Jesus and Genesis 1:2, pt.2

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2

What about the Spirit of God? There’s no introduction to this Subject in verse one. At least, not explicitly. Moses writes this with knowledge and faith that God created man in His image and likeness. This gives us a hint into the practical nature of this Scripture.

Later in the story, Moses writes that God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Did you know that the word we translate as “spirit” in english is in the Hebrew original the term used for, “breath”? Spirit and breath are synonymous. Genesis 1:2 can also simply be read, “…and the Breath of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

The Spirit or Breath of God precedes the creation. The Spirit of God is not created, then, but rather is the Critical Agent which makes creation possible. This seems simple enough to understand. Before we speak words, we need to have breath in our lungs. Or, before we write them, we need to have breath in our lungs. Taking deep breaths can be very helpful to energize your body and clarify your mind. Fresh air is a law of life.

Let’s go back to the practical point of being made in God’s likeness. This, I believe, will give us further insight into Genesis 1:2 in a way which will help us today.

Let’s first look at Jesus’ final moments;
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.” - Matthew 27:50
"And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.” - Mark 15:37
"And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.” - Luke 23:46
"So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” and bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” - John 19:30

And after Jesus rose from the dead John writes,
"So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” - John 20:21-22


In order to make sense of this last verse, let’s look at a statement by Jesus and John together;

"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” - John 7:37-39

The key difference in these Scriptures is the word “Holy” and “Yet”.

Combined together, the term Holy, which means set-apart, and yet, which implies a moment in time, we come to this idea— a time distinction.

There’s also the point that the Spirit would be “received”. Not taken, but received, like a gift. This, I believe, is a key distinction to take note of also.

But ah! There’s this idea of “special moments”, “key opportunities”, “appointed times”. These are time distinctions. In Genesis 1:2, there is no specific length of time denoted. The statement there gives us no way of knowing for how long the earth was in the state there described. The timing is left intentionally ambiguous to give even greater significance to the next grand statement which marks the step by step creation process of the earth.

How does this connect to Jesus and us? The significance of God’s Word and Spirit upon Jesus at His baptism would become even more pronounced at key moments during His life, and ultimately at the Cross would God be glorified in Christ. Just as God and His Spirit in Genesis 1:1-2 precede the climactic moment of Genesis 1:3, so the Father’s Word and Spirit proclaiming “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” preceded the climactic moment when Jesus’ life as God’s Son shone the brightest. The darkness which continually sought to cast doubt upon God’s Word about Jesus was exposed at the moment He yielded up His breath of life. After this, His life would forever be Set-Apart, Holy. Not that He was not Holy before, but that in the eyes of the world, His life history would make such a distinct mark, that even today, we track time and history at the dividing line of the First Advent of Jesus. It was at that moment that the Roman soldier said “Truly this was the Son of God!” Words which were before spoken, but now brought to their fullest light.

Something we may forget about crucifixion is the strangling nature of it. The thieves on the cross, the roman soldier, the accusers who called Him a deceiver, all watched as Jesus painfully pushed and pulled with His arms and legs in order to get enough air of heaven to say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” He most likely had to pull His body up multiple times just to finish that one statement alone, not counting the other entire six statements that He made. Yet, before He was in that public light, there was the same struggle in the night and darkness of the garden of Gethsemane. In the bosom of the earth as it were, every breath He took in that valley of decision was with the awareness that He might not make it through the night, that there might not be a new creation for humanity. Unless He could accomplish His Father’s will, there would be no distinction between God and the enemey who claimed that God’s Loving Light does not exist. But Jesus conquered in the night, and His life breath showed forth the love and light of God in the distinct choice He made to surrender to His Father’s will.


From the beginning made in God’s likeness, humanity has been graced with the breath of life. Yet with our life breath, our human spirit, we continually fail to live worthy of that gift. So what can make the distinction in our breathing moments then? In Genesis 1:2, we find the Breath of God moving over the waters of the unformed, unfilled, and darkened earth. What made the difference in the Creation account? We will look more into that as we explore Genesis 1:3.

As a practical illustration, do you remember when you wake up in the night, or in the early morning, and it is still dark, seeing nothing, and only feeling and hearing the movement of breathing upon your face? Where is the distinction in those moments? What makes those successive moments different from one another? Is there something special in just the awareness that you are breathing at all? Could those moments be an opportunity to remember Genesis 1:2? Or, the other way around, does Genesis 1:2 call us to remember those moments? Could Genesis 1:2 even be a call to imagine, on a miniature scale, God’s loving, ready, and creative presence in our lives when we were in the womb of our mothers, before we were even self-aware and could self-reflect?

In the space between Genesis 1:1 and 1:3, we see the darkness and the Spirit of God meet. Which will overcome?

"The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” — Genesis 1:2