I used to wonder why God had to send Jesus and thought “Of all the ways to save us, couldn’t He think of a better plan of redemption?” I just didn’t get it, I was ignorant. I accepted the truth for most of my life, but I did not understand why His plan went the way it did. I also thought about why He waited so long before He sent Jesus. It was those kinds of thoughts that had me question God’s master plan.
But then I read passages such as these and it helped me understand:
Romans 16: 25 … This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time.
Ephesians 3: 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
2 Timothy 1: 9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
I don’t know about you, but these verses blow me away. Jesus wasn’t some kind of “last ditch effort” to save mankind from judgment, He was the plan all along!
Now I get it.
What a grand mystery! How in the world did God have this plan all along, from the beginning of time through Jesus birth and no one on earth knew exactly how it would unfold? Did we even have a clue?
Let’s reveal some of the clues that God gave us about His grand plan:
Genesis 12: 1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.
Genesis 49: 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.Isaiah 9: 6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
As most of you know, the list of these Old Testament prophecies goes on and on. There are over 300 prophecies fulfilled regarding Jesus, by the way. It is incredible how God told us almost everything about Jesus long before His arrival.
So what is the big deal of Jesus’ arrival, and what is the big picture?
Read this passage from Ephesians carefully…
Ephesians 3: 6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
Wow, that is a grand plan!
It’s something I really can’t comprehend, but I know that I want a be a part of it, how about you? And how can we be part of it?
Matthew 28: 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Each one of you, the ones who are regularly reading His Word and seeking Him are either disciples or becoming disciples (If you’ve committed your heart to Him). How do you “make disciples”?
John 1: 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
For Philip, it was pretty simple and although his brother Nathanael was skeptical, that didn’t stop Philip. Philip’s reply was simply “Come and see for yourself”. Invite others to know Jesus and walk along side them.
So I say, “come and read the Word for yourself”. How can we invite people to get to know Jesus? The best way I know is by reading His Word and seeking the Spirit for ourselves.
Will you get to know Him better?
“Dear Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to this earth to show us who you really are. Thank you that you made a way for us to know you personally. Please help me to get to know you more. Please teach me your ways so that I can become like you. In Jesus’ name, Amen”
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash