Before the Foundation of the World
Knowing God • Sermon • Submitted
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Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The very first verse in the Bible teaches us that God was in the beginning and he created all things. But have you ever gave it much thought as to what it was like before the beginning of the World?
What was it like before:
God created light
God created the heavens
God created plants and trees
God created Sun, moon, stars
God created fish & fowl
God created man & beast
What about what it was like before God saw that all he had made was, very Good? Have you ever had this thought?
What about before God rested on the seventh day from all his works which he had done?
If you are like me you have probably thought about similar questions concerning what it was like before the foundation of the World.
This morning as we continue our series about knowing Jesus we are going to see what we can learn about Jesus before the foundation of the World.
I. Jesus existed as an equal with God before the foundation of the World.
When we think about the beginning of time we usually think about God the father being in the beginning because that is what the first verse of the Bible says. But how often do we think about the fact that Jesus was with God in the beginning?
At least for me, I have found myself not thinking as much about Jesus before the foundation of the World because I have in the past found myself thinking more about Jesus humble beginning rather than his eternal being.
I imagine that I am not alone in this because it is only natural to think of one beginning their life in the same way that you began your life.
You see once we think of the person of Jesus as a physical body it can be difficult for our minds to think of him as an eternal being in that he was present before the foundation of the World.
As we are going to see from scripture, Jesus, existed as a spiritual being and as God before the foundation of the World.
That means that there never has been a time when Jesus did not exist, nor will there ever be a time in which he does not exist.
If one simply does a quick reading of the creation account in Genesis 1 it can seem as though only God the Father is involved in the creation of the World.
For example each day of creation the text says And God said...
Let there be light
Let there be an expanse
Let there be land and plants
Let there be, Sun, Moon, and stars
Let there be fish of the sea and bird of the air
Each of the first five days of creation it seams as though God was working alone but then notice with how the language changes on the sixth day of creation. Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Did you see the difference. Up until this point the text makes it seem as though God created everything by himself but then when it came time to create man the text says; Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness.
God did not says I am going to make man in my image but rather he says let US make man in OUR image. Well what does this mean? It means that someone else had to be with God in the beginning.
And we learn about that someone else in the Gospel of John. In John 1:1-3 the text says...
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.
This text tells us that the Word was in the beginning with God and the Word helped create everything. The Word was the one who helped create man in their image.
If we keep reading in verse 14 and following we learn that the Word that was in the beginning became flesh and dwelt among the people and the Word was in fact Jesus Christ.
But not only do we learn that Jesus was in the beginning with God from Genesis 1 and John 1 but Jesus himself makes it very clear that he was with God in the beginning.
Look with me at John 17. Before Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested we find Jesus in John chapter 17 praying to his father in Heaven. In this prayer Jesus prays for many things including us.
In this prayer Jesus asks God to glorify him because he has carried out the work that the father sent him to do.
The work that he accomplished had to do with giving his creation the opportunity to receive eternal life. John 17:2
since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
And since Jesus accomplished this he is now asking God his father to glorify him.
Notice with me in verse 5 the type of praise and glory that Jesus is asking for.
Jesus says don’t just praise me for carrying out our plan to redeem man but glorify me in the same way that you glorified me before the world was. John 17:5. John 17:24.
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Before the world was God was glorifying his Son, Jesus. And then skip down with me to verse 24 of this prayer. Jesus says...
Jesus says my desire is that everyone who believes in me will be able to live with us so that they can see the glory that you have given me even before the foundation of the World.
When it comes to knowing Jesus we must understand that He existed with God before the foundation of the World.
II. Secondly this morning as we think about what it was like before the foundation of the world not only was Jesus present with God but they had a plan to redeem man even before they created man.
Illustration:
If you have ever been a part of launching a new program at work or in a congregation you understand that it is important to spend a lot of time in the planning stage before you launch your plan.
Or ladies you understand this because many of you spent a lot of time planning your wedding.
Long before you got married many of you began dreaming about what your wedding would be like. You spent time thinking about what you would wear along with all of the people in your wedding. You thought about the location, decorations, food, music and the list goes on and on.
The point is, a wedding or any major plan does not come together over night.
I can only imagine that the plan to save mankind from their sins was something that took time as well.
Imagine with me, God the father, Jesus the son and the Holy Spirit before they put their plan of creating the World into action.
Imagine with me the conversations that took place amongst them before the foundation of the World.
You see, they new that they wanted to create the world and us as humans but they also had the crushing blow of mankind’s sin in the back of their minds before they ever created the first atom.
The conversations were not just about how many days it was going to take to create this world but it also had to included how they were going to save the world.
The conversations between God, Christ and the Holy Spirit focused not only on creating mankind but also on how they would save mankind.
These conversations before creation could not have been taken lightly because not only was the life of Jesus impacted but their scheme of redemption would impact every human that they created. These conversations that took place amongst the God Head would change the course of the lives of not just a few, and not just for a short time, but for an eternity.
The planning that happens before a wedding or implementing a change at work cannot begin to compare to what took place in Heaven, before the foundation of the World.
Have you ever spent time thinking about this. Have you ever spent time thinking about the fact that before God created you, he had a plan to save you.
The Words that ________ read for us this morning teach us that this is the case.
This passage teaches us three very important things about God’s plan to save us before the foundation of the world.
God knew that we would sin and be lost without a savior
Our Savior who was Jesus was present
The details of the work of redemption were planned out
Titus 1:2
in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
Eph 3:11-12
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
Conclusion:
Church as we think about how amazing it is that Jesus has been with God since before the foundation of the World and that he had a plan to save us before he created us.
Let me ask you, how thankful are you this morning that you have a Savior who loved you enough to create you even though he knew if he created you he would have to die for you?
Today in our lives if we know before hand that something bad is going to happen than we most likely will avoid ever getting involved.
You see that is the difference between us and our Savior. Jesus as our Savior, from the beginning of time, before the foundation of the world, knew that he would have to die on the cross.
He didn’t find out this bad news before his birth but rather for all eternity he knew that He would have to come in human form, take on the sins of the world and die a humiliating death. Why? Because he Loves you and me.
Listen to the words of Peter in 1 Peter 1:19-21.
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
This text tells us what Christ motivation was for coming and dying on the cross. Peter says for his audiences sake, for your sake and mine Jesus came.
Jesus loves you so very much that He endured an eternity knowing that He would one day die on the cross for you, so that one day you can be with him for eternity.
Church knowing Jesus today means that we understand that Jesus has always been and that he has always loved us even before he created us.
The question for us this morning is by knowing this about Jesus do we love him in return. Are we willing to die for him? Are we willing to pick up our cross and die for him if necessary.