Stages of Knowing: From Creation to Christ (Psalm 19; Mark 8:27-30)
Introduction: Psalm 19 & Mark 8:27-30
Last Saturday evening I was running an errand, and it began to rain while the sun was shining in the west, so a rainbow appeared in the eastern sky. Not just any rainbow, a double rainbow.
Have you ever been privileged to see one of those? It wasn’t until I moved here that I saw one – now I’ve seen at least 2. I’ve seen 5 rainbows in Poughkeepsie this summer.
This summer our youngest saw his first rainbow. He couldn’t get enough of it. We were zigzagging through Poughkeepsie and he would follow it from one side of the backseat window to the other.
There’s something about a rainbow that is captivating.
Do you ever just marvel at nature, blown away by the majesty of it all?
Those moments stir something deep within us—a sense that there is more than meets the eye. Creation speaks to us. It touches that part of us that artists, philosophers, and scientists try to make manifest. Creation speaks and part of our very selves can hear it!
Today we are going to talk about how God reveals himself, starting with the wonder of creation, moving through the truth of Scripture, and culminating in the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ.
I. General Revelation: God Revealed in Creation (Psalm 19:1-6)
First, let’s talk about General Revelation, the fact that God is revealed in creation itself.
Psalm 19 opens with a breathtaking declaration: “The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” Notice, it is ongoing, day after day and night after night.
The firmament is the space above our atmosphere. Everything around us is telling us about the magnificence of God.
Nature itself is a testimony to God’s existence. The intricate details of a flower, the vastness of space, and the consistency of the seasons all whisper that there is a Creator behind it all.
This whisper is heard across cultures and throughout history. The psalmist says, quite rightly, that there is no place where their voice is not heard.
People have persistently marveled at the universe and sensed that there is something greater at work. For instance, the Tao Te Ching, written in 6 BC speaks of an “undefined and complete” presence that existed before Heaven and Earth did, suggesting a presence or reality that permeates all things. Plato (in Timaeus) said that the world came to be in very truth through God’s providence. The Rig Veda is a sacred Hindu scripture written about 1200 BC and talks about how the rivers, mountains, and space express the presence of the divine.
This is a world-wide feeling. Creation itself, though silent, speaks to everyone. If they live in the desert, people hear the voice and sing God’s praise. If they live in the cold mountains, people hear the voice and sing God’s praise. If they live in rain forests, islands, or anywhere else, people hear the voice of creation testifying about our Creator, and they sing praise to God.
Creation speaks, teaches, and points to a higher truth.
The psalmist says it so well, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of God’s hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” All around the world people are looking up, down, and around and are thinking about God this very day.
The purpose of this revelation, or what creation helps us do, is it teaches us and helps us ask very important questions.
Who is our Creator and what is God like? Creation tells us that God exists, and has power, majesty, and astounding creativity and order.
How does God relate to creation?
What is the purpose of creation? Why is this here? Why am I here?
That gets us to a very important question, if God created me, then how should I relate to my Creator?
These incredibly important questions can shape us and direct our lives. As good and beautiful as Creation is, it can answer some questions but not all questions, and that is why God gave us another revelation, and that is Scripture.
II. Special Revelation: God Revealed in Scripture (Psalm 19:7-11)
Just as Creation is an unearned gift from God, Scripture is also a gift from God. When we talk about Scripture, we talk about “special revelation.” Special revelation is more detailed and reveals God’s will, character, and redemptive plan through Jesus.
Notice how the psalmist sings about this. The first half of the song talks about how creation teaches us about God and then the second half is about how the Word of God teaches us more details about God.
Just as God created in Genesis 1 and declared it good, the psalmist says the Scriptures are given to us and good, and perfect. The word” perfect” means whole, that they have integrity. The psalmist means they are fully developed, wise, and smart. They can help and make us wise.
In verse 8 we read that the commands of the LORD are clear and enlighten our eyes.
“ The Scriptures are clear and give us clear eyes. ”
If you read the Bible, if you read the gospels, it will benefit you. For instance, you can likely read one chapter of a gospel in 7 minutes. It may take you longer or not. Even if you don’t understand 50% of it (I don’t think that’s true), you understand 50% of it!
Do you see how wise you would be if you understood half of the Bible or half of the teachings of Jesus!?
If you spend time reading the Scripture, it will reward you. It is straightforward, teaches us right from wrong, and helps us see and grasp moral issues so that we can navigate life with greater wisdom and have joy and not regret.
Next, the psalmist brings up the word “fear.”
“Fear” in Hebrew is deep respect and awe. We have a profound respect and honor for the One who Created us, and that respect helps us hold ourselves accountable to how we want to live.
Creation opens our eyes to the fact that we have a Creator. It helps us ask questions and the Bible is given to us to give us more details about God. In the question about how I am to relate to my Creator, I see that I am to care for creation, I am to honor the image of God in other people, I am to love God with all that I am.
I am to live with a heart for justice and to advocate for those who are vulnerable. I am obligated to care for others because God created them, and they have worth by virtue of their existence. God created people and called them “good.”
