Ephesians 1:3-4
“Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”

The story of Christmas begins with the beginning of the work of the Son of God. And His first work is recorded in Genesis chapter 1. The story of His love for us that led Him to give up the glory, beauty and perfection of heaven to come to our dirty, dusty, pain-filled world begins not in Bethlehem, or in the Old Testament prophets. We must go to the beginning of His story lest His Creating Word Made Fleshbirth become simply the beginning of another story of a tragic and misunderstood life.

The cross of Golgotha stands firmly planted in Genesis chapter 1. Even before the creation, Christ’s pain and suffering on that coarse structure was anticipated. Ephesians 1:4 reveals that even before the foundation of the world God’s plan of salvation was already in place.

Even the coarse Roman soldiers knew that His robe could not be cut into pieces without destroying it. Likewise, the Bible is one complete piece – woven of one thread. Cutting out anything leaves the whole thing to unravel. To remove the beginning of the story of the Word and His work in Genesis is to remove the foundation on which His work of salvation stands.

Yes, the Christmas story is far more than the story of the birth of an important baby. It is the center of the story of creation itself!

Prayer:
I thank You, Lord, that You made me. And I thank You that when I was lost in sin, You sought me out with a plan devised before the world was formed. Help me to love others as You have loved me. Amen.

Notes:
Bartz, Paul A. 1984. “The creating word made flesh.” Bible-Science Newsletter, Dec. p. 1. Painting: “The Crucifixion, seen from the Cross”, by James Tissot, 19th century.

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