I find attempts to inject Christ into the OT like this are at best speculative in nature, and are generally justified via circular logic. Another common one is to attempt to interpret the Angel of the Lord as being Christ - though
Hebrews 1 clearly contradicts such an interpretation.
However, if we were to go along with this idea that Jesus is the light in
Genesis 1, then please note that there was a point before the light, when there was just God and the darkness. The light was created/begotten by God and distinct from him.
Not speculative when this is clearly what John is referring to. The point here is not to inject Christ anywhere. But to understand John's writing. If John believed that Genesis 1 was about Jesus (clearly in allegory) then that's enough for me.
As for a point beyond the Light. Yes I agree as far as the Light shining in the darkness of the world. But we can't ignore that God Himself was always Light (1 John 1:5) shining in heaven or wherever God was already shining. But by speaking the Word "Let there be Light" God is shining His own light into the darkened world. So that He can form all things in the Light and bring order to what was then chaos and void. In other words without God saying "Let there be Light" then there was no days and no creation. Because God made all things in 6 days. These were 6 periods of the same Light of Genesis 1:3 in which God made all things. The 7th period of light is when God rests from all His work.
And of course it's foreshadowing the coming of Christ into the world. So that He can also create something which is the kingdom of God within us. And He will be "chief cornerstone" of a new creation. As God said "behold I make all things new" and Jesus is the Day Star arising in their hearts or the Bright and morning Star. All things (of the new creation) are made in His light.
If you read the passage that I cited, Jesus explicitly explains that he is not speaking by his own authority - but the Fathers, not speaking his own words - but the Fathers, and that it is not he who is doing anything, but rather it is the Father working through him. It is quite clear that Jesus is not the Father, but subordinate to him. He says as much himself:
John 14:28“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the
Father is greater than I.
Thus you have your work cut out for you to try to argue that Jesus = the Father. Rather, the fact that God is the Father and Jesus is the Son demonstrates that they are very clearly distinct.
In His human nature He is subordinate as all creation is. The humanity of Christ is created as we read in Hebrews 10:5. This human body was created to be the sacrifice or in other words the "Lamb that takes a away the sins of the world".
But His Spirit is uncreated as it says about Jesus in Hebrews 13:5
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Which shows His eternal and unchanging nature.
And of course as I pointed previously we read in Isaiah 9:6 that He not only is a "child that is born" and "a son that is given" but He is also called "mighty God" and "everlasting Father".
Again, everlasting Father. That would imply an eternal and unchanging Divine nature.
So, Jesus is not just flesh and blood but Spirit also. Which is the eternal and unchanging Spirit of God.
Good references. There are certainly mysteries, but that doesn't mean you can defend doctrine by appealing to mystery. Rather, if something is a mystery and beyond our ability to comprehend, then it is quite unreasonable to demand people accept doctrines built around explaining said mysteries - and certainly not a barrier to salvation. If you say it is a mystery how God was manifested, then don't follow that by asserting that God manifested literally in the person of Jesus Christ - that there is no distinguishing Jesus from the Father. For then you are simply asserting whatever you want and when pressured to defend it you fallback to "oh, its a mystery." That is not intellectually honest (not to say that you have done such so far).
I haven't fallen back on "oh it's a mystery" and I know some people do. But, I do believe it's a mystery that can only be revealed by God. So if someone understands the mystery then God showed them.
I took a look. I see where you mention the Son sitting on the right hand of God, but I don't see anything that addresses the clear distinction being demonstrated by such statements.
If you read both posts then I was trying to clarify the "why" of God manifesting Himself into the physical world. Or in other words why God would need or want to become human.
Consider Revelation 11:17. Here God the Almighty takes great power to Himself and reigns. Why does someone who is already "Almighty" need to take power to Himself? And how can He? He already has all power!
The only way was in Jesus Christ who was God manifest in human form. This is when and how the Almighty takes power to Himself and reigns. Because it is Jesus who takes this power for our sake so He can defeat our enemies by it. Because it's necessary that a human being face and defeat the enemies of humanity.
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Revelation 11:17
Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God
Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
In conclusion a human being had to take all power and reign for humanity's sake. To put under all our enemies beneath His human feet and to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death. (Psalm 102:19-20) And so God came in human form Himself to do for us what we could not do alone.
This is why God promised all power and authority to a mere human being (the Messiah). Because He knew He would come to take it for Himself.
