The Saga of Jesus
Before Time Began
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Fantastic Journey
Unlike you, Jesus did not begin His life when He was born of a woman. Throughout all eternity, Jesus has ALWAYS existed. The purpose of this essay is to take you backwards in time so you can observe your Savior... BEFORE He was born BEFORE time even began BEFORE Lord Jesus created the heavens and earth. Enjoy your "time travels." There are many blessings for you along the way.		(A prophecy given by God to Micah, centuries before Jesus was born...) But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah (the town where Jesus was born), though you are little among the thousands (of towns) of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me (God) the One (Messiah & King) to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (eternal). Micah 5.2

Before time began - LOVE
(Jesus said to the Father:) ...You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17.24b (Jesus said:) That the world may know that I love the Father... John 14.31a		The Bible tells us next to nothing about Lord Jesus before He created the universe. We do know this - the Father and Jesus were together. Oh, how very much TOGETHER they were! The boundless height and width and depth of their love for one another is beyond human comprehension. The endless joy of their companionship is equally beyond the grasp of our puny, finite minds. Throughout all eternity, that intimate communion between Father and Son was never once broken. Never once! At least -- not until The Cross.

God's Eternal Plan included - CREATION
The Eternal Plan called for creation of a universe and two forms of intelligent life -- angels and humans. Some interesting questions arise... Did God create any intelligent life forms besides angels and humans? Are there other populated planets *out there* somewhere? The Bible doesn't answer these questions... The Bible doesn't say that God created other intelligent life forms. On the other hand, neither does it say that He didn't. The answers to these questions are presently secret unto God (Deu 29.29). It's puzzling as to why some Christians get defensive if someone says there might be life elsewhere in the universe besides on our Planet Earth. After all, the Bible is silent on this issue so what's their problem? Ah well -- everyone to their own hang-ups (as the lady said when she kissed the cow.)		In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Gen 1.1 Praise God, all His angels... For He commanded and they were created. Ps 148.2a, 148.5b So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Gen 1.27

God's Eternal Plan included - GOD'S OWN COVENANT
All things were made by Him (Jesus); and without Him was not any thing made that was made. John 1.3 For by Him (Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible... Col 1.16a		The heart of the Eternal Plan was a Covenant made by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For brevity, we will henceforth refer to this as *God's Own Covenant.* *God's Own Covenant* contained several agreements. One of these agreements was that Jesus the Son would have the primary role in the job of creating everything.

God's Eternal Plan included - PURPOSES
Did you ever wonder: "What were the Lord's PURPOSES in creating angels and people?" In answer to your question, the Bible identifies many (probably not all) of God's purposes. Let's look at just five of the most important of those purposes. Namely, Jesus created angels and humans so that they could... Receive God's love Love God Be God's friends and have fellowship with Him Be God's "glory" - - God's special *treasure* Worship God		In this the love of God was manifested toward us... 1 John 4.9a You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. Deu 6.5 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor 1.9 {God said...} Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him. Isa 43.7 {Jesus said...} The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. John 4.23

God's Eternal Plan required - FREEDOM
(God said:) ...choose life, that both you and your descendants may live... that you may love the Lord your God that you may obey His voice and that you may cling to Him..." Deu 30.19b, 30.20a "Come now, and let us reason together,'' says the Lord... Isa 1.18a		God's purposes called for making creatures with the ability to love Him, be His friends, and worship Him. Those purposes mandated that God endow angels and humans with the innate freedom to make moral, emotional, and rational CHOICES. Without such freedom, angels and humans would be no more than talking computers. God's "programming" would determine everything they said and did. Unless freely given, love is not love Lacking choice, friendship is a sham Without freedom, worship is a mockery And who can love - TRULY love - a talking robot? Not even God can do that.

