Eternal Plan

If you’ve ever played a part in organizing a big event you know there are a lot of important details that go into pulling it off successfully. A wedding, for instance, involves more than just two people saying “I do.” There are decorations, invitations, clothes, food, a place to do it! All of these things take a lot longer to put into place than the actual service. Many big ventures in life require a lot of planning to make it go smoothly. The more significant an event is, the longer it typically takes to put it together. As we reflect on the plan of salvation made possible by Jesus the Christ, we should instantly recognize that this is very important not only to God but to us! Can we recognize the planning that went into bringing that into reality?

Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” This is the official promise made to Abraham concerning God among His people. This was made more than 2,000 years before Jesus was born, but we can see how it had already been in the works long before that (Genesis 3:15; Colossians 1:15-17)

However, like many big events that take a lot of planning, people can get impatient and want to cut corners, or do just what sounds easier to them. The Bible is filled with examples of people who decided to move ahead without God. Humanity would do go to remember the words of Psalms 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Paul says in Romans 5:6, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” At just the right time! Once all the pieces were set in place, once all the details were complete, Jesus came to dwell among us. But His arrival was just the beginning of God’s last phase – redemption.

Just consider the impact of one of the most famous verses in the Bible, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” His love for His creation is what compelled Him to put this plan to work.

1 Peter 1:10-12, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”