The Scripture is so good for us. It is a great teacher, but it is not just teaching us about black and white, dos and don’ts. All of the Hebrew Scriptures are actually preparing us to meet someone special because they all point to the Messiah.
What do I mean? Have you ever wondered what the whole story of the Old Testament is? It’s this:
When God talks to Adam and Eve after the fall, God promises them that one day a woman will give birth to a child who will grow to be a man and will crush the serpent. From the 3rd page of the Bible, we know one day a special man will be born.
Years later, Abraham is chosen and God says, “Through you, Abraham, the Messiah will come and bless all nations.” So we know the special man will be Hebrew.
Many years later Moses is chosen, and God says through Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” So we know that one day the special man will be a Hebrew from the tribe of Israel who is a great prophet teacher.
Many years later, David, the humble shepherd boy is chosen to be king, and in 2 Samuel 7, God promises to David, “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up someone from your lineage and establish his kingdom forever.”
So we know the special person who will defeat evil and teach us the way of righteousness will be a Hebrew man from the tribe of Israel who is a great prophet teacher and will be born from David’s family.
About 200 years later, in the 8th BC, a prophecy comes to Isaiah the prophet in which he says that a young woman will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel, which means God with us, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.”
And in that same period the prophet Micah proclaims, “But you, Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient of times.” (Micah 5:2)
From all of that, from the initial pages of the Torah to the history books of the kings, through the great works and visions of the prophets, we know that the special one, the promised one, the Messiah, will be a Hebrew man from the tribe of Israel from the family of David who will be born in Bethlehem to a very young woman and will grow up to be a great teacher prophet.
You’ll never believe who I’m talking about.
Did you know that in the Gospel of John 5:39 Jesus said to some people who studied those passages, “You search the Scriptures [speaking of everything I just told you]because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify concerning me.”
So this great book of ours teaches us about our family of faith and progressively refines the picture over and again, so that when the gospels open up and Jesus is mentioned, we have a feeling in our heart that says, “I feel like I’ve met you before.”
That is the purpose of Creation and the purpose of Scripture. And what a mighty and glorious purpose that is!
III. Personal Revelation: God Revealed in Jesus (Mark 8:27-30)
Jesus shows us how to answer some of those questions. In the face of Jesus, we see the face of God. Jesus tells us what our God is like.
What do we learn about God from Jesus’ life? I’ll talk about 3 things. There’s a lot more.
Our Creator is Filled with Love:
Jesus taught love for God and love for neighbor (Mt. 22:37-39). He taught about the dangers of hate and inspired people to appeal to God for their enemies. He showed compassion to the marginalized (Luke 7:36-50), and he gave himself fully to the will of God for the sake of others (Luke 15:13). God is filled with love. Friends, you are loved by God. God loves your neighbors. People who are being maligned in our culture right now are loved by God.
God is Merciful and Forgiving:
Jesus’ interactions with “sinners” and his parables about forgiveness continually hit the theme of God’s mercy (Luke 15:11-32). Even on the cross as his enemies surrounded him, he appealed to God’s mercy for them, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus knew that God relates to his creators with unbounded mercy and grace.
God Seeks Relationship:
A question that creation brings about is, “God created me, so how do I relate to God?” And Jesus makes it clear that God desires a personal relationship. Jesus did not invite people to just agree with him in doctrines. He invited them to follow him into a relationship (Matthew 4:19). It is a relationship with Jesus that transforms you. It is not information about Jesus that transforms you. It is the relationship. Further, Jesus teaches us in the Lord’s prayer that God wants to relate to, speak to, listen to, and care for us as a parent.
Closing: From Creation to Christ – Answering the Question
All of creation and Scripture lead us to the ultimate question which is the one Jesus put to Peter, “Who do you say I am?” It’s the question put before us today.
It’s not surprising that some other people would say, “Some say you are John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets.” Calling Jesus Elijah is not a slur! Saying that Jesus is on the level of some of the greatest prophets God has ever used is not slander!
That was the level of revelation those people had.
But the disciples had experienced Jesus personally, and therefore, their answers should be different and more defined.
Who do you say I am?
This moment is a turning point, not just for Peter, but for everyone who seeks to know God. Peter answers, ‘You are the Messiah.’ In this confession, Peter moves beyond the general revelation of God in creation and the special revelation of God in Scripture. He sees the fullness of God in his face-to-face interaction with the person of Jesus Christ.
Peter’s answer is not just intellectual—it’s relational and personal. It’s a declaration that Jesus is not merely a teacher or a prophet (which Scripture did promise), but the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior of the world.
As the author of the New Testament book called Hebrews writes, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”
This is the goal and the hope: that our knowledge of God, formed by creation and deepened by Scripture, would lead us to a confession of Jesus Christ.
It’s easy to admire creation and even to study the Scriptures, but we don’t want to stop short of seeing and understanding the fullness of what God has revealed in Jesus.
“So, what about you? Who do you say that Jesus is?
