God’s Plan In Sending Jesus to Earth
1. God’s plan through Jesus is eternal.
John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
If you were living in the first century as a Jew reading this passage, you would most likely have the Old Testament memorized, and the very first three words would remind you of an Old Testament passage. I’m sure many of you know it from Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
So, it seems that John is taking us all the way back to the beginning to remind us of where we came from, and he’s pointing toward what’s culminating now in the present in Jesus’ entrance into the world. And John describes Jesus as “the Word.” So, what does that mean?
Again, if you were a Jew living in the first century, you would’ve understood from Old Testament texts like Genesis, Psalms, and Proverbs that it was through God’s word that creation came about. God spoke, “Let there be light. And there was light.” God’s word went out from him to bring about creation.
But if, instead, you were Greek or trained in Greek philosophy, you would’ve understood the word as a way of explaining the cosmic force behind all of creation in ordering the world and really the reason things exist. In English, we would use the word “logic.” There’s an absolute truth behind the universe that’s allowed everything to be ordered the way it is and to function the way it does. And so, the question you would ask yourself is, “How do I align my life and actions around the logic of the universe?”
So, John is saying that Jesus is eternally with God, and at the same time, Jesus is eternally God. He has always existed; he wasn’t created… which means that Jesus wasn’t an afterthought. It wasn’t like he was God’s Plan B. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was always the plan for salvation – to bring people back to God, to forgive them of their sins, and to restore this broken world.
We worship a God whose plan is eternal. And that should change the way we see things.
When bad things happen, how do you respond?
If you were to get an unexpected report from the doctor saying you have cancer or some other terminal illness, how would you react? Would you freak out? Would you spiral into utter darkness? You might be upset at first. I know I would be. But in light of eternity, I’d like to think that I would call up my friends and gather people around me to pray with me and support me… because God is on the throne, and this would be a reminder that my hope is not in this life.
If you were to get fired from your job or career, if you were to lose a loved one, or if your husband or wife decided to leave you, how would you react? Would you freeze up in fear? Again, I know I would be upset. But in light of eternity, I’d like to think that I would trust in the one who has existed in eternity because he holds our lives in his hands. I’d like to think that God’s got this.
And that might sound a little cliché for some of you. But that’s the abundant life Jesus invites us to – a life of living with eternity in mind.
2. God’s plan through Jesus is creative and life-giving.
John 1:3-4
All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
Colossians 1:15-16
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through him and for him.
Through Jesus and for Jesus – this is so important for us to comprehend.
Do you want to know why you’re absolutely crushing it in your career, but you go home every night feeling empty and exhausted? It’s because you weren’t created through or for your career.
Do you want to know why you’re living this Instagram life where everything in your life looks so well put-together – you’ve got the beautiful house with the manicured lawn and beautiful family – but you feel so lonely? It’s because you weren’t created through or for your status or appearance.
Do you want to know why that fix – that for so long seemed to fill you – now leaves you feeling emptier than ever before and covered in shame? It’s because you weren’t created through or for whatever you’re looking to satisfy you.
You were created through and for the one who created you; the one in whom all things were made; the one who came to rescue and renew the created world that has become broken and needs to be brought back to life – Jesus.
Ephesians 2:1-2,4-5
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked… But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
This is all about identity. When we live our lives from the identity of being a new creation in Jesus, not from anything we’ve done or anything we could ever do, but from his power…
That’s when families, homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools are transformed around us… because Jesus is transforming us.
That’s when the humbled are exalted.
That’s when the broken are cared for and surrounded by community.
That’s when the person sitting in church this morning who feels lonely, unseen, worthless, and perhaps ready to completely give up comes to know just how dearly loved you are and how purposeful your life is in the eyes of your heavenly Father and in the eyes of your brothers and sisters around you.
And we can’t have any of this through sheer willpower. There is nothing we can do on our own to make any of this happen. It all happens through the power of Jesus and his Spirit within us who breathes life into our mortal bodies. God wants to breathe life into your soul over and over and over again, no matter what you’re facing.
God’s plan is creative and life-giving.
3. God’s plan in Jesus is to be the light
John 1:5
That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
Just as God spoke in the beginning and light flooded the world, Jesus stepped into his own creation, and light (good) flooded the darkness (evil). And that light will always shine through the darkness. The light of Jesus exposes evil. That light wants to transform you, heal you, and remind you of your purpose in life.
The word for “overcome” here means to understand or to grasp. And so, John is saying that some people just couldn’t grasp or understand Jesus. They couldn’t see him as the Creator. They couldn’t understand his upside-down way of living the kingdom life where the broken are lifted up and where those that the world despises are given dignity and value.
So, they ridiculed Jesus. They made fun of him. They tried to trap him in his words. They plotted ways to get rid of him. And then they tortured him, hung him on a cross, and killed him.
But that didn’t stop Jesus. They couldn’t stop Jesus. The light will always shine through the darkness.
There is coming a day when all darkness will be completely eradicated, and I pray that we are all ready for it… because just as they rejected Jesus back when he walked this earth, people today still reject him. Maybe you’re still rejecting Jesus. You’re still rejecting the light out of fear or shame or a hardened heart or anger.
Please, today, step into the light of Jesus. Have a conversation with someone about Jesus today. Come down and talk with me or one of the elders at the end of the service. His plan for you is eternal, creative, and life-giving. He invites you into an abundant life.
Now for those of us who are already following Jesus, do you know what Jesus calls us? In Matthew 5:14, Jesus calls us the light of the world.
So, here’s the challenge for us: With whom can we share the light of Jesus? Maybe write that person’s name down there in your message notes and put it somewhere you can see every day so you can pray for that person and you can ask God to give you the opportunity and the words to share the light of Jesus with that person.