Christmas!
What a great time to start a blog!
This is the first blog for my new website supporting the launch of Made For Eden.
I felt that the timing of its launch allowed the first blog to be about the Christ child. Here it is.
There are so many things to say about the Incarnation, about God with us, Immanuel. About a baby born to save mankind.
Since this book is about our purpose, what we were made for and how we are to return to that purpose, it is fitting to look at the first evidence of “God with us.” And it was not in the birth of Jesus, the man. Jesus, the pre-existent being, part of the Trinity, was around before and during the start of “God with us.” John 1:1-4 says
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.
Only centuries later would he take on the form of a person and become the object of the promise of Immanuel.
John 1:14-18 says
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and called out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’”…No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.”
John the Baptist explains that Jesus excited before himself. And Jesus is a picture of the Father and explains His nature.
So if Jesus was present a creation (“All things came into being through Him”,) but only came into a human form as He who split time into what we call B.C. and A.D., when was God first with us? The truth is, God was with Adam and Eve in the Garden! That was the plan God had for their existence. God made them like Himself, and gave them a job, to rule over the earth.
To demonstrate to them that He was near and involved, He would walk with them in the cool of the day. (Genesis 3:8) How awesome would that have been!
After the Fall, where they were removed from Eden, man could not handle the full Glory that surrounds God. We had to be restored to the relationship. But the implication in Eden is that seeing God for who He is was not a problem. They were meant to be in close presence with Him. Yet sin interrupted that.
We do read that God spoke to Moses “face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11) Moses sought Him, and God came close to him. Moses asks to see His glory, and God replies that no one could see His face and live. He would allow His goodness to pass in front of him. Seeing only His back, Moses experiences the goodness, the presence. (Exodus 33:18-23)
After many centuries, God through His prophet Isaiah says a sign is coming. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
After promising “Immanuel” will be a sign to Israel, God then promises to be with them in the face of their enemies.
In Isaiah 8:10 He says those who plan to oppose Israel, it will fail because God is with them. The presence of power brings His power with it. The New Testament promise is even stronger. Mark 9:23 says ‘But Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.’” Matthew 19:26 says “And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” And Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
I’ll close with one of my favorite songs of the season. It’s “Noel,” by Chris Tomlin. It says:
“Son of God and Son of man, there before the world began
Born to suffer, born to save, born to raise us from the grave
Christ the everlasting Lord, He shall reign forevermore
Noel, Noel
come and see what God has done
Noel, Noel
The story of amazing love. The light of the world, given for us. Noel”
The appearance of the light of the world, of He who formed all that was Created, was indeed good news of great job that will be for all the people. He was born to save and born to raise us from the grave.
And once He saves us, we are ready to engage anew in His purpose begun in Eden. To bring Him glory as live by His guidance. Heaven’s hosts could proclaim “Glory to God in the highest.” (Luke 2:14) For in the Son, God was again “with us.” And the added joy in the promise Jesus fulfills is that not only will He be near, but He will be in us through the Spirit He sent.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Bryan
