The biblical story of sin and death entering into the world through Adam and Eve, along with the sin and suffering each of us have personally witnessed and experienced, don't make much sense without an eternal perspective. It can all feel like a big mistake, where God's Plan A was thwarted by man's sin and Jesus was the Plan B we needed to put things back together. But the Bible makes it clear that not only was Jesus God's Plan A, but that the sin and fall of mankind that lead up to Jesus were also part of the plan. While this might seem confusing and unexpected, it begins to come into focus when we look at God's overarching goal...to put His glory on full display, and for us to be able to enjoy that with Him for eternity. Our ability to enjoy and to be in God's presence is not possible without the backdrop of sin and suffering and the wonder of God's intervention, through His Son, Jesus.
In our previous Advent sermons we've seen how God's intention does not seem to be an abandonment of His creation, but rather a cleansing and a redemption of it. We see clues that it will be the same with our work, cultures, kingdoms and heritages. God clearly loves creativity and variety and the Bible seems to indicate that Heaven will be a place of many languages (united by a single Heavenly tongue) and cultures, as well as opportunities to pursue joyful, life-giving work. All things will be subject to His perfect will and will operate only for His glory and our good, including any memories we have of this current life. As we sing about each year at Christmas, sin and sorrows will no longer grow, and thorns will no longer infest the ground. Wherever the curse is currently found it will be replaced by His blessing and we will live, work, interact, explore, discover and rest in the shadow of His love. This is good news!
