LEARNER GUIDE

awaken to the Lordship of King ...so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything (Colossians 1:18)

@home SESSION TWO: in Eternity Past & at Creation Introduction: A Biblical “” of Jesus DAY 1 I. Jesus in Eternity Past: Jesus the Son the eternal God

DAY 2 II. Jesus at Creation: Jesus makes all creation—for Himself III. Eternal Purposes ¥ First Place Love from Eternity Past DAY 3 ¥ First Place Lordship from Eternity Past Conclusion: Final Thought and “See and Share” Time

Session Goal: to better understand and value the eternal and creating Christ, and to respond to Him with whole-person love and total surrender to His Lordship.

Introduction

Nearly 1,000 times throughout the Scriptures,

there is mention of Jesus by name. Half those ? times, His title “Christ” is attached, which Which individual emphasizes His role as ruler. Each time He is stories about mentioned, readers gain new information about Jesus have who He is, how He feels, and how He acts. most shaped When each of these individual portraits of your view of Jesus are put together, we get one big-picture Jesus? “Christ Pantocrator.” The is a Byzantine- image of Him as He is presented in the Bible. era cathedral that contained If you could this 13th-century mosaic of This is similar to how artists assemble share just one Christ in its . The from hundreds of tiny pieces of colored glass, Bible story cathedral’s full name is precious metals or stone to unveil one vibrant, about Christ translated “Shrine of the Holy single image. For art historians, one of the with an Wisdom of God,” dedicated unbeliever, to the person of Jesus most recognizable mosaics of Christ is found in the Hagia Sophia cathedral in , Turkey. which would Christ, whom Scripture calls you share? The mosaic is called “Christ Pantocrator,” the Wisdom of God. Why? which in Greek means “Christ, the Almighty.”

Session 2 first [place] love pg. 1 of 7 Today, Lewis Lovoie is a Canadian artist well- Christ in known for his “mural Eternity Past mosaics.” Lovoie’s art & at Creation differs from historical mosaics in that each piece isn't just a piece of Christ Foreshadowed in colored material—each the Old Testament tile is its own stand-alone piece of art. This year, Lovoie completed a five- Christ's Birth & year project called the Earthly Ministry King of Kings. The 195 tiles form an image of Jesus when assembled. Each of the 5-inch by 5- Jesus’ Cross inch, hand painted tiles are individual murals of “King of Kings,” known historical kings Jesus’ Resurrection by Lewis Lovoie, and leaders from the beginning of time until the www.muralmosaic.com modern era. Jesus is the King over these great kings! Our study of Jesus is similar to the approach of Lovoie’s mural mosaic. From Christ’s Ascension eternity past to eternity future, we will be & Exaltation constructing a master image of Jesus by looking at Him in specific periods of time. Today, we begin with looking at Jesus from The Reign of eternity past and in the Creation event. Christ the King

I. Jesus In Eternity Past The New Covenant Stories and books about Jesus often begin with of Grace in Christ Active Learning: His birth in a Bethlehem manger. This makes sense. What Jesus did in His earthly ministry is Someone read aloud very important, and His birth was the starting Christ in Me Philippians 2:5-11 point. However, unless there is an & Me in Christ from a Bible. understanding of who He was before the Bethlehem manger, we cannot fully appreciate Work together as a Him and His earthly ministry. We could even Christ, the Head class to put key of the Church phrases from this misunderstand Jesus all together. passage into the Jesus timeline on the The Old Testament begins with these words: right. Which “In the beginning, God….” (Genesis 1:1). Just The 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ scriptural phrase those first few words say something about best describes this God: He existed before He created anything week’s focus on And what is true of God the Father in Genesis “Christ in Eternity 1:1 is also true of Jesus. Before the world or Christ as Judge Past & at Creation”? cities or mangers ever existed, Jesus existed & Eternity Future before Creation.

