Ponder The Genesis
Have you ever thought three things that appear to contradict each other could be true? Human reason and logic tells us that truth is relative and what is true for me is not true for you.
Yet God’s wisdom does what is not possible with human wisdom or logic. God calls us to do something and then to do something that appears to be in direct conflict with the first thing: Love God with your whole heart, mind, and strength. To do this means all your love is directed and given to God. Then God calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. What? God, you have told me to love you with my entire being and there is nothing left with which to love my neighbor. God the Holy Spirit affirms this impossible with man but possible with God.[1] Therefore, we can only do this with an alien or external love that is not our own: the love of Christ.
For the next few minutes let us ponder the Genesis. There are three? Which Genesis are we to ponder?
- The Genesis of Creation: God the Father created all things through the Word. The Word created everything and if it does not exist it is because the Word did not create it. All creation was good and man was created very good. Yet, Adam rejected God’s love and all creation was dealt a fatal wound that it struggles with even to this day.
- The Genesis of the New Creation:
- God would not accept the death of His creation nor His beloved humanity. God had extended mercy upon mercy to His rebellious people and they continued to languish in sin. God the Father did something so radical and costly and sent His Son, His only Son, the One in whom He is well pleased to be our Savior. Our heavenly Father declared at our Lord’s Baptism: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!”[2] Our heavenly Father later declared at Jesus’ Transfiguration, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.”[3] How costly was our heavenly Father’s love for us:
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.[4]
- Jesus suffered and died on the cross for your sins and mine and for all humanity that we would not suffer the wages of our sin. Even more, Jesus arose on the third day to validate that His sacrifice was fully acceptable payment to God. Now true and eternal life is available to all who believe in His name as their Savior. Yet, even today God lavishes us with the treasures of His Kingdom: Holy Scripture and the Lord’s Table to feed you and me, the new creation in Christ.[5]
- The Genesis of the Eternal Creation. Even now the faithful departed enjoy eternal rest with our heavenly Father, Our Lord and God, and the Holy Spirit in the Father’s house and at the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb. We will join them and the angels and archangels when we complete the last good work our heavenly Father gives us. God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit will greet us as we depart this Time of Grace on the earth and enter into the Time of Glory in heaven. God will wipe away every tear from our eyes and every sorrow from our heart and we will only know perfect and eternal peace, love and joy.
While we may ponder those things that are irreconcilable between us and a friend, we can rejoice this day that God never contradicts Himself. The babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, helpless and defenseless, IS the Genesis of the New Creation. God desires us to rejoice and savor Jesus’ birth two thousand years ago AND celebrate it. Yet as we ponder the Word of God made flesh it is good, right and salutary to ponder the Genesis of the Eternal Creation that even today awaits our arrival with joy and anticipation.
Amen and Amen
[5] 2 Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
