Faithful on Fridays Blog

The Plan

Well, today the season has been completed for another year. Christmas decorating enjoyed, Christmas gifts presented, Christmas parties are over, and all the special foods and baked goods completed. Whew! I’m tired. 

In order to get everything done on time we needed a Plan. Well, I’m known in my family as the one who always needs a plan; it comes naturally to me and makes life seems less complicated and stressful. However, keep in mind that God is the Supreme Planner and His Plan was created way before it was ever needed and even His Plan was planned.

The family of Abraham was chosen to inaugurate His Plan and it progressed through the generations of shepherds and nomads until the family of King David. This royal family line would produce another king unlike any royalty they had seen before. The coming Messiah would be a spiritual King at His birth (Jesus was not a king in Bethlehem) and a physical King at His Return, which we eagerly anticipate. Now stay with me…

God’s Plan was to give mankind the opportunity to be cleansed from sin and therefore its punishment but also the privilege of joining Him again, as in the Garden of Eden, participating in His rule and reign. That’s why we celebrate Christmas. God became part of us, a human being, in order to suffer our death sentence; in order to restore our true destiny. Wow, what a Plan.

There’s a passage in the Bible, Isaiah 9:6, that tells us this Child born to us would be a miracle-worker (Wonder-ful), He would be a Counselor (attorney at no cost!), He would be the Father of Eternity (Everlasting Father), God of all Might and Power, and the Prince of Peace. Now that is Good News! 

But I like verse 7 which is often left out of the Christmas scriptures:

His government and its peace will never end.He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! Isaiah 9:7 NLT

This tells us that the Plan didn’t end with Christmas, His birth, or even Easter, His death and resurrection. The Plan will continue throughout all eternity! Bottom line: the kingdom living that God wants us to experience, that He’s passionately committed to, began in the Garden of Eden, continued through history to the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and consummates at His Return and is forever. Now, that is something to meditate on and celebrate this Christmas.

Let’s never get over the wonder of this virgin birth, the appearance and proclamation of angels, and even the lowly shepherds visiting the Christ Child. He was God whose Plan was to become like us in order for us to become like Him. Never get over that.