Session 2 first [place] love pg. 2 of 7 In the , John’s also John 1:1-2, 14 starts with “In the beginning . . .” John adds Trinity In the beginning was the new information to the story. He wanted us to Word, and the Word was know that with God, the “Word” was there. And There is only one with God, and the Word the “Word” wasn’t just with God, but the “Word” God. And this one was God. He was in the was God. Who is the One that John is referring God is made up of beginning with God. to as the “Word”? In verse 14, a full description God the Father, God the Son, and And the Word became of the “Word” makes it clear that John is talking about Jesus. The God of Genesis became God the Holy flesh, and dwelt among us, Spirit. There are flesh and revealed His glory to us as Jesus, and we saw His glory, not three gods. glory as of the only who existed even before Creation. Only one God begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. exists. God is a 3- Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were born or in-1 God—that’s You gave birth to the earth and the world, even where the word from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” “trinity” comes from John delays before —“tri-unity,” or 3- naming the majestic Isaiah 9:6-7 “ . . . And he will be called Wonderful in-1—“trinity” for [the Word] in Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father . . .” short. 1:17-18. Finally, we learn that He is Jesus! Micah 5:2 "Out of you shall come forth to me the The best approach He comes to us from the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have to understanding deep recesses of eternity. been from of old, from everlasting." the trinity is by accepting it as a Sinclair Ferguson Isaiah 44:6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel set of truths that and his , the Lord of hosts: “I am the first God reveals about and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.” Himself. Understanding Revelation 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ? exactly how that the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Matthew 17, Mark 9 works is a mystery and Luke 9 are records that underscores The everlasting Triune God—Father, Son and of Jesus’ the limits of human “transfiguration.” Spirit—has revealed Himself to us physically in understanding. the person of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5-11 What does the explains that when God the Son took on transfiguration tell human form, He temporarily “emptied Himself.” us about the glory of Philip Johnson notes that this emptying was Jesus? not a removal of God-characteristics, but a John 17:5 forfeiture of their use: “The incarnation was a miracle of addition, not subtraction.” Johnson’s Now, Father, glorify point is simply that Jesus did not become less Me together with God, He just added human nature. Jesus Yourself, with the glory willingly laid down some of His God-glory to which I had with You before the world was. When we come to know become a man so He could be our sin-bearer. Christ as our Redeemer, we discover—to our It’s important to remember that when Jesus amazement and joy— became a man, He didn’t take on man’s sinful that we also have come nature. We often think of being sinful as part of John 8:58 to know our Creator! being human. That is true of our experience, but it wasn’t always so. Adam was created a Jesus said to them, Sinclair Ferguson “Truly, truly, I say to sinless man, and remained so, until choosing you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

Session 2 first [place] love pg. 3 of 7 Arian Heresy to sin. Jesus, the everlasting God, became purely human, without the sin of Adam. ? In the 3rd century A.D., Why do you think Arius taught that Jesus There are at least four ways that seeing Jesus God emphasized was a created being, not as the eternal God affects believers: Jesus as Creator the Creator. The Mormons 1) It increases appreciation for the sacrifice in several New and Jehovah’s Witnesses He made for us. Because the eternal God Testament are modern-day Arians. passages? How was willing to pay the price Himself, we does seeing Him Jehovah’s Witnesses come to understand just how precious we this way affect point to the phrase are to Him. you most? “firstborn of all creation” in 2) Knowing that our sin-bearer is the eternal Colossians 1:15 to support God increases healthy fear of Him. Jesus the Arian view. isn’t someone we can play games with; He In many instances in is the eternal Creator God to whom we will John 1:3 Scripture, “firstborn” was give account. used as a title of honor, 3) His eternal existence increases All things came into even for those who were confidence in His ability to secure our being through Him, not actually the first born redemption and our home in heaven. and apart from Him child, like King David. The Jesus is the eternal God Himself, who has nothing came into meaning of the phrase in being that has come verse 15 is that Jesus is unlimited power to save us unto eternity. into being. pre-eminent over all 4) Seeing Jesus as eternal takes attention off creation, just as He has what is temporary and points our focus supremacy over all the toward what and who matters for eternity. 1 Corinthians 8:6 other things listed in the passage. It clearly says in . . . yet for us there is verse 18, and elsewhere II. Jesus at Creation but one God, the in Scripture, that Jesus Father, from whom are created all things. He is Colossians 1:15-18 “He is the image of the all things and we exist not created; He is Creator. invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by for Him; and one Lord, Him all things were created, both in the heavens Jesus Christ, by whom We can reject dangerous are all things, and we misinterpretations by and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones exist through Him. taking care to look at 1) or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things how the Bible uses words have been created through Him and for Him. He is and phrases, 2) the before all things, and in Him all things hold surrounding context, and together. He is also head of the body, the church; 3) other clearer verses and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the The gospel is God’s about the same topic. dead, so that He Himself will come to have first response to the bad place in everything.” news of sin, and sin is a person’s Colossians 1:15 bridges the two ideas of Jesus rejection of God’s ? in eternity past and Jesus at Creation. Through Creator-rights over him. Thus the See Greg Gilbert’s Jesus, all things were created. This truth is fundamental truth quote. It says that echoed in John 1:3, 1 Corinthians 8:6 and of human existence, because Jesus is our Hebrews 1:2, which explain that nothing came the well from which Creator, He owns us. into being unless Jesus created it. The God all else flows, is that who spoke the universe into being is that same God created us, and Does Jesus being Jesus Christ who “upholds all things by the therefore God owns Creator increase the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Paul says in us. legitimacy of His Colossians 1:17 that “in Him all things hold claim of Lordship together.” Jesus is the Creator and sustainer of Greg Gilbert over every area of our lives?

