Advent 2024 : December 2

Have you ever wondered what God was up to before He created the world? I mean, He’s existed for an eternity before ever forming the universe, so how did He pass the time? Well, without getting into the mind-bending thought that time itself didn’t exist yet, the Bible actually does give us an answer about what God was doing before there was a world and the answer is surprisingly good news for you and me today.

In John 17:25, Jesus is praying to His Father and He says, “before the foundation of the world, you loved me.” Before anything else existed, before there was time, space, solar systems and water cycles, black holes and black widows, God the Father was loving His Son. And He did this by the Spirit. Romans 5:5 teaches us that “God’s love has been poured into [the hearts of believers] through the Holy Spirit” so the way that God the Father communicates His love, even to His own Son, is through the Spirit. Which means that in eternity-past, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit were enjoying love and fellowship WITH one another.

Now, at this point you might be thinking to yourself, “Ok, great. But I don’t really see how that applies to me.” That would be fair. But let me add one more Bible passage to this mix and I think you’ll see just how much of a difference this makes.

In Ephesians 1, Paul is describing the incredible outcome of salvation for lost sinners. He basically says that all those who have been saved, who have come to Jesus in repentance and faith, were chosen by the Father (vv.3-6), redeemed by the Son (vv.7-10), and sealed with the Spirit (vv.11-14). All of which amounts to a shocking guarantee that the Christian will receive the greatest inheritance that God can offer: eternity WITH Him. But near the beginning He says something that should catch our attention. Paul writes, “[God] chose us before the foundation of the world… In love, He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ.” (vv. 4-5).

Let’s pull a few threads together here. We just established that before God created anything, the Father, Son, and Spirit were enjoying love and fellowship WITH each other. But, according to Ephesians 1, He was also preparing a plan to call His people, whom He hadn’t yet even made, into love and fellowship WITH Him too. And more than that! He was planning to adopt them to Himself as sons. Not meaning that it was going to be a boys club, but that all believers, male and female, would enjoy with God what the eternal Son Himself enjoyed. Just as the Son was the eternal object of the Father’s love, that Son was to become the “firstborn of many brothers” (Romans 8:29), who would themselves, WITH Jesus, become the objects of the Father’s eternal love poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

So the story of a God who persistently desires to be WITH His people that we’ll spend our Advent season exploring isn’t a story that began in the Garden of Eden. It predates even that. It’s a story that began in the love and fellowship that the Father, Son, and Spirit shared WITH each other for eternity past, and it’s a story that will end with all of His people enjoying an eternity WITH Him too.

And what do we do with this kind of message? Well, two things: 1) if you haven’t yet trusted in Jesus, the Son of God, as your saviour, consider what you’re missing out on. By simply turning from whatever else you’ve been chasing in this world and humbly accepting God’s forgiveness this story could be your story. And 2) if you have trusted in Jesus, simply enjoy. Enjoy the love of your eternal Father poured out into your heart through the Holy Spirit and the guarantee that your present and your future is a present and future WITH Him. Enjoy this season of advent in a special way this year, and day after day, ponder the wonderful message of the Bible that God has been relentlessly pursuing, on page after page, fellowship WITH His people.

PRAYER: Father, we can’t help but marvel at your incredible plans. That before all things were made, you had decided to redeem your people from their sin and invite them to share in the love that your Son has eternally enjoyed. We could never earn or deserve that kind of grace, forgiveness, and affection, yet you freely give it. Help us this Christmas season to thoroughly enjoy what we have received from you: undeserved kindness, grace to approach your throne in prayer, space to hear you speak in Scripture, and hope for a full and endlessly satisfying future WITH you. Would you be magnified and adored in our hearts and minds this advent. Amen.