Road to Spiritual Growth

It's All About Jesus

by: Kenny Hinrichs

Have you noticed the Bible doesn't give the name of the Father or the Holy Spirit? There must be a profound meaning behind this spotlighted exultation of Jesus. The Father is always present, but when Scripture mentions interaction between God and man, Jesus is the one doing the interaction. In this sense, he is the God of the Old Testament.

It was Jesus who told Cain he was banished, Noah to build an ark, Abraham to leave his people and head to a far away land, Moses to go face pharaoh, and he allowed Solomon a blessing of his choosing. When Abraham was talking with God about his plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, he was talking to Jesus. Jesus asked the Father if he should tell Abraham about the plans.

""Should I hide my plan from Abraham?" the LORD asked. "For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised." So the LORD told Abraham, "I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant."
Gen 18:17-20 NLT

Since Jesus was a participant in creation, and the Father has given him authority over Heaven and Earth, this surely makes him divine and worthy of the title God. This following verse reveals the Father considers the Son worthy.

"Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else."
Psalms 45:6-7 NLT

Some people object to the idea of two Gods, but there are actually three, counting the Holy Spirit. Each of the three are individually God, and yet together they are as one God. When we address one of them in prayer, in reality, we are addressing all three.

In Genesis chapter 1, God spoke 11 times during creation, and it was Jesus speaking creation by the will of his Father, as the Holy Spirit went about creating. Therefore, creation was by the power of the Father through Jesus, and also through the Spirit.

"Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us..."
Gen 1:26 NLT

"...The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters."
Gen 1:2 NLT

"There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live."
1 Cor 8:6 NLT

"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth."
Eph 3:14-15 NLT

The previous verse (Gen 1:26) was Jesus conferring with God, which confirms both were present during creation. In this next verse Jesus is again conferring with God, concerning the fate of mankind. He had previously told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But they did eat from the tree, and by doing so they died spiritually, becoming separated from God.

"Then the LORD God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!""
Gen 3:22 NLT

Apparently, if they had eaten from the tree of life, which also was in the middle of the garden, they would have received eternal life, but would still have been separated from God. Rather than let that happen, they were banished from the Garden of Eden.

Mankind remained separated from God until Jesus redeemed us, by allowing sinners to crucify him. Now when we receive him as our Savior, we become spiritually alive as the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Our connection to God is by our spirit.

"But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ."
Eph 2:13 NLT

The Holy Spirit is given many titles, but not a name. Jesus is also given many titles, but his name(s) are in both Testaments. Every word in the Bible has it's specific purpose and place, so it's no accident Jesus is the only member of the Trinity named in the Bible.

If a book was written about you and your family, but the only name mentioned in your family was yours, and the rest of your family was referred to as your sister, brother, father, and mother, along with some adjectives, it would be assumed the book contains your story. Since God has given Jesus complete authority over creation, why not make the book of creation all about him?

Some people get the wrong idea from this, thinking there is only one person of the Godhead, rather than three. But in order to believe that, you would have to disregard all the times Jesus called God his Father. You would also have to disregard the numerous instances throughout Scripture where the three are distinguished as individuals.

Jesus has been the center of God's creation from the get-go. The Bible and all creation are centered around Jesus, and even now the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us, rather than himself. When he was born a human, his name was changed, his prior name was Yahweh.

Some have believed this is the name of the Father, but there is indication Yahweh was Jesus's name before his Father sent him to redeem mankind. I refer to these following three verses as the "I AM" verses, which indicate Yahweh was Jesus's name.

In the first verse, Jesus establishes "I AM" is one of his titles. In the second verse, God tells Moses "I AM" is one of his titles, therefore it must be Jesus. Then in the third verse, God tells Moses his name is Yahweh, therefore Jesus is Yahweh.

"Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM! ""
John 8:58 NLT

"God replied to Moses, " I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.""
Exodus 3:14 NLT

"And God said to Moses, "I am Yahweh—'the LORD.' I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—'God Almighty' —but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.""
Exodus 6:2-3 NLT

The Bible is all about Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, he's the Alpha and Omega. This is likely why he has the title "Word". The contents of the Bible from beginning to end is all about him. He took part in creating, is the Messiah, and will forever be our King.

"and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.""
Rev 1:5-8 NKJV

God the Father has been seated on the Throne through all that is been happening in his creation. Even though he has given all authority to Jesus, he still ranks higher, and he is the ultimate power behind creation. It pleased the Father to make Jesus the center of creation from Alpha to Omega.

"God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church."
Ephesians 1:22 NLT