Christmas and that Christ has come. We sing “Joy to the World,” open presents, and spend time with family. But for many in our present-day culture, Christmas makes very little sense, because as soon as they dig into this narrative to any depth whatsoever, massive intellectual problems seem to arise in their minds.

Questions from the Culture

Those with no biblical background might ask, “What does Jesus save us from?” Well, to answer, we could go to Romans 3:23, where it states, “All have sinned,” or point out Romans 6:23, which says, “The wages of sin is death.” Ultimately, sin is disobedience to God’s laws.

OK, so, sin is what Jesus saves us from. And where did sin come from?

Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

And who was that man?

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

The first man who brought sin into the world was Adam—the first man God created—who rebelled against God and was punished for his transgression.

So, the first man who brought sin into the world was Adam—the first man God created—who rebelled against God and was punished for his transgression. And we are all descended from Adam and are born with a sinful nature inherited from him.

A Clash of Worldviews

Now, it is typically at this point that a Christian will hear the most common objections to their worldview, and they will almost certainly conform to a naturalistic worldview (the story of evolution) that is diametrically opposed to almost everything said above and is taught in Western academia as fact and science. For example,

How can you even prove God exists when there’s no evidence? Evolution shows there was never a first man and woman—there’s overwhelming evidence showing humans evolved from apelike ancestors. How can the punishment for so-called sin be death? Isn’t death a natural thing (doesn’t everything live and die?)?

Joy to the World

These encounters have sucked the joy of Christmas out of many a believer, often because they feel ill-equipped to answer them. However, the direct link from the Christmas account where “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) to Christ our Creator is undeniable. The Gospel of John specifically begins by saying,

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 were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1–3)

The fact is that the events surrounding the Christmas account (the birth of Jesus, the wise men, the shepherds, and the angels) do not stand alone in time some 2,000 years ago. They are interconnected throughout the entire thread of biblical history and extend beyond it to a future consummation of all things.

The reason the birth of our Savior brings us to sing “Joy to the World” is emphasized in the third verse of that hymn, penned by the prolific and popular hymn writer Isaac Watts in 1719. Watts was an English Congregational minister, songwriter, theologian, and logician who’s credited with producing some 750 hymns. It says,

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.

The entire story (his story) from creation through Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection must be told to share the true history of God’s plan of salvation and ultimate redemption. The blessed hope of the believer is that we will someday live in a fully restored new heavens and new earth—free from the curse of sin and death.

An Evolving Message?

Interestingly, if you Google “Joy to the World lyrics,” the first hit shows a version of the hymn that no longer contains that verse. It simply repeats the emphasis on the wonders of God’s love. And versions like this are often heard these days—one wonders why that is? Could it be that mentioning the curse and emphasizing thorns infesting the ground is somehow controversial to what the world is teaching?

I mean, according to the story of evolution, thorns appeared on earth several hundred million years ago before human beings even existed. But the Bible clearly states that thorns only appeared after the fall of Adam in Genesis 3:17–18 as part of the curse, which is clearly a contradiction between these two histories.

Once again, here we can see how the details of the creation account, given to us by our Creator Jesus Christ, are vital to understand why the birth of the little baby born in that manger over 2,000 years ago is so important.

Jesus, the last Adam, would later wear a crown of thorns as he was crucified and suffered humiliation and death, emphasizing why he chose to come and willingly die on the cross—to pay the penalty brought into the world by the first Adam.

Christ Our Creator

We are not just on about creation—we want to see people won to the Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

So, as you celebrate the birth of our Savior at Christmas, don’t forget to remind yourself that he is also our Creator. And this is why Answers in Genesis exists: to help Christians have answers to the skeptical questions of the day that are typically leveled at the most-attacked book of the Bible—Genesis.

And these barriers to belief have logically extended to a rejection of our Savior as well. That’s why Answers in Genesis will continue to help Christians stand boldly on the authority of God’s Word from the very first verse. We are not just on about creation—we want to see people won to the Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ.