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Our daughter-in-law got up early the day after Thanksgiving, I think around 4:00 in the morning, to be at the doors of a store having a Christmas Sale. When she arrived there didn’t seem to be many people at the door and she waited a few minutes and the doors were opened. But to her surprise, the small group at the door was just the beginning of the line into the store and the rest of the people in line wound completely around the building! Christmas time is here!
Our family all met in Tulsa for Thanksgiving and Friday evening a group of us went to Rhema Bible College to see their beautiful Christmas light display. They had decorated their park, the gazebo, the pond, and the walkways with thousands of beautiful lights. Everyone was all excited about the lights and the Christmas music as we wandered through the park! Christmas time is here!
Christmas time has so many nostalgic memories. Memories from childhood to adulthood of this wonderful time of the year! It is when everyone reaches for greater joy, peace and love than what they have had all year. But we all know that Christmas time is more than shopping, more than lights, more than music, and more than time with family. Christmas time is when we are to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ and what He means to us. And Christmas time is here. John said it this way:
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John connected his Gospel with the Book of Genesis with those simple words, “In the beginning …” Jesus was in the beginning! The Christmas story was not something that happened in Bethlehem when Mary gave birth to a baby boy. The Christmas story was planned from the beginning! The beginning … ? In the Book of Revelation John said God’s plan was …
Rev 13:8 “…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
The Book of Revelation draws us into the story by describing the beginning as being “from the foundation of the world.” Just when was the “foundation” made? When a building is built, the foundation is the first part of the building to be built. Jesus was God’s idea for your salvation and mine before Adam and Eve were created!
I don’t know if you ever meditate on things that are so big that it causes your mind to reel … but thinking about God’s plan for us is one of those enormous truths that we should meditate on during Christmas time. He wasn’t making a small gesture. His plan was all encompassing. And He was willing to take the time to make it all happen exactly as He planned it! Look at the book of Genesis … in the beginning … when the foundation was laid:
Gen 1:1-3
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
What was God doing as the foundations of the earth were laid? There are at least three interpretations of Genesis and the Creation story, not including evolution as one of them. I want us to be aware of each of these. One is of God making an extended plan that happened on a certain day and then He used the next six days to create everything that was ever created. In order to account for the distance of the stars and the age of the earth, most Creationist believe God created “age” in the things He created. Adam and Eve were mature adults, the trees were already grown, and the stars already had light shining from to the earth from millions of light years away. I think that is entirely possible!
Another story held by several Creationists is that there is a time lapse between verses one and two in Genesis chapter one of millions of years. They believe God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was inhabited by dinosaurs and other creatures which are no longer on the earth. It was during this time that Satan rebelled in heaven and a great war broke out in which Satan did all he could to destroy earth … and it “became” without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. It was then necessary for the Spirit of God to hover over the face of the earth and bring forth order out of chaos. I think that is possible, too.
The third is presented by a scientist who became a Christian. He had believed in the theory of evolution before he became a Christian but could not reconcile the “leaps” of evolution that are unexplainable. After becoming a Christian he ascribed to the principle of Intelligent Design and was able to explain what he found in science with the hand of God working in Creation. For him, God created an explosion and then allowed that to process for several thousand years in a swirling mass that was without form, and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Then God’s first day of Creation came and He created light and separated light from darkness … then He allowed that to process for several thousand years, and on and on until the six days of creation stretched across millions of years. I think that is possible, too.
While these are different ways of looking at creation the issue I want us to think about is not Creation but the time frame where God was at work creating the heavens and the earth. While God was involved in hanging each star in place, each universe, each solar system … He was talking with His Son about being born into this world and dying on a cross to redeem the creation that He had not yet made.
The eternal, everlasting God, who has no beginning and no end, had a plan for our salvation and our adoption into His family through Jesus … before He created the world! But who is Jesus? John describes Him …
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word …
The Word. Before His name was Jesus, His name was Word.
Gen 15:1
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
Was it Jesus who spoke to Abram in this vision?
Ps 107:20 He sent His word and healed them …
God the Father sent His Word and healed the Jewish people who needed healing!
Heb 1:1-2
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,
Jesus did not “appear” when He was born to Mary in Bethlehem. He was in the beginning with the Father in creation! He was the Word that went out of the mouth of Jehovah God and caused the work of creation to begin. He was the Word which was directing the Holy Spirit’s movement upon the face of the deep as the earth was formed! All things were made by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16)!
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Christmas time is the celebration of God’s plan! The God who created us became like us, dwelt among us, and allowed us to crucify Him, in order that He would purchase our salvation and our adoption as children of God.
Christmas isn’t about shopping, lights, or parties. It’s okay to do those … just don’t forget Jesus in the middle of celebrating the greatest plan that God made for his creation.
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