Before time began, God was.
God created the heavens and the earth.
Everything he created was good.
God specially created humans.
He gave them a mission and a choice.
The mission was to fill and steward creation.
The choice was to trust and obey or distrust and disobey.
Humans chose to distrust and disobey.
This distrust and disobedience is called “sin.”
Sin leads to death. Always.
Yet, God is sovereign.
He stays in the story.
He pursues and loves evildoers.
He punishes and limits them as well.
He chose a people, Israel, to show himself to the world.
He demonstrated his existence, power, and character.
He gave them commands.
They disobeyed.
He set himself up as their King.
They rebelled.
He showed them unfailing love.
They were unfaithful.
God remained faithful.
He sent them prophets.
Through them, He spoke of coming judgment.
And coming salvation.
Immanuel, which means God with us.
God, eternally existing as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
This God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son
That whoever would believe in him would not perish
But have everlasting life.
The Son was born in a small city.
To a young virgin.
He grew into a man.
This man did what the first man did not.
Succeeded where Israel failed.
He perfectly trusted, perfectly obeyed.
In his early thirties, he began to travel and preach.
He silenced storms. Healed diseases.
Befriended sinners. Confronted the religious.
Raised the standard.
Forgave the condemned.
The crowds gathered to see but he called people closer to follow.
They witnessed miracles. They shared meals.
They learned to pray. They cast out demons.
They believed his message: the Kingdom of God is here.
Some followed him.
Most rejected him.
One of his own betrayed him to the jealous Jewish authorities.
They falsely accused him of crimes.
The son of God did not resist.
Like a lamb led to slaughter, he submitted to death.
This was the reason he came.
To pay the price for our sins.
To suffer the penalty that was our due.
To endure the wrath destined for us.
Hung between two thieves, he took it all on himself.
Every ounce of brokenness from the Garden until time itself runs out.
He took the death and its shame.
He bowed his head and gave up his life.
The sinless hung for sinners on a cross.
In His dying breath he cried out, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Stunned, his followers took him down from the cross and laid him in a grave.
Forgetting everything that Jesus had said, they hid, confused and afraid.
But on the third day, he was raised to life.
Victorious over death, triumphant from the grave.
The penalty paid, redemption born.
A new chapter.
Sin leads to death, always.
But now, again, we can have eternal life.
After raising from the dead, Jesus showed himself to his disciples.
Some believed, others doubted.
He told them he was leaving earth but to wait for the Spirit.
His parting words:
“All authority belongs to me.
Make disciples.
Teach them to obey.
I am with you.”
He ascended to heaven.
He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside his disciples.
To guide, comfort and counsel them.
To empower them to do greater things than even he had done while with them.
Jesus’ disciples spread his gospel and His Church continues the work to this day.
The Kingdom has come and still is coming.
Salvation is here.
Death is defeated.
Sin is still an option.
Trust and obey. Distrust and disobey.
Our Kingdom or His?
Humanity divides and is dividing still.
Some reject the savior.
Some receive the savior.
Those that reject him will eternally die.
Those that receive him will eternally live.
Jesus has come. Jesus is coming.
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