God created man. Man fell, by disobeying God. The perfect relationship between Creator and creature was broken. What could be done?
Photo by: deko (Creative Commons)
When God created man and gave him free will, He knew that He was giving man the opportunity to choose between having a relationship with Him or walking away. Man chose to walk away (Genesis chapter 3). That choice affected every human being that descended from the original couple, so everyone is born apart from God.
What was God willing to do to allow man to have access to Him again? The answer is: everything!
From the beginning, God knew that what man did by himself, by choosing to break the relationship between them, man could never mend by himself. No ordinary man would ever be good enough and worthy enough to be able to do it.
So He did the unthinkable: He sacrificed Himself.
He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to the world as a man, to suffer, to die, to pay the price for our sins, so we could have access again to God. Jesus came to the world to be the only way to get to the Father.
From the moment God created man, He knew His Son would die. The moment He molded man out of dirt, and breathed life into him, He was sentencing His Son to death. But He found it to be worthy it.
Jesus’ death was not an afterthought. It was the original plan all along. It was the only way for God to create man with free will and give Him a way to be back with Him.
The apostle Peter talks about it in his first letter:
Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21 MSG)
And that’s what Easter is all about: God’s love, so great and beyond our understanding, that He chose to die so we could live.
So if you think you’re not worthy it, if you think you’ve done too much wrong and you’re too far, that you passed the point of no return, remember that God thought of you when He sent Jesus to die. And He found it worthy it to die in order to give you life.
The life He offers you is the only life worth living: the eternal life with Him.
This post is part of the “One Word at a Time Blog Carnival” hosted by Peter Pollock. Check out his blog for links to other posts that were written based on the word “afterthought”.
YEP! That’s the way my mind started when I knew I was being drawn to Him. When the man was leading me to the Lord and my life was filled with sin, I told him I needed to get better first and then I would do it. I knew the Lord was the answer. Stan said that I needed to come to the Lord first and then the life would change, because He would make it come to pass. And, that’s exactly what happened. So, on April 15th, I will have my 46th re-birth day. And, my life has changed absolutely immensely… and I ain’t perfect, yet, but HE is!!
Jo, I’m so glad you had someone to give you good advice, and I’m so glad that you took it to heart. Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful to meditate on His word and plan for our lives! We were delivered out of the empty way of living and brought into His wonderful Kingdom. Thanks Cris. Good word.
Thank you so much, Jason!
It is so difficult to realize that God made plans to redeem – – even before hand – – while he was creating man. It is a wonder that He could love us all when we have often gone our own rebellious way. God certainly does not have afterthoughts, He knows our frame and that we are weak and full of dust! But he loves us anyway, and provided for us His eternal salvation by his supreme sacrifice.
Praise the Lord for that! God’s love is so beyond our understanding, but that can’t keep us from receiving it. Thanks, Hazel!
So true. “Jesus’ death was not an afterthought. It was the original plan all along.” You have stated it so clearly. God’s love is greater than our understanding.
Yes, it is!
Thank you so much for your comment, Carol!