God's Eternal Plan considered - The CONSEQUENCES
Nothing takes God by surprise. Nothing! Even before God created anything or anyone, He knew Satan would rebel. Even before time began, God knew that the human race would sin. Yes, God knew there would be sin, but that is not ALL that God knew. God also knew -- INTIMATELY! -- every angel and every human who would ever be. Throughout all eternity, God knew and loved them before ever they were created. Before time began, God knew YOU... He knew everything about you. Everything you would ever do. Every thought you would ever think. Every word you would ever speak. With sorrow God foresaw the dreadful sin in you. And yet -- and yet -- for reasons known ONLY to God, He loved you. God hated your sin, but YOU He loved. He always has. He always will.		...God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 1 John 3.20b
		(A prayer unto God --) Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. Ps 139.16
		The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting (eternal) love..." Jer 31.3a

God's Eternal Plan considered - The LAW
Knowing that the entire human race would be sinners, God set out to provide a Way for dealing with that sin. In so doing, God had to satisfy His own law that a sinner MUST die the death of separation from God's presence. This law is not optional with God. By His very nature, God is holy. God CANNOT change or go against His own nature. Separation from sin is at the very heart of God's holiness. How then could God preserve a sinful human race from the death penalty of sin?		for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Rom 3.23 For the wages of sin is death... Rom 6.23a These (sinners) shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power 2 Thes 1.9

God's Eternal Plan conceived - The WAY
by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin... Rom 5.12a Therefore, as through one man's (Adam's) offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act (dying for the sins of the human race) the free gift (salvation from sin's death penalty) came to all men, resulting in justification of life. Rom 5.18		Before time began, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit conceived a Way of JUSTLY saving humans from the law's death penalty for sin. God's Way of salvation was founded on the fact that one man, Adam, would bring sin into the entire human race. Accordingly, one Man could represent the entire human race in paying the death penalty for that sin. One Man could be the Savior for all people. One Man could be The Way! However, an obstacle remained. That One Man -- that Savior -- must Himself be SINLESS, else He would have to die for His own sins and could not die for the sins of others.

God's Eternal Plan provided - HIMSELF the Lamb
God's Way of salvation... Must be a man Must be sinless Must die for all But God foreknew that all humans would be sinners. Accordingly, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit agreed... God would provide Himself as the Lamb to be sacrificed for human sins. God Himself would become a man and die. God Himself was the only Way to save mankind. And Jesus the Son, knowing full well the agony and humiliation He would endure on the cross, said, "Here I am. I am the Way." Why did our beloved Savior so readily agree to suffer and die? Jesus did so for the JOY that was set before Him (Heb 12.2). The joy set before Him was YOU!		...God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering... Gen 22.8b
		(Jesus said:) Here I am -- it is written about me in the scroll -- I have come to do your will, O God. Heb 10.7
		Jesus said to him, "I am the way..." John 14.6a)
		...for the joy that was set before Him (Jesus) endured the cross, despising the shame... Heb 12.2b)

God's Own Covenant - The LAMB
in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began Titus 1.2 (God...) has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began 2 Tim 1.9 (Christians have been saved by...) the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world... 1 Pet 1.19-20a (Jesus is) ...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev 13.8c		By the terms of God's Own Covenant, made before time began, you who receive Jesus Christ have eternal life. BY THE GRACE OF GOD! By the terms of God's own Covenant, conceived before the world was founded, Jesus Christ was foreordained to be the Lamb to die for YOUR sins. God found a Way. Halleluyah!

Journey's end
And now your journey to eternity past is over. You have learned that God foreknew and loved you -- even before you existed; even before time began. You have witnessed the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in council as they shaped God's Eternal Plan -- a plan whereby Lord Jesus would... Make a world for you to live on Bring you into existence Save you from your sins Receive you from the Father as His very own treasure Present you holy and without blame before the Father in heaven And on the sixth day of the foundation of the world, Lord Jesus commanded... Let there be YOU!		By Him (Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Col 1.16 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them... Gen 1.27 ...So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Gen 1.31b