Session 2 first [place] love pg. 4 of 7 everything and is therefore worthy of a fitting Ephesians 1:1, 4-5 Mormon response from His creation. This was in Unlike the Jehovah’s III. Eternal Purposes accordance with the Witnesses, whose wrong eternal purpose which beliefs stem from a false He carried out in interpretation of the Bible, First Place Love from Eternity Past Christ Jesus our Mormons have three Colossians 1 also communicates something Lord . . . just as He other “sacred texts” that very important about God’s purposes. First, chose us in Him further contribute to their everything has been created by Christ and for before the foundation false teachings about Christ. He made everything for Himself. That of the world, that we Christ. would be holy and includes us. Few things could better blameless before Him. Mormons also teach that communicate the nature of Christ’s relationship In love He Jesus is just one of many interest in us than stating that He made us for predestined us to sons of God. Jesus is Himself. Christ being our "first love” was adoption as sons referred to specifically as purposed for us before He even made us. through Jesus Christ “a ” in the Book to Himself, according to the kind intention of of Mormon (Alma 36:17). Ephesians 1 expands on the truth that Jesus His will . . . Lucifer, or the devil, is made us for Himself. God, through Jesus, another son of God in chose us—predestined us—before He created Mormon theology the world. Out of the kindness of His heart, He (Mormon Doctrine, p. chose us to be adopted as His very own ? 163). . . Any man on Earth children—children who would be holy (set How does it feel can one day become the apart) unto Himself. Romans 8:29 further to know that god of another planet and God’s destiny for populate it with children describes this eternal purpose, explaining that you from eternity born to him from his we were “predestined to become conformed to past was to be eternal wife (Teachings of the image of His Son.” Out of these adopted by Him, the Prophet Joseph Smith, relationship purposes, God created us to love and to become 345-354). Any one of those Jesus supremely as our first love. like Jesus? children can later become a god . . . (Doctrine & First Place Lordship from Eternity Past Covenants 132:20). Thus, The other purpose statement is in Colossians there is not just One God, 1:18. It describes the first place position Jesus Ephesians 1:9-12 triune or not; there are is to have in our lives as the supreme Lord. many, many gods (Book of This wasn’t an afterthought, but rather was in He made known to us Abraham 4:3). the plan of Triune God from eternity past. the mystery of His will, according to His kind gotquestions.org Verse 18 tells us that God’s plan for Jesus to intention which He be in first place is the eternal purpose of purposed in Him with a Creation. Christ made us so that He could view to . . . the summing have “first place” Lordship in our lives. up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens Ephesians 1:9-12 elaborates on God’s plan for and things on the earth. In Him also we have Christ to be first place in everything. In obtained an inheritance, Ephesians, the purpose of God is to “sum up” having been everything in Christ, which will ultimately bring predestined according glory to God. This is another way of saying that to His purpose who God’s purpose is that Christ would come to works all things after the have first place in everything. This was His counsel of His will, to the end that we who purpose before Creation, and it’s still His were the first to hope in purpose for everyone today. Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”

