WE WERE THERE!

From Eternity past, God the Father, God The Son, and God the Holy Spirit planned for what would be the greatest of all Sacrifices. (And we were there!) Ephesians 1:4 “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world”. Jeremiah1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”. Romans 8:29; Ephesians 2:10 The exact days were designed and established…the exact day we would be born, the exact desperate need we would have for a Saviour, and the exact day we would be reborn.

Before time began the day was divinely orchestrated that Christ, fully God, would enter His Kingdom and become also fully Man. It was His choice to leave the Glory of Heaven, wrapped in His Heavenly robes, to be born wrapped in flesh and common strips of cloth.

Jesus knew, in Eternity past, the divine schedule of events that would ultimately be the most extravagant purchase of the most magnificent gift imaginable. (Because we were there!)

From the raging war of Satan and the entrance of sin into the perfect beauty of Eden, the Tree of Life planted by the hand of God, now cast a grand shadow of the cross on the landscape of the garden.

That shadow was ever present as Christ walked the Earth He created, carrying the ever present burden and beauty of …His death for our life. Colossians 1:16-17 “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.  And he is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” John1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” (We were there!).

Before time began, He knew the very Romans who would carve the cross, that symbol of death, into a Tree of Life…for us. (We were there!)

He created the iron ore and the blacksmith who would hammer the spikes, that would pierce the hands that created the universe. He knit together Judas and Pilate in their mother’s wombs. Psalm 139:13. “For You did form my inward parts; and did knit me in my mother’s womb” He created the animal whose hide would provide the leather strips for the lashing that would tear apart His back. He gave life to the Roman soldiers who would pluck out His beard, beat Him, spit upon Him. He grew the thorns placed on His head as a crown.

He knew that those He loved and spent three years with, would abandon Him in His hour of need and that as He sweat the blood of agony in the garden, His closest friends would prefer sleep over prayer. He knew that in His humanity He would ask His Father, “Is there any other way?” And He knew in His deity there was not. He had created the time,place,and every detail of His sacrifice. No person put Him on the cross. His abounding love, His willingness to save us from death with eternal life put Him there! (We were there!)

And as He hung on that cross,and every foul sin that would ever be committed was poured onto Him, we had our our own contribution. (We were there!)

He knew that when He proclaimed, “IT IS FINISHED!” He redeemed us, bought us back, purchased our salvation, and that we would have the privilege of wearing His Righteous Robes and His Great Name.

We were there for The GREAT EXCHANGE ! Unimaginably, disproportionately balanced in our favour!

His scouraging for our spiritual healing. His oppression for our freedom. His groanings for our songs. His grief and sorrow for our comfort and joy. His humiliation for our glorification. His suffering for our salvation.

We were in His heart and on His mind.

We were there, He is here, do you know Him?