God's Rescue Plan

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son” (Galatians 4:5).

In the 1980s TV show “The A-Team,” the character “Hannibal” played by George Peppard was known for his often-repeated catchphrase, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Well, the coming of Jesus Christ was actually the culmination of a long plan that God put together to rescue the creation. Whereas God originally intended the world to be a place of peace, justice, and flourishing for all creatures, the decision of human beings to exercise their God-given power in ways contrary to God’s good purpose brought instead violence and suffering—sin and death.

But because “God so loved the world” (John 3:16), he refused to give up on his creation. God acted. He initiated a rescue plan.

The plan began with God enlisting a man named Abram—later renamed Abraham. God entered into a solemn agreement with him. According to the arrangement, God would protect Abraham and make him great. His offspring would become a great nation and God would give them a land of their own. Most importantly, God promised that it would somehow be through Abraham that the world would be blessed—ultimately rescued from sin and death. 

Abraham’s descendants, however, largely came into being while enslaved by another nation called Egypt. To deliver them from their bondage, provide them with an ethical code to live in accordance with God’s will, and offer guidance into the land that was promised, God decided to enlist another individual by the name of Moses.   

Once delivered from Egypt through the agency of Moses, God made a solemn agreement with Abraham’s descendants, otherwise known as the nation of Israel. God would protect and provide for them, and they would be expected to obey the God who rescued them from Egyptian bondage. In this way, they would become a “light” to the other nations—a witness to the goodness of God and his purpose for all creation.

Israel eventually entered the land promised by God. After some time had passed, though, Israel’s obedience to God began to falter. Consequently, with God’s protection temporarily removed, Israel was taken captive by many of their neighboring nations.

Nevertheless, God continued to be gracious. Each time Israel became subject to a foreign nation, God enlisted individuals within Israel called “judges” to free them from their predicament.

While God had called Israel to be set apart from the other nations who lived in sinful ways, after more time had passed, Israel regretfully requested a king to be placed over them so that they could become like the other nations. Saddened by their decision, God still conceded to their request and provided them with a king. 

But unlike typical Ancient Near Eastern kings who grasped at power at all costs, Israel’s kings, if they were to have them, were supposed to rule with justice and righteousness, and shepherd the people to become more obedient to God. Unfortunately, most of Israel’s kings failed miserably. The monarchy ended up creating a form of bondage in Israel much like their previous experience in Egypt. 

In an attempt to resolve this problem, God enlisted other individuals in Israel called “prophets” to oppose what the monarchy had become and convince them to reform their ways or God would bring an end to the kingdom of Israel.

Lasting reform of the monarchy never took place. So God allowed the kingdom to be conquered—first by the Assyrians in part and then finally by the Babylonian Empire. Members of Israel’s aristocracy were at that time exiled from the promised land to Babylon—an ironic reversal of Israel’s exodus from Egypt.

Some 50 or so years after the exile, Israel was allowed back into their land. Yet, except for a relatively brief period, they remained a conquered people—by the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans. 

Centuries after the return to the land, during the Roman occupation of Israel, God’s plan to rescue the creation came to its climax.

This is what we celebrate at Christmas time. Jesus was born an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the family of Israel’s most prominent king, David. Like Moses and Israel’s judges, he was sent to rescue his people. Like a prophet, he would proclaim a message of repentance from sin. As a king, he was born to rule not only Israel but the whole world in justice and righteousness.

As God’s Son, he would live a fully obedient life and save us all from sin and death.

I love it when a plan comes together.