In the beginning, God created everything: the heavens above and the earth below. Here’s what happened: At first the earth lacked shape and was totally empty, and a dark fog draped over the deep while God’s spirit-wind hovered over the surface of the empty waters. Then there was the voice of God.

gENESIS 1:1-3

From the beginning, in the Genesis creation story, God describes His debut as a divine family at work—a family that becomes something powerful in their unity.

Genesis 1 tells us that “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, let there be light and there was light” (Genesis 1:1–3 NIV).

In the context of the whole Bible, there are three key players in this passage: God the Father as the creator, the Spirit of God hovering over the waters, and finally in verse three, God spoke. The Word. Jesus Himself, present at creation. All three members are there dancing, working, moving, and creating —in perfect community.

In this beautiful creation project, the three different “personalities” in the Godhead were one in essence and purpose. And as the clay took shape, it was clearly molded by many hands: “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26 esv, emphasis added). In His limitless wisdom and power, God reveals Himself as the climax of unity within diversity: the Trinity.

Fast-forward to another pivotal moment in Scripture where we see this divine family at work again. In Matthew 3, we read Jesus’ baptism story. Just like at creation, God the Father is present, speaking from heaven. The Holy Spirit descends as a dove, hovering again over water, and of course Jesus is there, the embodiment of the Word of God. But now, the scene looks very different. There is chaos again, but it’s a different type of chaos that needs forming and redemption. At first, this cosmic community gave order to creation, but in this scene, they are reordering creation. Jesus’ baptism was God’s announcement that the Messiah had come, marking the launch of Christ’s ministry. Not only was it a critical foreshadowing of the death and resurrection that Christ would soon experience, but also a profound echo to the Genesis story. The old was passing away and new creation was about to spring forth. God’s initial work of creation originated in unity and God’s relaunching of new creation also began in unity. Everything God does originates in unity.

“No philosophical theory which I have yet come across is a radical improvement on the words of Genesis, that ‘In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth.'” –

C. S. Lewis