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Back to the beginning of our Genesis 1 restoration series.
We have seen how God restored the earth as described in the first chapter of Genesis. We see through biblical accounts that sin came into the world and men rebelled just like the angels that came before them (2 Peter 2:4). The earth and its inhabitants were once again corrupted and full of darkness.
About 2000 years ago, when Christ came into the world, the spiritual state of the world was identical to what it was in Genesis 1:2. The earth was ripe for another spring-cleaning, another renovation, an eternal restoration, and this is what it got, the ministry of Christ. Remember the Son does only that which He sees the Father do. He does nothing of Himself. The father renovated in Genesis 1-2, now the Son renovates in the four Gospels.
Below is a table of similarities between the creation story and the ministry of Christ in the New Testament.
| Feature | Old Testament (Genesis 1) |
New Testament |
| Person Restoring | The Father mainly | The Son (Jesus) mainly |
| Existence | Was before the work began | Was 30 years old when His ministry began |
| Duration | The work was very short in comparison to His agelessness | Work was only about 3 years (less than 10% of His life) |
| State of the Earth | Without form and void | No prophet or Judge since Malachi (about 400 years) |
| Sea and Land | Dry land appeared from under the sea (new life, new beginning) | Christ was baptized in the Jordan (immersed and emerged from under the water) Matthew 3:13-16 |
| Beginning | Started by bringing light against the darkness | He is the light (word) that wars against the darkness (devil) in the desert (Mark 1:12-13) |
| Lights | Made light, sun, and stars | He is the bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22:16). He was transfigured and His face shone like the sun, His raiment like light (Matthew 17:2) |
| Seasons | He set the time and seasons | He had the power to still the stormy season (Mark 4:39) |
| Birds | Fly in the heaven over the earth | Holy Ghost descended like a dove upon Him (Matthew 3:16) |
| Herbs and trees | Caused them to grow from the ground | Had power over a fruitless fig tree and changed water into wine (product of a tree) [Matthew 21:19-20] |
| Sea creatures | Gave them ability to multiply | Had the power to make fish multiply (John 21:6) |
| Provision of Food | He made food for man, beasts, and birds | He fed thousands with five loaves and two fishes with plenty of leftovers (Matthew 14:19-21) |
| Humans | He made male from dust and female from man | He raised a male (Lazarus) and a female from the dead (dust), John 11:44 and Mark 5:41-42 |
| Pleasure | God saw that they were very good | God said of Jesus, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17) |
| Power | He gave man power to have dominion over all creation | He gave his disciples power over spirits and the earth (Mark 6:7) |
| Fruitfulness | He gave man the command and ability to be fruitful and multiply | He gave His disciples the command and ability to be fruitful and to evangelize (Mark 16:15-18) |
| Ending | His work was finished on the sixth day after giving life to man | His work was finished on the Cross, on the sixth day after giving his life for man (John 19:30) |
| What Was Restored | Gods temple/dwelling place: the EARTH (Genesis 3:8) | God’s new temple: MAN (1 Corinthians 3:16 and 2 Corinthians 6:19) |
| Rest | He rested on the seventh day | He rested on the seventh day (Matthew 28:1-2) |