Session 2 first [place] love pg. 5 of 7 Conclusion Group Dynamics: By looking at eternity past and Creation, small portraits of Jesus come into view. Too often, Breaking up into these aspects of Jesus are not explored, smaller groups of 3 appreciated or responded to. From generation to 4 encourages a to generation, Creation stories have been told greater level of in Bible story books, Sunday School lessons sharing from and Vacation Bible School, with little mention everyone— that all things were made by and for Christ. especially those unwilling to compete Seeing Jesus in the Creation glory He shares with more talkative with Triune God, increases His claim for first persons for the place love as first place Lord of our lives. chance to share in a larger group. Making It Personal: See and Share Share in same-gender groups of 3 to 4. Bring the group back together to report the key insights from God wants us to respond to Jesus with whole-person love and each of the smaller surrender. Use the following See and groups. questions to consider how you Share Time: will respond to Him with your head (what you think), heart (what you treasure), and hands (what you do). At the close of each Sunday School session, Review 1. Before the session today, had you ever heard we encourage that it was actually Jesus who spoke Creation a time of Five Features of into existence? sharing. We Moralistic 2. What statements or Scriptures in today’s call this See Therapeutic Deism session change or strengthen your love for and Share time (MTD): Jesus and His Lordship over you? —a time to share with 3. How does Jesus as everlasting Creator-God 1) A God exists who others created and orders the disprove weak views of Jesus in our church or something new world and watches over culture, such as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism or exciting that human life. (see left sidebar)? you see about 2) God wants people to 4. Which of the eternal purposes of God most Jesus as a be good, nice, and fair motivate you to surrender to the love and result of this to each other, as taught Lordship of Christ? Explain your reasons. week’s study. in the Bible and by most a) His purpose to adopt you? world religions. b) His purpose to make you like Jesus? 3) The central goal of life is to be happy and to c) His purpose to bring all things, including feel good about oneself. you, under the Lordship of Christ? 4) God does not need to 5. What will you do differently this week when you be particularly involved spend time with the Lord in prayer and Bible in one’s life except when reading? God is needed to resolve a problem. In closing, have someone pray a prayer of surrender using Colossians 1:15-18 and 5) Good people go to discoveries from the See and Share time. heaven when they die.

Session 2 first [place] love pg. 6 of 7 Session Two Works Cited

“Do Mormons Believe in the Trinity?” (n.d.) Retrieved [March 10, 2015], from http:// www.gotquestions.org/Mormons-believe-Trinity.html.

Ferguson, Sinclair B. (2007) In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life. Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust.

Gilbert, Greg. (2010) What Is the Gospel? Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Johnson, Phil. “Kenosis and the Omnipresence of Christ” (2011) Retrieved [March 10, 2015], from http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2011/08/kenosis-and-omnipresence-of-christ.html, quoted in Wilson, Jared C. (2012) Gospel Deeps: Reveling in the Excellencies of Jesus. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

You have permission to use First Place Love, unaltered, for family, devotional and church discipleship purposes only. If you would like to acquire an editable version of the curriculum, please write [email protected] detailing your request.

If quoted, use the following APA citation:

Booth, David M. First Place Love: Awaken to the Lordship of King Jesus (2015). Unpublished curriculum.

About the author: Dr. David M. Booth is a husband and father of two girls and two boys. He earned his Ph.D. at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s School of Church and Family Ministries. He is Minister of Education and Family Discipleship of First Baptist Church of Winnsboro, TX. His ministry ambition is to develop gospel- centered people andSession families 2 who first adore [place] Jesus love pg.and 7 loveof 7 sharing Him with others.