The Matter of God’s Character:
- Dan Williams
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
Creation, the Cross, and Why This Particular World
A Different Starting Point
What if we read the biblical story not forward from Genesis, but backward from Revelation? What if we begin not with creation, but with consummation? What picture emerges when we start our reflections at the telos (τέλος), the end or goal, rather than at the beginning?3
When we do this, we encounter something unexpected. We find a human being, bearing the permanent scars of execution, seated upon the throne of the universe. Psalm 110:1 declares, "The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand.'" Acts 2:33 confirms that Jesus occupies this position now, in the present age. Revelation portrays the Lamb who was slain, still marked by the wounds of Calvary, now exalted above all created things.
The scars remain. The wounds are not erased but glorified. They are permanent, eternal fixtures of the divine throne room. The Incarnation, that event in which God took on human flesh, suffered, died, and rose, is not a temporary measure but the permanent state of affairs. Humanity and deity are united forever in the person of Jesus Christ.
If this is true, then what does it tell us about God's original intention? Scripture itself provides clues. Revelation 13:8 speaks of Christ as "…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." First Peter 1:20 states that Christ "…was chosen before the creation of the world." Ephesians 1:4 declares that God "…chose us in him before the creation of the world." These passages suggest that the Incarnation, the Cross, and the redemption of humanity were not afterthoughts in the divine mind. They were always the plan.
If the Incarnation was Plan A rather than Plan B, then what does this imply about the world God chose to create? It suggests that the world as we know it, with all its potential for moral choice, suffering and redemption, death and resurrection, is not a repair project. It is the canvas God always intended to work upon.
Comments