Pair 1
Begun
Week 1 of 6 · A New Beginning
The Word that was in the beginning
Led by Dibe · 2026-11-09
Jesus is not a later addition to creation. He is the Creator who enters creation.
Genesis reading
Genesis 1:1–5; 1:26–27
John reading
John 1:1–18
Set the table
Genesis sets up
Genesis does not begin with advice. It begins with God speaking a world into being. Light is summoned; darkness is bounded; humanity is made in God’s image to represent him. The opening of Scripture is already a claim about who rules, who speaks, and whose likeness we bear.
John accomplishes
John opens with the same doorway — “In the beginning” — then refuses to leave God unnamed. The Word was with God and was God; all things were made through him; life and light are in him; and this Word becomes flesh. John is not borrowing Genesis poetry. He is identifying the Actor of Genesis 1.
Walkthrough
Leader guide — teach aloud or adapt.
1.Put Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 on the table together. Do not rush past the echo. Genesis names the act of creation; John names the One through whom the act happens. If your group treats Jesus as a later rescue plan bolted onto an Old Testament God, this week exists to break that habit.
2.Move slowly through John 1:3. “All things were made through him” is not decorative. It means the carpenter from Nazareth is not a creature promoted after good behaviour. He stands on the Creator side of the line. Genesis’ first sentence finds its subject in John’s first paragraph.
3.Then follow the light. Genesis 1:3 is a command that births day. John 1:4–9 says the light is personal, invading a darkness that cannot overcome it. Creation’s first gift becomes a Person who enters the world he made.
4.Close the arc with John 1:14 and 1:18. The God who made humans in his image now makes himself known in flesh. The true Image is not only Adam’s calling; it is Jesus’ identity. The Creator pitches his tent among us so we can see glory, grace, and truth.
Core pairs
Walk each pair: Genesis → John → the accomplished line.
Pair 2
Begun
Teach notes
- Open by reading Gen 1:1–5 aloud, then John 1:1–5 without comment. Let the group name what they heard twice.
- Ask: “Who is the main character of Genesis 1?” Then: “Where does John place Jesus in that sentence?”
- Protect John 1:3 from soft readings. If Jesus made all things, he is not inside the “all things.”
- Use John 1:14 as the emotional landing: the Creator does not remain distant; he dwells among us.
- If time allows, press the image pair: Adam shows the calling; Jesus shows the face.
Watch for
- Treating “Word” as a nice title instead of Creator identity.
- Saying Genesis is “Old Testament God” and John is “New Testament Jesus.”
- Stopping at “Jesus is light” without asking how that fulfils Genesis 1:3.
Key takeaway
The beginning of Genesis is fulfilled when the Word who made all things becomes flesh.
Challenge
Memorise John 1:1–3. Each day this week, thank Jesus as Creator before you thank him as Saviour.
Discussion
- If Jesus is the Word of Genesis 1, how does that change the way you read the creation story?
- Where do you still treat Jesus as “important” but not as the One through whom all things exist?
- What changes in prayer if the One you speak to is also the One who spoke light into being?
- How should “made in God’s image” sound different once you have seen the Word become flesh?
Closing prayer
Word of God, through whom all things were made: open our eyes to your glory in the flesh. Teach us to begin every story — including ours — with you. Amen.
After the study
Week recap
Walk the published slide recap for Week 1 · led by Dibe.
Open recap