John 1: 1-5; In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God! He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. In Him was life, that life was the light of men. That Light shines in the darkness, the darkness could not overcome It.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let (Us) make man in our Image, according to our likeness.”
During the beginning God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, three in one decided, to create man Adam & Eve He created them. Now we know that God is omniscient (meaning he knows everything as well as all the directions our decisions will take us, (with free will to choose, to go our own way or follow him) this is what Adam and Eve did they listened to the serpent, they ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
God the father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, had to know this was a possible direction man would go. So, They had a plan for our salvation from the beginning, but with free will, it will always require A yes from a willing participant!
Genesis 6:6 God being grieved by the way man is in total rebellion think only evil all the time, looks one that can stand in for all humanity, one to save, so his plan would continue.
Enter Noah and his family a man who followed God, who would have to believe in the Lord to build the Ark. After Noah, here comes Abram when God told him to go to where he leads Abram says yes lord. Then Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice his own son, showed just how much Abraham believed God’s promises. For nothing is impossible for Our God.
Then Moses, and the exodus it is however unfortunate, that Moses’s anger overwhelmed his trust in God, costing him the promised land but not heaven. Each of the prophets, over all time. With one exception said yes to the possibility of death. Jonah said no, And God still used him in the plan after he repented and said Yes Lord I will go. God forgives Jonah and uses him to further his plan. In this way God shows, his love for all humanity.
Four thousand years after Adam & Eve, Gabriel came to a fourteen- to sixteen-year-old to tell her of God’s plan for her and the world!
Imagine you are in the middle east in 33 B.C, and you are fourteen, maybe sixteen (a virgin) engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. In a time in which to be found pregnant would be cause for you, to be stoned to death.
This Girl goes into her bedroom to sleep for the night. (Luke 1:26-37) Suddenly in her room an Angel appears with a strange greeting “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” She was deeply concerned with the statement wondering what in the world is this greeting. Then Gabriel tells her “Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God, now listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; His kingdom will never end!”
You are between fourteen and sixteen never been with a man but knowing how life is conceived would you not ask what Mary ask next. Mary asked, “how this can happen?” “I have never been with a man; I am a virgin!” Gabriel answered her; “The HOLY SPIRIT will overshadow you. Therefore, the one to be born will be holy and be Called the Son Of GOD, unblemished by Sin from birth!” The angel then gave Mary proof to his words, not because she ask for proof, but because Mary’s world says this was impossible. He said to her “see your cousin Elizabeth being Old is in her sixth month.” “Nothing is impossible for God!” then Mary a young woman says the most important yes in the history of women, “let it be to me as you have said.”
She then gets up early in the morning and immediately heads to Elizabeth’s. right here something amazing happens, even though something amazing has already happened but the child in her cousin’s womb leaps at the first Hello heard. Leaps! Leaps! for those who have had a child to have a baby move inside your womb is difficult enough. But to have that child who has been pushing on your bladder and your internal organs Leap as if he is jumping the Jordan river wow, I bet it nearly knocked over Elizabeth.
To make this moment even more exciting, The Holy Spirit then spills over out of the mouth of Elizabeth, She yells out loudly: “blessed are you among Women, and your child will be blessed, how could this happen to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me?? Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed, that the LORD would fulfill what He has spoken to Her.” Because Mary believed She has the great distinction of being the most remembered Woman in the history of mankind.
Thirty Years later, will bring us to the next yes when Jesus came to the Jordon River he goes to be baptized By John for the repentance of sin even though he was already sin-less, after protest from John, we find Jesus starting his ministry with a Yes to the will of the Father. (also confirmed by God himself Saying to all who could here Him “this is my Son with whom I am well Pleased”). Off to the wilderness Jesus goes fasting and praying. Forty days later With a series of NO’s to the devil and the temptations placed before him. Jesus starts the ministerial part of the plan and the calling of the disciples 12 of them representing the twelve tribes of Israel. For three Years he teaches all who can hear him with their hearts not just their ears, the Gospel the freedom from sin and shame. Jesus even tells the disciples and even the religious leaders how all of this will be accomplished.
Even though they would not understand the Plan until it was completed. Oh how sad to be able to touch, The Lord and Not see The prophecies being fulfilled before their eyes.
As many of you Know with all your hearts Jesus Died for your sins, and many of you have given your hearts over to Jesus.
One of stories in the bible is a true sign of leadership: I want to set the scene: thirteen men come into the room. Jesus being one of them, they realize there is no one there to wash their feet when entering the room. This was a custom that I agree with when you realize not one of them wore closed toe shoes or socks. Can you imagine how dirty their feet were?
Now Imagine your boss getting down on his knees taking your foot and washing the dirty disgusting feet of people who would walk all day in dust and garbage on the streets. But that is what Jesus the Lord does. He gets down on his knees, wraps his tunic around his waist then begins with washing the disciple’s feet, even though they protested he did it anyway. Jesus states again if you want to be first you must be the servant of all. Then they take seats around the table as far as we know Jesus at the head of the table. John at his left but Judas at his right, Jesus begins the Passover dinner. Afterwards they go for a walk to the garden of gethsemane which was customary for Jesus. Jesus tells the eleven stays over here for a moment and pray for me. Then Jesus overwhelmed, with the weight of what is coming he gets down on the ground and prays with so much intensity his sweat is like drops of blood. Father in heaven if it is possible for this cup to be removed from me? But your will be done.
Yes father I will do this for them, yes I will endure this pain torture and death, I will ask you to forgive them for they really don’t understand what they are actually doing.
T.Scott.Kisler 