Was Jesus Created?
He leads me …
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Colossians 1:15 NIV)
But when God brought His first-born Son, Jesus, into the world, He said, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” (Hebrews 1:6 NLV)
For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29 NLT)
When we read the verses above, the statement that Jesus is the ‘firstborn over all creation’ seems strange. If He is God, how can He also be the firstborn when God exists from eternity past through to eternity future?
The quick answer is that being the firstborn is meant as a title and not whether Jesus was created or not. According to Rabbi Bechai (quoted by J.B. Lightfoot[1]) the ancient Rabbis called Yahweh Himself ‘Firstborn of the World.’ It was a title, not a description of Jesus’ origin.
If we look at Psalm 2:7 we see that God the Father called Jesus, ‘Son’ – shown in most biblical translations with a capital ‘S’. Hebrews 1:4 explains that, ‘The Son of God was made greater and better than the angels. God gave Him a greater name than theirs’ (NLV). In Hebrews 7:3 (EXB) we read at the end of the verse of, ‘Jesus’ eternal Sonship and priesthood’ which is above the tasks that the angels carry out..
Hebrews 1:5 asks, ‘to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son”’? This statement proves that Jesus is superior to any of the angels due to the title that God the Father gave only to God the Son. In Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5, 5:5 we read similar things. In Hebrews 1:5 it is quite clear when it says,
‘For God never said to any angel, “You are my Son, and today I have given you the honor that goes with that name.” But God said it about Jesus. Another time he said, “I am his Father and he is my Son.” And still another time—when his firstborn Son came to earth—God said, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” (TLB)
It was necessary to make this point because the Book of Hebrews looks to have been addressing a Christian community whose Christian faith had become unstable because of strong Jewish influences.
The Jews were in awe of the power that angel’s had in their role as God’s messengers to mankind. This was particularly due to the angels giving and communicating the Law of Moses to the people of Israel. We see this in Deuteronomy 33:2 but it is clearer in Galatians 3:19 where we read that, ‘God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people’ (NLT) (see also Acts 7:53). And in Hebrews 2:2 we read that the message of the Law was ‘spoken through angels.’[2] Paul needed to make Jesus’ position above the angels very clear so that He was seen in His rightful place.
Even today in various parts of the world the birth right of the firstborn son brings with it certain unique rights, duties, and privileges. These privileges have always been highly valued, and the Old Testament shows that the firstborn son received an inheritance twice as much as any other sons, a special blessing from the father, family leadership and an honoured place at mealtimes (Genesis. 25:5-6; 27:35-36; 37:21ff.; 42:37; 43:33; Deuteronomy. 21:15-17). The privileges and the responsibility of family leadership are completely fulfilled in Jesus.
At Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:7) He is referred to as Mary’s firstborn, a title indicating that He would be dedicated to God, and probably referring to His rightful claim through His family lineage to the Davidic throne.
The custom of redeeming the firstborn son is still preserved among the Jews today. Thirty days after the birth of the firstborn, the father invites a Jewish priest to the house. The priest asks the father which he prefers, his child or the five shekels. The father answers that he prefers his son, and pays the priest a sum equivalent to five shekels. After receiving the redemption money, the priest puts his hands on the child’s head and prays the Aaronite blessing (Numbers 6:22-27).
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them:
The Lord bless you, and keep you [protect you, sustain you, and guard you];
The Lord make His face shine upon you [with favor],
And be gracious to you [surrounding you with lovingkindness];
The Lord lift up His countenance (face) upon you [with divine approval],
And give you peace [a tranquil heart and life].’
So Aaron and his sons shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” (AMP)
This custom gets its ultimate fulfilment in Jesus Christ, God the Father’s firstborn.
We see later that Jesus’ resurrection that He is the ‘firstborn from the dead’ (Colossians 1:18) or ‘of the dead’ (Revelation 1:5) meaning that He is head over all those who are or will be resurrected. Jesus is ‘the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers’ (Romans 8:29 AMP).
And finally Jesus is the ‘firstborn among many brethren (believers)’ (Romans 8:29b). Not only is He their Lord, but also their perfect example. All believers were ‘destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness]’ (Romans 8:29a AMPC).[3]
Note too that in Romans 8:14; 19; and Galatians 3:26; 4:6 we read that believers who by faith, and by the leading of the Spirit, are children (sons and daughters) of God. There are also passages also refer to Jesus as our brother (Hebrews 2:11; Romans 8:29; Mark 3:34).
In Mark 3:34–35, Jesus said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God [by believing in Me, and following Me], he is My brother and sister and mother.” (AMP) When we truly surrender our lives to Jesus’ lordship, God adopts us into His family and regards us as ‘joint heirs’ with His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:17; 10:9–10). Our heavenly Father wants His children to bear a family resemblance, and He gave us the perfect example in our big Brother, Jesus Christ.
Dear Reader – If you have found some value in this blog, please feel free to send a copy on to your family and friends. Kind regards, John
[1] Lightfoot, Joseph Barber (1828-1889) was an English prelate and scholar. A fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, he became Hulsean professor of divinity (1861) and Lady Margaret professor (1875). In 1871 he became a canon of St. Paul's, London; in 1879 he was consecrated bishop of Durham. He was learned in biblical and early Christian literature. From 1870 to 1880 he was one of the revisers of the King James Version of the Bible.
[2] Hebrews 1 – A Superior Savior, David Guzik, Enduring Word;
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-1/
[3] What is the significance of “firstborn” in the Bible? Bible.org;
https://bible.org/question/what-significance-%E2%80%9Cfirstborn%E2%80%9D-bible
