In the beginning John 1

Read:1 ( we will be in John 1 the next few days)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The second in the beginning phrase starts in John. First we saw it in Genesis 1, now it echos out in John 1. If you were able to participate in our advent study we dwelt in John 1:1-18 for the month. We will encamp here yet again the next few days.

Jesus was in the beginning. He was not born on Christmas and finished the job on Resurrection Sunday. He was, He is and He is to come. It is very important to understand that Christ was not only present at creation, but this says that Christ(being the Word) was with God, is God and without him not any thing made was made. He sustains all things, Hebrews 1:3 He holds all things together by the word of His power.

Jesus Christ, who sustained mankind since creation, was present at the fall. We like to remove God from the equation during the fall of mankind. We think, ugh, God was duped! Satan snuck in and tricked man and now God has to come up with Plan B for mankind. God has no plan B. His was are eternity past and eternity future. God is never caught off guard, surprised or shocked by man's fallen-ness. He knows our failures, he sees our since, and that is the mercy and grace of salvation, He died anyways. He died for our sins before we committed them. He died for us as Romans teaches while we were yet sinners. There was no merit system, no way to earn it, and we cannot forge it. Salvation is a free gift. Our role is in receiving it.

My youngest daughter asks us all the time, If God knew Eve was going to sin, why did He make her? Or now her part B to the question, why did He not stop her? Talk about heavy bedtime theological questions. She has yet to be quite satisfied with a single answer- because all things lead Jesus still yet to the cross, and that essentially is her problem. She doesn't like that Jesus had to die, it truly breaks her little heart. Yet, as we talk with her, it breaks her heart; but does not prevent her from sinning! She can ask these questions, love the Lord and then run off and immediately disobey. Why? Because we are all sinners. We are conceived in sin and remain that way. We need the Lord Jesus Christ to pardon us at Calvary. The only hope we have, is through the saving work of Jesus Christ. Jesus had to come to make us new. Why? Because since Adam we have all fallen short of the glory of God, yet since Adam there has been a glorious redemption story of God redeeming man back to Himself. He covered Adams sin with the blood and skin of an animal in the Garden and He cloaks us yet even now through the atoning work of the Cross and the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord.

When we come to faith, and God looks down at us, gone is the stains of sin and chasm that laid between, when he looks down He sees us as righteous, heirs to the Kingdom, because we have been justified by Jesus Christ who willingly paid the price and atoned for our sins. In our kids Bible study we are learning some key theological concepts, they define atonement this way: Atonement is the work of God to deal justly with our sin and deserved wrath through Jesus' death on the cross so that we may have eternal life. (Little Pilgrims Theology).  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. At this time of preparation we remember that He came to die, but may we start from the beginning, He didn't simply come, He always was and always will be Jesus Christ, the Lord.

Worship Song for the day I will glory in my Redeemer